I'm not sure that I'll actually go back and collect 100% of the items and seek out alternate endings, but that first playthrough is absolutely killer. I found myself scouring edges of the map in search of secrets and really had a fantastic time doing it. It looks great, controls really well, and has a level of difficulty that makes things challenging without making them overtly frustrating. If you've ever been into this sort of action-adventure game, Axiom Verge is positively terrific.

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Although it closely follows the Metroidvania blueprint, the brilliantly designed and executed Axiom Verge adds enough new and original features to make it a truly great game in its own right. An absolute must for retro fans.

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All in all, Axiom Verge is a wonderful 2D romp in the land of sci-fi and it doesn’t let up once you start. This game could definitely be mistaken for a Metroid game by the uninformed retro gamer and, honestly, I feel that’s a wonderful compliment. I’m pretty sure that was exactly on Tom’s mind when he started work on Axiom Verge many years ago. In fact, I’m impressed that this labor of love was accomplished by one person, let alone the fact that I really can’t say anything negative about the title. And that’s not saying I want to but, you also have the good with the bad. I wouldn’t be doing you, our fans and readers, the justice if I didn’t do that. I’m happy to report that if you’re looking for that perfect game to keep you busy while scratching that Metroid-style itch, then Axiom Verge is just the game for you.

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That said Axiom Verge is a game that absolutely nails exploration/discovery and that’s an experience that people deserve to have for themselves. After three full playthroughs I can’t think of many other games that have proved to be as rewarding as this. It’s the kind of game that, just when I thought I figured it out, it would surprise me again and again.

I went in expecting a good game, but Axiom Verge blew me away.

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Throughout my time with Axiom Verge I was constantly excited to explore strange worlds, gain game-changing powerups, and fire off a new gun for the first time. Almost everything you pick up feels meaningful, unlike collecting overabundant missile-capacity expansions that you don’t even need. I heartily applaud Tom Happ’s first solo effort. It’s incredible that he was able to nail every component of game creation in one package. I’ll wait as long as it takes for him to build a follow-up. When everything works this well, why let someone else get in there and screw it up?

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Axiom Verge is an all-too rare occurrence in video games; a true-to-form experience that effortlessly negotiates the gulf between originality and that of paying an explicit homage to a bygone era by injecting just enough modern sensibility to make the adventure stand independently amongst its peers. All without pandering, diluting or straying too far from the blueprint set forth by games of similar ilk all those years ago. At its apex, Tom Happ's brainchild unequivocally proves just how far video game development has come in such a short space of time and that you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks.

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Over the past few years, I’ve heard my friends complain that games are just too easy compared to what they grew up with. Axiom Verge doesn’t fall into that category per se, but it does offer a good challenge for those that seek it. For others, it is a game worth exploring to get back with your gaming roots while experiencing a new take on classic gameplay, even if you hit a proverbial wall along the way. It is rewarding to overcome adversity in the platforming or to watch a boss be reduced to thousands of pixels. Axiom Verge leverages everything you’ve come to expect from retro gaming and uses it all to create a memorable new platformer that gives even the best classic Metroidvania games a run for their money.

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Axiom Verge is PlayStation's very own Metroid. That may sound a teensy bit degrading, but there's no denying that this and Nintendo's own space-faring adventure have more than a few things in common. Still, if being compared to one of the most beloved game series of all time isn't a compliment, then we don't know what is. If you've never seen the appeal of these types of games, then chances are this won't change your mind. Devoted fans of the genre, however, will no doubt adore Tom Happ's opus.

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Even so, Axiom Verge is a faithful throwback in design and approach, but the game’s clever mechanics help add flair and originality. The colorful levels, the synth heavy soundtrack, and the varied weaponry create a feel that’s unlike anything seen today, and the boss battles are equal parts challenge and bombast. There are certainly some nitpicks to be hard with the game, but they do little to overshadow Axiom Verge’s core gameplay. When we talk about retro games evolving AND preserving age-old concepts, Axiom Verge is a pitch perfect example.

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Tom Happ’s vision of nostalgia doesn’t end with just nailing the look and sound, but rather infusing new mechanics and utilizing glitches in new and exciting ways that makes Axiom Verge stand out. I wish the story was something a bit more memorable and entertaining, but the exploration is in a class all its own. And you’ll only be limited by your curiosity and willingness to move forward, even if you’re not sure it’s the right path. Axiom Verge is the PlayStation’s very own Metroid: it’s dark, mysterious, and hard to put down.

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Axiom Verge is a game that's easy to fall in love with because it hits so many high notes. It takes the Metroidvania model and adds layers of ingenuity that are in a league all of their own, the most notable being the Address Disruptor. Yes it's occasionally drab looking, and some enemies may not fit in with the rest of the world, but when a game is this good, these blemishes quickly fade into the back of your mind. The chilling sci-fi setting, mysterious plot, and a seemingly endless number of abilities keep your mind busy, and your curiosity at fever pitch.

It's not a stretch to say that Axiom Verge is better than the games that inspired it, because it's so inventive and thoughtfully crafted. There's no excuse to hold onto the past when the present is this amazing.

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Despite occasional moments of feeling slightly uncomfortable by just how much Axiom Verge feels like Metroid, I still felt compelled to see this journey to the end. The weapons feel great, the character progression is rewarding, and bringing down a massive boss is awesome. While I wish it balanced it's lack of mission explanations with its overabundance of exposition, I still really enjoyed my time in its strange, yet familiar world

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It's just a shame that given the obvious talent and passion involved, it doesn't really have much of its own to add to the Metroidvania template. As charmed and delighted as I often was with its smartly paced escalation, its perpetually teasing construction, I kept waiting for some new element to appear, a eureka moment that either hadn't been thought of in 1986, or that could only be done today. It never quite happens. Axiom Verge seems content to be a homage, rather than a revival or reinvention. That's fine, since there's already plenty to justify your interest, but it feels like Happ has more to contribute than he's showing here.

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I had no idea I'd enjoy Axiom Verge so much. Whereas many modern takes on classic retro genres fall foul of style over substance, this has been built with such skill that it doesn't need to rely on our annoying fondness of the past to impress. I had a dream about exploring underground tunnels the other night, and I rarely ever dream about anything. Axiom Verge has made a big and lasting impression.

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benicillin said:

That GB 5/5 pretty much sold me on it. Really looking forward to this!

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Nbz said:

Can someone tell me who the reviewer was for IGN? My phone isn't loading the page

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Acquiescence said:

If Colin Moriarty was still at IGN, that score would have been 9.7.

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Roboleon said:

When is this coming out for Vita in EU ? Does anybody know?

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Fury451 said:

Marty Sliva

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Jimmyfenix said:

If anyone finds more reviews post them and i will add them in the OP

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After my first playthrough I immediately jumped back into Axiom Verge to cleanup the remaining items that I didn’t find before. A handful of items alluded me for days as the methods to uncover hidden rooms among other things always seemed out of reach. It’s been a few weeks at the time of writing, but I still remember bouncing back and forth between multiple areas trying to use every ability and power-up that I could think of. Nothing ever seemed to work. Slowly over the course of a week I would come to find that the solutions to these mysteries required seeing things from a new angle. For as much as Axiom Verge might remind you of some other game, it also goes a long way in introducing concepts that no one else is doing. This isn’t just another “Metroidvania“. It’s a game that understands how important rewarding exploration is and it’s provided some of the most mind blowing moments that I’ve ever experienced in a game.

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One Foul Note said:

The fact that IGN still uses decimal points in their review scales is bloody ridiculous.

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Roboleon said:

When is this coming out for Vita in EU ? Does anybody know?

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@axiomverge said:

Not until we release the vita version; best we can say is sometime in 2015.

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All in all, Axiom Verge is a wonderful 2D romp in the land of sci-fi and it doesn’t let up once you start. This game could definitely be mistaken for a Metroid game by the uninformed retro gamer and, honestly, I feel that’s a wonderful compliment. I’m pretty sure that was exactly on Tom’s mind when he started work on Axiom Verge many years ago. In fact, I’m impressed that this labor of love was accomplished by one person, let alone the fact that I really can’t say anything negative about the title. And that’s not saying I want to but, you also have the good with the bad. I wouldn’t be doing you, our fans and readers, the justice if I didn’t do that. I’m happy to report that if you’re looking for that perfect game to keep you busy while scratching that Metroid-style itch, then Axiom Verge is just the game for you.

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jaina said:

We don't know a Vita date besides possibly 2015.

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benicillin said:

That GB 5/5 pretty much sold me on it. Really looking forward to this!

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KainXVIII said:

When pc version lands?

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Jimmyfenix said:

Tom Happ said he is aiming for June for steam release

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