Golden Axe: Beast Rider

 Xbox 360
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 37
  3. Negative: 12 out of 37
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  1. aspentitan
    Sep 30, 2021
    7
    I've never played the original or previous golden axe games and after giving this game a try I'm perplexed at the low scores. I was expecting a simple hack and slash and found that this game surpasses what I was expecting. With a counter system and the ability to ride beasts with different abilities and enemies which can knock you off your beast and use them this game can get deeper thanI've never played the original or previous golden axe games and after giving this game a try I'm perplexed at the low scores. I was expecting a simple hack and slash and found that this game surpasses what I was expecting. With a counter system and the ability to ride beasts with different abilities and enemies which can knock you off your beast and use them this game can get deeper than most trivial button mashers. I surmise the low scores have two reasons for appearing. Number one is the Sacred 3 effect....the game is not the same as previous games within the series and is being leashed out against. Number two goes hand in hand with number one and that is people don't want to evolve in their gameplay. I'm guessing this game had too much to learn in way of how to get good at the game. It's very important to learn the counter system and I can guess that stubborn fans who would rather bash the new system then learn it would rather just bash the game and say how terrible it is. When I reviewed comments on this game it seems players of more recent dates are scoring this game higher than those who reviewed it at launch. Another third reason for the low scores are a competition factor towards God of War. Looks like with a health and mana system this game was viewed as a terrible sister or brother to that hugely successful game. After letting this game stew 10-15 years losing that comparison and viewing it as it's own entity and merits this game is much better than it was examined back in the day. Not saying this is a hidden gem but it clearly is not a 4/10 game which it got. For me, an enjoyable and surprisingly good unexpected find. Not mind blowing but a decent game. It is a solo game and my only real issue with it is that it is broken up in very small chunks which kinda all feel like tutorials and on top of that the in game menu where you are at seems lacking. Looking back to YouTube videos what Golden axe was this game is a dramatic improvement so much so that I can't see anyone ever wanting to play the original again unless using only two or three buttons is your ideal gaming heaven. I'm giving Sega the win on this one, not players.… Expand
  2. GidBix
    Apr 6, 2012
    6
    Much to my surprise, I found this game to be pretty fun. While absolutely nothing like the original, it did offer a lot of fan service and ingenuity that I wasn't expecting. It's definitely rough around the edges, but its cheap enough now that you should be able to get your $10 worth no problem.
  3. DaredadCrust
    Sep 5, 2013
    6
    If you find this game cheap, it's worth giving it a shot. Once you get used to the combat, it can be pretty fun. You also get to ride on a couple monsters, which makes the combat better. The graphics, the camera and the music are pretty good. The two big problems are the lack of online play and the game is also very repetitive.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
59
#59 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 33
  3. Negative: 21 out of 33
  1. 3DJuegos
    58
    Golden Axe: Beast Rider confuses the tribute to retro with the flat and boring gameplay. The new game of SEGA is mediocre in every aspect, and comes as a failure in its attempt to recover a legendary name and turn it into a worthy product of Next-Gen platforms.
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  2. GamePro
    40
    Fans hoping for a worthwhile update to one of gaming's most revered hack-and-slash franchises will be sorely disappointed by this poorly designed and utterly mediocre title.
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  3. Official Xbox Magazine
    40
    We expect a few things from a modern arcade-style brawler: reasonably placed checkpoints, more than one playable character, varied enemies, and multiplayer. Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Sega’s reinvention of the arcade classic, delivers none of them. Perhaps the worst oversight of the bunch is the lack of multiplayer options.
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