There was a pretty big gap between classic 2D Metroid games for a while there. Metroid Fusion (Metroid 4) was released in 2002. And then... that was it. So apparently indie developer Thomas Happ got tired of waiting and went ahead and made his own homage. Axiom Verge was released in 2015 to much applause. Ironically, a year later we'd see the release of AM2R – a fan remake of Metroid II – and a year after that, Samus Returns which was Nintendo's own (inferior) remake of Metroid II. But the real important thing to note her is that as far as 2D Metroid games go, we had Fusion in 2002, and didn't get a proper Metroid 5 until Metroid Dread was finally released in 2021 – a nineteen years later. Perhaps even more ironically, 2021 was also saw the release of Axiom Verge 2. But I digress.
The point is that there was a real reason why Axiom Verge was such an indie hit. There was an actual market for this game. I mean, it's not like there was any lack of Metroidvania style indie games out there. In fact, they were a dime a dozen. But Axiom Verge actually looked and felt like a real Metroid game. It looked like an NES game, if the NES had much more impressive hardware under the hood. On top of that, Happ really seemed to understand what made a Metroid game worth playing. It wasn't just someone who wanted to make a game that looked like Metroid, it was someone who wanted to make a game that felt like Metroid. Who is this Thomas Happ guy, anyway? I looked him up because I got curious. I mean, the dude that made AM2R received a cease and desist letter from Nintendo, but was smartly picked up by Microsoft and went ahead and worked on the Ori games. So I couldn't help but wonder what was up with Happ and why was he still chugging away as an indie dev? Well, I think I may have gotten my answer. It turns out that Happ has already worked in the AAA space, with his name attached to projects like Crash Nitro Kart, Outlaw Golf 2, Outlaw Tennis, NFL Street 3, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08. Interesting. Anyway, that was a real digression. But I wanted to say that Metroid is an interesting series to me. Over the years since I was a kid, Metroid has been a series I've always kind of wanted to like. It's one that I like a lot on paper. And I've played a lot of them. I mean, they've always drawn heavily from Alien and all. So I'm drawn to them. But I think I like the idea of Metroid more than I like Metroid. Here's my own brief rundown of the non-3D games... Metroid – The original was one I remember seeing adults play as a kid. It felt too confusing and difficult to me. I was more of a Castlevania kid growing up. I did eventually play the Zero Mission remake and thought it was way better than the original thanks to some quality of life improvements. Metroid II – I loved this game as a kid. It was a Gameboy staple for me. Feels pretty antiquated now, but I did play AM2R when it was released, and was pretty impressed. And I played Samus Returns and thought it was awful thanks to the inclusion of the parrying. Super Metroid – I missed out on this one back when it was originally released. I tried to play it numerous times in the past decade, but I've never been able to really love it. I don't know why. I can't put my finger on it, but it just doesn't grab me. I know I'm in the minority. Metroid Fusion – I liked this one a lot, but I haven't played it in years. Metroid Dread – I don’t know. I bought it when it was released, and never played it. I have to admit, I have a Switch but haven't played it in well over a year now. ...that was another big diversion. And I know Axiom Verge isn't Metroid, but I feel like it's impossible to talk about it without talking about Metroid. While Axiom Verge is its own unique thing, I genuinely feel like your love of Metroid is going to drastically alter your opinion of this game. Especially 8bit Metroid. But before I dig into the game itself, I want to draw special attention to the sound design here. My God, the sound design is great. And I'm not talking about the music – I'm talking about the ambience. It's incredible. It's unnerving. It's super impressive. Anyway... Axiom Verge. I have to say that Axiom Verge is a pretty incredible game. It feels like a classic Metroid game in the best way possible. It has the vibe and the look down perfectly, but there's some quality of life improvements like an auto-map and the fact that you don't lose upgrades when you die. These little things have helped to push me further into Axiom Verge without the frustrations I've had playing some of the (earlier) Metroids. The balance seems super fair as well. Obviously you will be challenged and punished if you try to visit an area that you're not quite ready for. But honestly, if you've unlocked whatever item you need to access an area, then you're probably ready. And boss battles are tough, sure, but they never feel unfair or like you're bashing your head against a wall. On top of all that, Axiom Verge messes with your expectations in a unique way. Somewhat early on you'll receive an item that lets you mess with glitches in-game. There's garbled sprites, and, I don't really want to ruin it for you, but it's super interesting. The only complaint I'd really have is that well, this is an homage. And as such, there's something missing from the original games. Like, your main character – Trace – he's just not as interesting a protagonist as Samus. It's missing the incredible Metroid lore. And yeah, it looks like Metroid – it's got a kind of Geiger influence for sure, but that doesn't exactly make it stand out on its own either. But what can you do? And honestly, it does feel legit. But also super-charged. There's tons of new skills and weapons to unlock, and the rate at which you find them is exhilarating. I have to say that Axiom Verge is truly impressive. The past few times I've fired up an old Metroid game, I've done so with a walkthough close by. Here, I'm finding the thrill of just picking a direction and exploring. This is an exceptionally good indie game, and while many games jump on the Metroidvania bandwagon, Axiom Verge just does it all right.
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