To say that Thomas Happ’s 2015 game Axiom Verge draws inspiration from the classic 1980s Metroid for Nintendo is an understatement. The inspiration in the graphics, atmosphere and design of Axiom Verge is so clear that I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo did some research to see if the game was a reskin of a canned Metroid entry.
However, as a metroidvania title, Axiom Verge is still experimental enough to seem like a significant evolution from what happened before. After all, there’s nothing wrong with paying homage to an excellent source material, if you can excel at making the best of it. And for the most part, Axiom Verge understands this philosophy better than most others. Axiom Verge takes some of the best qualities of its kind and sprinkles it with some creative innovations of its own.
Game
It is a difficult day for Trace the scientist. His laboratory suffers a bizarre explosion that transports him to the alien kingdom of Sudra. From here, Axiom Verge’s ironic science fiction story takes a back seat to the game’s masterful version of classic 2D metroidvania design. This means exploring a huge intertwined map to find useful power-ups that will open up more areas for probing.
Axiom Verge differs in some key areas from the plethora of contemporary indie games that can be classified within this same genre. As a result, he manages to establish his own creative identity through some of these unique variations.
For example, the game has a very interesting twist on how glitches operate within its world. In other games, unstable pixels would signal an error in coding and therefore an error on the part of the developer. However, Rod of the axiom he deliberately includes these imperfections throughout his world as just another barrier to overcome.
Additionally, you can take out enemies and certain items to increase their abilities and use them to your advantage. It’s a really smart system that works in Sudra’s world. And after appreciating the handling it offers, it will most likely be the mechanic I remember the most.
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