As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that Awaken – Astral Blade left me feeling rather underwhelmed. It was like being thrown into a mysterious world with a vaguely familiar heroine, only to find out that she’s just another 2B clone on a fetch quest for a faceless old man.
From the start, I’ll tell you honestly – throughout the entire gameplay of Awaken – Astral Blade, I was completely in the dark about the storyline. Sure, I grasped the fundamentals: you control a character resembling 2B named Tania, tasked with exploring the Horace Islands and a mysterious figure she refers to as “Father”. Beyond those basics, it felt quite confusing.
The challenge lies in plunging you into this environment, providing you with a sword, and warning you not to meet an untimely end. Isn’t that clear? Many Metroidvania-style games follow a similar pattern, but last year’s Fortune Hunter offers minimal backstory, merely mentioning the wildlife being “contaminated” by some enigmatic “energy”. In this case, it’s called Carpus, and your mission is to locate a missing research team who came here to examine it.
Instead of the overused idea and the awkward rendering, there’s not much engaging content here. To put it plainly, it didn’t capture my interest either. I found myself growing accustomed to just nudge left or right, tackling whatever came up as if I were sorting through documents. And surprisingly enough, that initial novelty was quite enjoyable.
As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the battles in Awaken – Astral Blade are incredibly gratifying. It’s all about stringing together combos, and there’s a surprising amount of depth to it. By holding different inputs and directions at the end of a combo, you can unlock various finishes.
This in itself, though, could be an issue. No matter which melee weapon you use, the combos feel the same, and so combat does start to feel repetitive after a while. On a purely mechanical level it does entertain, but I played so much of it on automatic until I hit a boss fight or another impassable door. As with many middle-of-the-road Metroidvanias, Awaken does that thing where the key to a new type of door is found a few screens after the first instance of said door, and some are just sitting there. I prefer to have to work for a new traversal power, or at least have it awarded for beating a boss or puzzle.
Playing Tania in battle brings a fantastic experience, despite her having somewhat cumbersome movements. She boasts a dodge with invincibility periods, an upgradeable block (parry), and a fierce finishing move for vulnerable adversaries. However, healing options are scarce, so it’s crucial to evade taking damage instead of absorbing it, as returning to a save point will cause enemies to reappear. Regrettably, the game lacks diversity, with few enemy types appearing frequently and seemingly without pattern, regardless of the environment. You’ll often encounter the same types of enemies repeatedly, and new ones are introduced infrequently.
The Skill Tree divides into two primary paths: Combat and Passive. The Combat path encompasses skills such as parrying, while the Passive offers nodes to enhance your stats and durability. Typically, Combat skills grant you Hormone Enhancements that increase your Damage Per Second (DPS) or unlock additional abilities. Items like the double jump or weapons such as the Scythe capable of slicing through dense brambles are discoverable within the game world.
In games that follow the Souls series format, you need to locate a place where you can upgrade using Aether, similar to save points, which are usually situated near boss battle arenas. The bosses are decent, but their patterns are relatively predictable and they seem quite vulnerable when dodged and attacked with combos.
This game has an overall appealing look, even with some rough animation, thanks to its eye-catching environments and character design. However, the enemies could use more distinction, as they lack elements that make them stand out or memorable. It’s fair to say that fans of the genre will find enjoyment in it, as Awaken – Astral Blade offers a standard MetroidVania experience. But, be aware that this game doesn’t offer anything exceptionally unique or exhilarating.
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2024-11-04 12:46