Axiom Verge Review: The Game with the Best Storyline?

Axiom Verge: At First Glance

If you are a fan of the classic Contra 4 video game, you’ll definitely love Axiom Verge. This is because Axiom Verge borrows several elements from Contra 4 including its gameplay.

Specifically, Axiom Verge is a Metroidvania video game just like Contra 4. However, unlike Contra, Axiom Verge offers a better storyline.

Apart from its excellent storyline, Axiom Verge has a lot more going for it, one of which is affordability. The game also has very low system requirements.

Speaking of affordability, when I wrote this review in December 2021, Axiom Verge for Wii U was selling for just $19.99 on Amazon. Can a video game this affordable offer exciting gameplay?

Well, you will find out about this and more when you read this review to the end.

Axiom Verge: Systems Requirements

Just like Stardew Valley, which I reviewed recently, Axiom Verge has less-demanding system requirements. To start with, any processor with a 2.0 GHz frequency will run Axiom Verge smoothly.

The good news is that laptops with this type of processor specs are usually inexpensive. Interestingly, the RAM requirements of Axiom Verge are also extremely low.

Specifically, you need about 500 MB of RAM to play Axiom Verge smoothly. This shouldn’t be a problem, though, as most recent laptops come with at least 2 GB standard memory.

Having mentioned all that, now let us discuss the graphics card requirement to run Axiom Verge. Before I go deep into the graphics card requirement, I would like to say Axiom Verge isn’t a graphic-intensive game.

Therefore, don’t expect a demanding graphic card requirement. To give more details, all you need to enjoy Axiom Verge graphically is an Intel HD Graphics 4400.

This graphics card is an integrated graphics card that is normally embedded into a processor. To give more details, this GPU is mostly embedded into Intel’s fourth-generation Core processors, such as the Intel Core i3-4005U.

This simply means that you don’t need a gaming PC with a dedicated GPU to enjoy Axiom Verge graphically. This is because any PC that has Intel’s fourth-generation core processor will feature the recommended GPU requirement for Axiom Verge.

With all that being said, the best PC specs combination to smoothly play Axiom Verge includes an Intel Pentium E2180 processor or higher. In addition to that, the PC must also have 500 MB of RAM and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400.

Finally, to download and play Axiom Verge, your PC must have at least 500 MB of free disk space.

Well, there are so many PCs that have a similar or even better combination of specs. As I mentioned earlier, PCs with these low-end specs aren’t expensive.

Some PCs that meet this system specs are the Dell Latitude E7440 and the Dell Alienware X51 R2.

However, before deciding to buy any of these PCs, it is best you check the specs of your current PC. Kindly refer to the “References And Further Reading” section of this article for detailed instructions.

To give more details, I have listed our guides that you can use to check your computer’s processor, RAM, GPU, and VRAM.

That said, the DirectX version recommended to play Axiom Verge is DirectX version 9. If you are wondering, DirectX is a collection of APIs (application programming interfaces) for Microsoft operating systems.

Also, DirectX handles activities relating to multimedia, particularly video and game programming.

Moving on, Axiom Verge has always been compared with Contra 4 because they feature a lot of similar elements. However, among all the differences between these 2 video games, there their system requirements stand out.

Specifically, with all the information above, it is clear that Axiom Verge has low system requirements. Contra 4, however, isn’t like Axiom Verge because its system requirements are pretty high.

To give more details, the recommended PC specs to run Contra 4 smoothly include an Intel Core i7-4790 processor. Also, the PC must have 8 GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 with 2 GB dedicated VRAM.  

For disk space requirements, your PC must have at least 14 GB of free disk space to run Contra 4.

These requirements are bizarre because only expensive high-end gaming PC like the ASUS ROG GL752VW-DH71 features these kinds of specs. Besides, I don’t consider Contra 4 a high-end game because I have played it severally, and it is nothing special.   

So, I don’t really see why its systems requirements are this high. Well, I guess that’s a question the developer (Konami Digital Entertainment) of the game can answer.

Enough with the frustration about Contra 4’s insanely-demanding requirements. Let us now discuss other platforms where you can play Axiom Verge.

Specifically, apart from PC, you can also play Axiom Verge on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, and PS4. Also, you can play the game on Wii U and Xbox One.

In conclusion, Axiom Verge seems like the game most affordable PCs can run due to its less-demanding requirements. Therefore, it is ideal to rate Axiom Verge a nine out of ten in this system requirements review section.

Axiom Verge: Music, Sound, and Graphics

The Axiom Verge video game isn’t a graphic-intensive game. Therefore, this video game doesn’t really have much to offer graphically.

To be more specific, Axiom Verge is a game that is designed with 2D graphics and sprite animation. For clarity, sprites are two-dimensional animations that are layered into a scene.

Moreover, they’re the non-static elements in a 2D game that move around on their own in the background. Additionally, sprites are frequently used to portray player-controlled characters, props, enemy units, and other objects.

That said, being a 2D video game with sprite animation doesn’t mean Axiom Verge is so bad graphically. In fact, the number of details that the developer put into the game’s graphics is really impressive.

For instance, when a player kills an enemy/monster in the game, the way the enemy’s blood splashes is so real-world-like. Also, even though sprite animations aren’t usually clear, the sprite animations used to create the Axiom Verge’s characters are superb.

However, the colors on this video game aren’t bright at all – the colors look somewhat washed out. Probably the reason the game’s colors aren’t bright is that the majority of the game’s scenes feature a monochromic color scheme.

Briefly, a monochromatic color scheme is a one-color scheme that is created using different tones of that one color. For example, when fighting a boss in Axiom Verge, the scene may have colors like Pale Lavender or Light Pastel Purple.

These colors are actually purple or taken from just a “single color (purple)” – they just have a different tone. Most scenes in Axiom Verge featuring just a single color scheme isn’t particularly an issue.

However, it would be nice if we can get a combination of colors in the majority of the scenes. This is because it would have improved the graphics quality and visual presentation of the video game.

That said, the environments in Axiom Verge are somewhat creepy. Probably the reason the developer made creepy environments in the game is that it is an alien-based video game.

Although the creepy environments of this game look cool, they will look really scary to kids. Therefore, I don’t recommend kids below 5 years old playing Axiom Verge.

Asides from featuring creepy environments, the majority of the scenes in Axiom Verge have very dark backgrounds. Therefore, if you play the game with a low-contrast display, you might not enjoy the game graphically.

This is because the dark background in those scenes will look more like gray. Thus, the overall graphics quality of the game will be some sort of a mess.

I know most readers might not be happy with the graphics of Axiom Verge. However, I can assure you that you’ll love the game’s music and soundtracks.

Speaking of music and soundtracks, the game features sci-fi soundtracks that perfectly fit the alien-like, creepy setting of the game. Moreover, I personally love how weird and nightmare-inducing the soundtracks often sound.

Although the soundtracks might sound scary, it sure is intriguing and makes the game more fun. However, oftentimes you may find yourself caught off guard by the bizarre music that plays when entering a new area.

It is important to emphasize that this bizarre music that plays when entering new areas may make you pee your pants because it is really scary! However, it is something that makes the game’s exploration even more exciting.

Moving on, even though there isn’t dialogue sound in the game, the sound effect that weapons make are very impressive. Specifically, there are different types of weapons/guns in the video game, and each one of them generates a unique sound when used.

For instance, the flamethrower gun sounds just like throwing flames.

That said, I really appreciate the “footstep” sound effect that the character makes when walking or running.

In conclusion, Axiom Verge’s graphics may not be particularly impressive with its washed-out colors and too creepy environment. However, the sound of the video game is really impressive, and it sure will give players chills.

All things considered, I will be rating Axiom Verge an eight out of ten in this music, sound, and graphics review section.

Axiom Verge: Storyline and Characters

Ever imagined at some point in your life, you wake up in an unexpected place? Whether you ever imagined this or not, you are about to experience it in this Axiom Verge’s intriguing storyline.

Moreover, there are many plot twists that make the story of this video game even more interesting. Enough with the long talk; let us get down to the video game’s storyline already!

Before delving deep into Axiom Verge’s story, it is important to note that the game lays out its story through “Cutscenes”. Also, some part of the game’s story is laid out through “Notes” hidden around the game.

Briefly, “Cutscenes” are in-game storytelling sequences, usually involving conversations between Axiom Verge’s characters. However, players will not be able to control the main character (Trace) during cutscenes.

Instead, players will be able to advance or skip the cutscenes. Also, in some cases, the game may switch to a full-screen story video while dialogue takes place over the top.

“Notes”, on the other hand, are collectibles that contain additional information regarding the lore and background story of the game. These notes were written by numerous characters from the game’s backstory.

Some of these backstory characters appear in the game and others do not.

All these may start to seem confusing, but don’t worry because, at www.itechguides.com, we deliver easy-to-understand reviews. Therefore, I will make the story of Axiom Verge as straightforward and explanatory as possible.

The story starts in 2005 in a New Mexico research facility where Trace and Hammond are working on an experiment. Trace is the main character of this game.

Players play as Trace throughout the game.

A problem with the experiment seemingly causes a huge explosion, severely injuring Trace and rendering him unconscious. This is the last memory of Earth that Trace recalls before waking up in an alien world called Sudra.

Unknown to Trace, in Sudra, he has been mysteriously transported to an egg-shaped device called a Rebirth Chamber. He was transported to the Rebirth Chamber by the Rusalki.

The Rusalki are huge sentient war machines from long ago that guard Sudra and the Breach (more on this soon). Each Rusalka (singular of the plural word “Rusalki”) has a unique personality and appearance.

Generally, though, the Rusalki are blue-gray in color. In addition to their blue-gray color, Rusalki also have a machine-like body and a humanoid face.

The Rusalki’s appearance is very similar to the famous art style of H.R. Gige.

Having explained who the Rusalki are, let us continue with the story and Trace. So, upon awakening in the Rebirth Chamber, Trace’s body is seemingly intact and uninjured, which surprised Trace himself.

This is because the last thing Trace remembered is that he was involved in a huge explosion. Did Trace actually lose his memory though?

Well, there is certainly a plot twist there, which I’ll talk about later on in this section.

That said, after waking up unharmed, Trace is contacted telepathically by a female voice. This voice tells Trace to retrieve a gun called the Axiom Disruptor in the adjacent room.

The female voice also warns Trace to stay away from a dangerous being called Athetos for the moment. In actuality, Athetos and Trace are somehow related, but that’s not a discussion for now – you have to read this section to the end to know more.

So, after retrieving the Axiom Disruptor gun, the female voice then tells Trace to find his way to her. When trying to find the way to her, players playing as Trace may encounter enemies and die several times.

However, they will respawn or reawaken back inside the strange machine (Rebirth Chamber) every time they die.

That said, Trace finally finds his way to the female voice, which is a damaged Rusalka named Elsenova. Elsenova first instructs Trace to find and repair a nearby “Power Filter” and “Remote Drones”.

The power filter and remote drones are to restore her and her fellow Rusalki Veruska, and Ophelia. Veruska is a Rusalka who they call “The Dreamer”.

People call her The Dreamer because she has the ability to create vivid dream worlds for others to experience. Also, Elsenova often references Veruska as “dangerous” because she is the only Rusalka that is capable of killing another Rusalka.

Ophelia, on the other hand, is more like a medic even though she is a war machine like the other Rusalki. The reason I consider her a medic is because she has the ability to heal others.

That said, after being restored by Trace, Elsenova explains that the universe is made up of several worlds. These several worlds include Earth and Sudra, and they are separated by a storm called the Breach.

However, long ago, a man named Athetos emerged from the Breach and wipe out the people of Sudra with pathogens. Elsanova then tells Trace that to get back home to Earth, he has to defeat Athetos.

That’s where his journey or let me say the actual mission begins – to kill Athetos. Unfortunately, still on his way to find Athetos, Trace began hallucinating due to pathogen infection.

Trace struggled to keep on moving but he becomes dizzy and collapses. When he collapsed, Trace began dreaming, thus recovering a few of his memories.

In his dream, Trace discovers that the explosion he was involved in on Earth actually made him paralyzed. However, the explosion did not send him to Sudra.

Thus, Trace continued living on Earth and started researching physics and the mysteries of the universe. However, Trace’s research was ridiculed by the scientific community, who started calling him “Athetos” or “without place” in Greek.

This is exactly where the plot twist started to reveal how Athetos and Trace are related. Trace finally woke up from his dream in front of Ophelia, who retrieved and healed him when he collapsed.

After waking up, Trace suspects the Rusalki know that he and Athetos are somehow the same person. However, he didn’t ask or say anything to the Rusalki until he found a disfigured clone of Athetos.

Players playing as Trace can kill this clone or choose to watch it die. Whatever a player’s decisions, Trace will still find and combat more of this disfigured clone of Athetos in the game.

These clones, also called Variants, are more like bosses in the game. They are about six of them in the game: Xedur, Telal, Uruku, Gir-Tab, Ukhu, and Xedur Hul.

However, Athetos himself is the final boss. Well, after fighting off all the Variants, Trace finally discovered that they are all mutated clones of Athetos.

Thus, he demanded answers from the Rusalki, and Ophelia started confessing. It is important to note that the Rusalki including Elsanova and Ophelia were all contacting or talking to Trace remotely/telepathically.

To give more details, a green tablet will appear on the screen to display what a Rusalki is telling Trace telepathically. Although, throughout the game, Trace will meet several Rusalki including Daraga, Oracca, and Veruska.

That said, now back to the story and plot twist, Trace and Athetos are actually the same people. To be more specific, Trace is the younger clone/version of Athetos (the original Trace nicknamed “Athetos” by scientists on Earth).

So, the Trace I have been talking about from the beginning of this section is actually a younger clone of the original Trace. Thus, those mere memories Trace was remembering in his dream were actually the original Trace (Athetos’) memory.

Now the question is who created the younger clone Trace that I have been talking about since?

The answer to that question is an alternate story entirely, and I am here to explain. Specifically, on Earth, the original Trace got blacklisted by the scientific community for his research on physics and the universe.

The scientific community was actually skeptical about the original Trace’s research, that’s why they didn’t approve of it. However, that doesn’t stop Trace from continuing his research and finding more about the mysteries of the universe.

Using his research and new understandings of physics and the universe, Trace and Dr. Hammond crossed ‘The Breach’. You remember I mentioned earlier that Elsenova explains to Trace (younger clone) that Athetos emerged from the Breach.

Also, Elsenova stated that Athetos then destroy the people of Sudra with a Pathogen. Well, this is where Elsenova’s story originated from.

Moreover, everything Elsenova explained was true but it wasn’t complete. Specifically, when Trace and Dr. Hammond (Trace’s colleague and best friend) crossed ‘The Breach’, they landed in Sudra, as expected.

Sudra is a gateway world of sorts – its main purpose is to monitor travel between other surrounding worlds. However, by the time Trace arrives, Sudra’s civilization has collapsed, and its people no longer remember its purpose.

To give more details, the Sudrans (people of Sudra) have become an incredibly xenophobic society, shunning all outsiders. Also, they regard their own technology with superstitious and religious references.

Thus, the Sudrans no longer permit travel between worlds. They see the Breach as a barrier to shut them off from all the outside universe.

Upon arriving in Sudra, Trace was still in a wheelchair actually – I mentioned earlier that Trace was involved in a lab explosion, which resulted in him being paralyzed.

However, Trace and Dr. Hammond discovers Sudra’s incredible technology and use the ‘Rebirth Chamber’ to completely heal Trace. You remember this ‘Rebirth Chamber’, right?

If you don’t, it is actually where the younger clone Trace woke up from at the beginning. That said, by using the Rebirth Chamber, the original Trace unknowingly leaves behind an imprint (DNA) of himself.

That was how whoever created the younger clone Trace was able to do it – using the original Trace’s unknowingly-left DNA. I know you are already eager to find out who created the younger clone Trace.

Well, we are almost there. However, if you have been paying close attention to this section, you should have gotten a hint.

That said, after healing using the Rebirth Chamber, Trace and Dr. Hammond explore Sudra and make contact with the Sudrans. Trace eventually decides that Sudra’s technology is too dangerous to bring back to Earth.

Also, he believes this technology somehow connects to the catastrophic collapse of Sudra’s civilization. Trace and Dr. Hammond then attempt to go “upstream – to the Filter”, or whatever lies beyond, for answers.

In doing so, Trace discovers that there is a world beyond Sudra. This world has an advanced civilization that the Sudrans have kept hidden due to religious taboos.

Additionally, this world is full of technological wonders that could end all war, hunger, and sickness on Earth. At this point, it is unclear what happened to Dr. Hammond – it was like he disappeared from the game.

In my opinion, not finding a way to remove a character from a game and its story is a huge flaw. To be more specific, you can’t just remove a character without any reason, thinking players won’t notice.

That said, after discovering the technological wonders of this unknown world, Trace’s mind becomes twisted. Thus, he embraced the name the scientific community in Earth labeled him, and started calling himself “Athetos”.

Also, Athetos decides to bring all the technologies in this unknown world back to Earth by all means. When I say “by all means”, I meant destroying the Sudrans because they won’t allow him to pass the Breach back to Earth.

To do so, Athetos begins creating allies – genetically modified or “Variant” clones of himself, as mentioned earlier. Interestingly, he used the DNA he left in the “Rebirth Chamber” to create these variants.

Remember I discussed the Rusalki earlier, who are meant to protect Sudra and also the Breach. Thus, the Rusalki are the ones that can stop Athetos and his variants.

In spite of that, Athetos was able to convince one of the Rusalki (Katrahaska) to join him. With the help of this Rusalki, Athetos goes on the offensive with biological warfare.

Thus, he created pathogens that wipes out the Sudrans almost entirely. The only thing that would stop Athetos now are the remaining Rusalki.

To stop Athetos, the remaining Rusalki battled against Athetos, his variants, and Katrahaska. Using Remote Drones, the Rusalki manage to destroy Katrahaska and Athetos’ pathogen protection.

This forced Athetos to retreat to a hideaway in Mar-Uru, a strange world far above the atmosphere of Sudra. However, before retreating, Athetos manages to turn off the Remote Drones, leaving the Rusalki nearly helpless, dormant and degrading.

So, since they cannot stop Athetos when they are helpless, one of the Rusalki (Ophelia) comes up with a plan. Her plan was to create a new copy of Athetos when he first came to Sudra as Trace.

They did this by using the DNA Athetos/Trace left when he first healed in the Rebirth Chamber. Though it has been a long time, the Rusalki are aware that Trace was much kinder when he first arrived on Sudra.

Thus, they guess that a younger Trace’s copy/clone will agree to the idea of stopping Athetos. Now I guess the question has been answered – the Rusalki created the younger clone Trace, who is the main character of this game.

After already finding out that he is related to Athetos, the younger clone Trace demands to talk to Athetos. This caused Elsenova to remotely kill him.

Thankfully, Ophelia revives Trace. She then promise Trace that if he shut down Athetos’ Breach Attractor, she will persuade Elsenova to let him speak to Athetos.

What does this Breach Attractor have to do with this story? Let me explain.

When Athetos retreated to Mar-Uru, which is above the atmosphere of Sudra, he took this Breach Attractor along with him. The Breach Attractor, called the storm talisman by the Sudrans, is a piece of ancient Sudran Technology.

This ancient technology prevents the Rusalki from entering the atmosphere to end Athetos, without killing themselves.

That said, the younger clone Trace then accepts to shut down Athetos’ Breach Attractor. Thus, Ophelia directs Trace to the elevator that will take him to Athetos.

Elsenova appears with her fully restored body as Trace approaches Athetos’ elevator. She assures Trace that, despite her inability to reach the atmosphere, she will assist him in fighting Athetos.

However, he has to damage the Breach Attractor first. She also apologizes for killing Trace and offers not to kill Athetos in exchange for Trace’s cooperation.

When Trace arrives in Athetos, he discovers him hanging in a large tank of liquid created to protect him from the pathogen. Trace demands answers from him, but Athetos argues that if Trace discovered the real truth, the Rusalki would kill him.

However, Athetos does mention the fact that he committed genocide on Sudra. Trace then decides to fight Athetos, and he momentarily damages the Breach Attractor.

This then allows Elsenova to rise to the upper atmosphere and destroy the Breach Attractor entirely. After doing so, the Rusalki are once again free to move above the atmosphere of the planet Sudra.

Also, Elsenova claims Athetos is too dangerous and chooses to kill him with a laser beam. Thus, breaking her promise to the younger clone Trace.

Afterward, Elsenova renders this younger clone Trace unconscious and seemingly sends him back to Earth. Specifically, she sent him to the event during the aftermath of the lab explosion.

However, this time, the lab explosion does not leave Trace injured – or so it appears.

“Back in time”, Trace cannot stop thinking about Sudra, and devotes his life to returning back. In the final cutscenes, it shows that Trace is near to his goal of returning.

Also, there is this brief glint in his eye, indicating that he may be on the path of becoming Athetos once again.

Is that really the end though? I guess not!

Specifically, if you finish the game with a high completion rate, you’ll be treated to two important bits of information. First, you’ll gain access to watch the game’s full credits, which show a collapsed Trace laying on top of a Rusalka’s body.

This now makes me wonder if Elsenova actually sends Trace back to Earth. Come to think of it, there’s nothing in the game that implies Elsenova can send Trace or anyone through time.

The only thing I know Elsanova can do to Trace is to kill him or put him in a coma. Basically, the younger clone Trace going back in time and returning to the event of the explosion unharmed is just a dream.

You remember I mentioned a Rusalka who is can create and manipulate dreams called Veruska. Well, it was this Rusalka who created a dream algorithm to give the clone Trace a happy ending.

Also, in this dream algorithm, Veruska made sure to prevent any possibility that Trace might once again become Athetos. So, basically, the clone Trace is still in Sudra, but in a coma and dreaming.

However, in this coma, Trace’s mind realizes what is happening; that his world is not real. Therefore, his mind created a “kick” that would wake him up from the coma.

This “kick” is Athetos coming to kill Trace in his mind. This is where the second bit of information comes in when you finish Axiom Verge.

Specifically, back on Earth or Trace’s dream, when Trace nears his goal of returning to Sudra, Athetos seemingly pays him a visit! This visit was actually created by Trace’s mind so as to escape the coma or dream he is in.

Upon visiting in his dream, Athetos tells Trace he cannot outrun himself and it is “time to wake up”. After that, Athetos shoots Trace!

To be honest, the story of Axiom Verge may be somehow confusing due to the plot twists. However, these plot twists are actually what makes the story and the game more interesting.

I sure am not the only one who feels this way about the story of Axiom Verge. To be more specific, a number of gamers on Steam had a few things to say about the game’s story.

Specifically, a gamer with the name K. Haggard said “Awesome game all around, almost hit 100% having played 15 hours.”

Although Axiom Verge’s story isn’t straightforward as Contra 4’s story, it is certainly more interesting. To be more specific, Contra 4’s story is somewhat boring, lacks plot twist, and is not intriguing as Axiom Verge’s story.

Basically, Contra 4 is all about the Earth Federation sending their four strongest Contra Force commandos on a strike mission. This strike mission is to a place called Galuga archipelago.

The four Contra Force commandos are to go to this place and destroy Black Viper (boss). However, they will encounter a lot of Black Viper’s army of aliens, robots, and mutants.

In conclusion, Axiom Verge’s story has lots of plot twists and suspense. Notwithstanding, the plot twists make the story really intriguing, full of shockers, and interesting overall.

Also, the idea that players have to finish the game with a high completion rate to get extra story/information is an awesome idea. This is will be a great motive for players to do well in the game and not abandon it halfway.

However, the unspecific disappearance of a character (Dr. Hammond) in the game is a flaw for me. In my opinion, there should be some explanation on how he disappeared from the game.

All things considered, I will rate Axiom Verge an eight out of ten in this Storyline review section.

Axiom Verge: Gameplay

Remember in the “My Initial Thoughts” section above, I mentioned that Axiom Verge is a Metroidvania video game. A Metroidvania video game is a subgenre of action-adventure video games that focus on guided non-linear exploration.

Basically, a Metroidvania game is more like a side-scroller action-adventure game. Specifically, on Metroidvania games, action is viewed from a side-view camera angle.

Also, in Metroidvania games like Axiom Verge, the screen follows the player as he/she moves left or right. Moreover, the only movements players can perform in Axiom Verge are left, right, squat, and jump.

Although Axiom Verge is primarily about combat, there is a lot of exploration and collectibles to gather. Specifically, there is a lot of guns, weapons, and tools to collect all around the game’s map.

The first and primary weapon you need to get in Axiom Verge is the Axiom Disruptor. This weapon doesn’t do much damage to enemies as it fires simple energy bullets.

However, there are other concrete weapons to find that shoots shotgun-like blasts of electricity or a beam of current. These types of weapons are really efficient in killing enemies.

However, with more than a dozen weapons to find, you have to spend a lot of time searching for each and every one. To make matters even worse, not all the weapons/guns are really efficient, only a few of them.

On a positive note, there are quite some impressive tools to discover that make navigating Axiom Verge fun. For example, the laser drill, which lets you drill through rocks, revealing new pathways and potential secrets.

Also, players can use the laser drill to drill or attack some tough-skinned enemies. Moreover, players might eventually find a grappling hook that allows them to bridge large gaps and swing across ceilings.

One tool, which is also a weapon, stands out as the most special device to find in this game. The name of this device is the Address Disruptor.

This device has various purposes during your adventure, including the ability to corrupt enemies and restore glitchy matters. For instance, firing the device at glitchy matters will produce a new platform that will help you get to a new location.

However, most people think that the glitchy matters in Axiom Verge is a bug or programming error of some sort. In actuality, it is a feature, a great feature if I might add, that makes the game’s gameplay more fun.

That said, the most interesting thing you can use the Address Disruptor for is to transform enemies. Moreover, every enemy has a different reaction to the Address Disruptor, and it’s important to pay attention to them.

For example, an enemy that spits laser-firing bugs may suddenly spit life energies once you’ve corrupted it with the Address Disruptor. Also, some enemies may begin to chew at rocks, which you can use to your advantage while attempting to reach difficult locations.

A particular enemy’s reaction to the Address Disruptor will now lead me to talk about the game’s password system. Specifically, within the inventory and map menu in the game lies a place to input passwords.

Passwords can trigger numerous things including changing players’ outfits or allowing players to read previously unreadable documents. All of the information in these documents you find via inputting passwords are supplements to the game’s story.

However, you can’t just get passwords anyhow, you need to work to find them. For instance, the particular enemy I spoke of the other time reveals a password when corrupted by the Address Disruptor.

This particular enemy is normally and only in a particular room in the game. Although there are others like it to be found on the map, it only provides a password in that “particular room”.

The Address Disruptor is responsible for a variety of different behaviors. Thus, it’s easily one of the most interesting weapons or tools that I’ve ever seen in a game.

Enough with the weapon and tool talks, now let us talk about combat. There are certainly a lot and different kinds of enemies to combat in Axiom Verge.

To be more specific, there are plant enemies and animal enemies in the video game. These enemies aren’t difficult to combat or kill, you just need to have the proper weapon and know their patterns.

Some enemies’ attack patterns are a simple walk to and fro, while others will pounce and claw at you. The main character (Trace) is acrobatic, so players will have no problem dodging attacks at the right time.

However, boss fights are a bit more challenging. There are about six boss fights across Axiom Verge

As I mentioned earlier, these bosses are called Variants. I already discussed Variants in the “Storyline and Characters” section earlier in this review.

To give more details, most, if not all of the Variants, are enormous and equally deformed mutants. They are just like giant slugs, with cannons hooked to their backs.

However, there are some of these Variants that look like a flying worm and toss bombs as it whizzes around.

Lest I forget, there is a life/energy bar at the uppers left of the screen that indicates the player’s life.

Thus, it’s common to die when fighting these Variants, if the player’s life bar runs low. Thankfully, death isn’t particularly an issue in Axiom Verge as there are save points across the game.

These save points appear as giant egg-like chambers (Rebirth Chamber) that records your progress. Therefore, anytime you die in the game, you simply respawn from your most recent save point.

Impressively, any items or weapons found before dying will remain intact after respawning.

After defeating all the Variants (bosses) across Axiom Verge, there is still one final boss to face to end the game. This boss is Athetos and his Breach Attractor.

However, you aren’t really combating Athetos in the final fight, your main mission is to destroy his Breach Attractor. After doing so, Elsanova will kill Athetos, and you complete the game.

Moreover, if you complete the game with a 100% completion rate, you will be treated with a few more information/stories. Nevertheless, I already explained these “few more information/stories” in the “Story and Character” section earlier.

I apologize if discussing these after-ending Infos in the “Story and Character” section seems like a spoiler!

In conclusion, Axiom Verge has impressive and fun gameplay. Also, the fact that there are a lot of weapons and tools to discover makes the game more fun.

All things considered, I will rate Axiom Verge a nine out of ten in this gameplay review section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Axiom Verge is a game that’s easy to fall in love with, thanks to its interesting storyline and plot twists. Basically, the story of the game will probably be the main reason players will love the game.

This doesn’t mean the game is bad in other areas. In fact, the game has fun gameplay and loads of weapons and items to find.  

However, I don’t really appreciate the creepy environments of the game even though it is an alien-based game. Also, the game features somewhat washed-out colors.

Notwithstanding, Axiom Verge makes up for these errors with its low system requirement. Thus, if you need a side-scroller action-adventure game with a great storyline, Axiom Verge is probably your best pick.

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