6:46 To be fair, most of the guns you obtained in axiom verge 1 were completly useless and never used again after the first few test shots after obtaining them. I'd rather have a metroidvania with a few or one distinct weapon that can be upgraded than an unnecessary large arsenal that I never use.
I love how you discussed becoming the drone. When Indra’s body was first stolen I started getting sick of being a drone (I explored Irikar before getting Anuman so I was stuck as a drone for a few hours) but then once I got a body, I realized how much smoother it is to travel as a drone with the hovering and grabbing & flinging across platforms. Especially once you get the upgrade that basically gives the drone a Screw Attack. I tried to switch back and forth though because I couldn’t accept being a drone forever! But the game basically shows you that your new form is superior. I’m amazed by your revelation about Ophelia. I loved that ending where Indra says she isn’t really Indra anymore. It was already fascinating and now I can see even more connections to the first game. I love how at first AV2 feels completely detached but as the game goes on, more and more it feels connected to AV1. Thank you so much for this great video!
I just finished both games, I bought them both when AV2 released, and I felt none of the negatives that people are complaining about with AV2. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the lore driving these Metroidvanias. I was impressed that two completely different characters, written and designed by the same person could feel so uniquely distinct and yet similar. I’m glad AV1 had a huge arsenal, I’m glad flying around as the drone in AV2 was so satisfying, but mostly I’m glad that these two stories only make me more excited for a possible future game. Drone Indra > Indra.
@@Error_4x5 bro game dev is hard as hell. Its the game he wanted and we should respect that. He did make a different game and it may not look the same, but he made another and of you dont like it then dont buy
@@BK-uy9nj I didn't diss the guy, just pointed out that a charge in the graphic style is a big risk. Obviously the new gameplay and graphic style hasn't caught on cause no one is talking about the game like they did the first one.
2 small details that might mindfuck you: - The machine in which you fight Athetos in AV1 is the exact same machine used to turn people into Arms (the machines Daru says made him what he is now). - As per programming, when you touch an npc with the drome or the drone in human form Hanuman, a 2 hours timer start, triggering a transformation toward sick then transformed into a small but aggressive Xedur Variant. The implications are that the pathogen from av1 is either a breach contamination or that Daru infect people with nanomachines that weaponize them. Thing is, the breach is wide opened in av1 because Athetos has the breach attractor working during all the course of the game.
I haven't noticed the Athetos protective unit was the same Apocalyptic ARMs conversion device, that opens lots of possibilities. The breach as I understand it is a space among space, the concept exists in physics and is called "a Pocket Dimension". As it's explained by the Amashilama discoveries, the Lamassu concerns and the way it's presented in AV1, the Breach is the space outside the Multiverse tree's branches (each branch is a miniverse), the root is the A'ansur and some document says each miniverse is like a sphere about the size of one planetary orbit, outside there's only the Breach. In AV2 the breach is stable and you can go in and out using the drone, it's a series of back doors and passages that allow free movement between this miniverse (probably for researchers to come and go, service the Lamassu etc. maybe some protective suit was needed). On AV1 the breach tunnels are highly unstable because of the breach atractor, all Sudra is more glitchy because of that too, Trace being "human" could enter the breach tunnels without mayor consequences to access Athetos' cache of weapons, only those were highly corrupted. The Pathogen may be corruption from the breach resulting in life forms glitching, we'll have to wait for AV3 to know more
@@czardeaner7713 yes, he was infected and finally transformed into a smaller version of Xedur from AV1, the same for the two other survivors on the camps
I had way more fun with Axiom Verge 2 than the first game, and the first one was my favorite Metroidvania before this. I don't yet know if AV2 will actually replace the first one as my favorite, it'll take replayability and time, but I absolutely love how it fits into the first game and deepens everything about it. It manages to explain so much of the first game even if you read _nothing._ The environmental storytelling is some of the best I've ever seen. I am already very excited for the possibility of a 3rd game. And I can only assume that we'll be diving deeper and fighting ghosts. I mean, we did kind of let everyone out of heaven, right? Or was it hell?
I'm hoping the third game is centered around Trace Prime and his exploration into Sudra and his fight with Ophelia and the Rusalki. Or, or, or, just another game with Indra's alliance with Drushka and _her_ adventure into Sudra into what she eventually becomes? Whatever we get, I trust Happ at this point.
@@TinyDiodes Happ has said he has plans for SIX more games. He isn't sure if that will be feasible, but that's what he wants to do. This series is the only way he makes money, and his dev time is generally 1-2 years, so he views making these games as the best thing he can do to support his family and pay for his son's treatment (as well as a personal passion project for him, of course.) That said, I think he's said he's considering making a non-AV game next, to take a break from the series and come back fresh while still making some money.
I really enjoyed the first game and the second game as well. They are 2 different experiences, but still feels like part of the same universe thanks to the lore and nugget (our house name for the drone). This just gets me excited to see a third game in the series would being to the table.
Your analysis was the last piece of the puzzle i needed to finalize last thoughts on the game. Especially about the closeup art of Indra in the credits, which did look like THEM to me, but holy shit how did i not see a straight one to one myself i have no idea. I love this game. Differently. I still prefer the original for the sheer alien feel of it, and the general gameplay is more up to my alley, but damn does 2 feel great to _move_ around, and exploration itself is great even if i've been stuck in this one a few times. I NEED a third game, i want to see Trace Prime Clone finally wake up and make things right. I feel like we will also finally see the A'ansur for real, and i expect it to be that afterlife place we saw briefly. But, man, it's gonna be another 5 years of wait.... Most likely, at least. It's not gonna happen soon by any means and it makes me hurt in wait. Man.
I bloody loved this one. Spent 15 hours on my first playthrough just enjoying the world, and reading up on the lore afterwards is always a treat. You forget to mention just how much better the soundtrack is in this one too! Beautiful and haunting
That Unforgotten Realms clip thrown in at the end takes me back. Sometime I’ll invest time into these games! I love Metroidvanias but the games came out when my daughter was born so I’ve been selective with which games I get as time is limiting. Thanks for the awesome review
@@ingeniousclown I watched it a bunch during a shutdown in 2011 from a flood! Some of the humor doesn’t hold up well / is seemingly phobic but I still love the characters Schmoopy and Elumous :) also - I loved your let’s play of ESA and it convinced me To buy the game!
I absolutely love how deliberate everything is in this game, as that was my biggest complaint about the original. I found 2 to be so much more mysterious than 1 because of that. Even ignoring the lore the structures and background details were fascinating. I find it odd how many people were disappointed with things which were told would be different and still expected them not to be. The only thing which I wished was more like the first game was boss lore, obviously nothing to the extent of the first game made sense but just something simple to explain why they’re bigger. I especially found the refight arenas disappointing because they felt too gamey when they didn’t need to. Overall I have to say I enjoyed 2 more even though I love them both.
Yeah Axiom Verge 2 isn't as action-oriented as the first game... You have to experience it with a different mindset, and it is a masterpiece if you do it like that
I think I'm about 50% through the game and I am loving it. It's not as surprising as Axiom Verge, but I love how it enriches the story and world established in the first game. Exploration is more fluid and the map layout feels more natural in the way areas are connected. Very much looking forward to finishing it.
the password system is actually still here. you can insert a series of inputs in the main menu to unlock tho I haven't tried it yet and as far as I'm concerned it's effects are not tied to exploration like in the first game. another thing I noticed while watching speedruns is that even the final boss is optional if you perform certain skips which are suspiciously easy which leads to me to believe that the entire second and third act of the story are simply intentionally optional
Awesome video. When I first beat AV2 last year when it came out, I was looking for analysis videos like this but none existed yet. Just recently replayed it and decided to look again. Glad I found this! And I agree, despite how different the gameplay and environments are from the first one, I absolutely loved AV2. Especially the music, holy hell
I agree and had same thoughts on her daughter. In a normal "missing daughter" situation and ransom, you send a special team, as a CEO, I'm sure. But you'd go alone here because the reason for going, here, would just get you committed. As her daughter *can't* be there according to "normal" rules
Your take on the game was refreshing. I too, looked online for people's opinions on the game and was interested in all the different opinions. There were a few aspects I felt mixed on but they were primarily subjective in nature. For instance, I prefer difficulty options over sliders. I liked AV1's many different weapons, as opposed to a boomerang and pick. And combat was more engaging and fun even if its sequel gives you a sizable amount of new options in combat. But I still really enjoyed it. The emphasis on exploration and the spoiler territory mechanics were cleverly designed. The pixel art may have been less vibrant and alien, but was more grounded and refined. I found its static backgrounds somewhat fascinating compared to the first game and other modern pixel art games that animate a lot of the scene. I can also really enjoy the continuity between all the environments when looking at the map zoomed out. The Zero Mission style objectives were a fantastic addition; not too intrusive like Prime, and actually still required exploring around. There are sequels I enjoy as videogames, but not as a sequel to their series. Axiom Verge 2 fell flat on things that usually matter a lot to me, but I still liked it a lot as a sequel. This game's approach to the drone was mechanically different and its implementation into the story was equally as impressive because it happened as steps that we as the player did ourselves. It's that creative approach to making games that I can still appreciate a lot. Thanks for your analysis of the game, it was very in-depth and insightful!
As soon as I unlocked the drone I just kept playing with it as much as I could, same thing I did in the first game. On Axion Verge 2, however, it's pretty clear that the game was designed to be played mostly as a drone because you can interact with anything, including computers, in that form. I never spent a single point in human combat instead everything was put towards the drone.
I just finished 2 recently, and had a lot of the same complaints you mentioned at the end, especially about the lack of bosses. But I did experience the same thing you mentioned, getting more and more comfortable with the drone, and I do appreciate the big swing Thomas Happ made in making such a different style of game. Thanks for the lore information, too, I hadn't played AV1 in a while and didn't make those connections!
Metroidvanias saw very few entries because by the time both hardware and knowledge about game design were good enough for the genre to really take off, the entire industry had moved on to the 3D craze. It took the rise of indie gaming in the late 2000's to finally ressurect it, so it's no wonder there are still ways to innovate within it. But even beyond that virtually all genres have room for improvement as even ones that are overcrowded like FPS can see the rise of innovations like hero shooters and battle royales.
I heard so many great things about the first game, but I skipped it because it’s difficultly(just like all the other Metroid style games I missed out on)…when I head that 2 was going to be more accessible, I was so stoked! I’ve been having so much fun exploring this world and the lore. Even with the spoilers I’m a little confused but keep pressing on. Maybe after this I will take on the mighty Hollow Night…but I’m still intimidated at the age of 39 and years of gaming.
The fact that you basically play as Ophelia in AV2 before she becomes a giant head with the body of a lobster makes me wonder how the other rusalki looked before they became women's heads with other animal bodies.
I was pretty disappointed with the sequel, the weapon change to melee wasn't a complete positive & hitting flying enemies was frustrating. I preferred the ranged weapons of AV1. The lack of proper bosses was a weird design choice. The droid section felt a little stretched & the lack of any interaction with Trace was disappointing, there was 1 or 2 references to him in the note collectables IIRC. The ending wasn't as good as 1 either.
I can agree with that. I was itching to explore the weird "quantum internet" zone. I swear there were "doors" on that map that couldn't be accessed and was sure that there would be a moment I could go through them, but it never came.
I think the lack of boss music makes the environments feel more atmospheric and kind of reinforces that these fights are optional and just part of the environment, but at the same time yes I do wish they had music...I basically want any excuse for more tracks on this OST lol, it's so good
the first one was my first buy on the switch and single handedly sparked my rekindled love of the metroidvania, finally getting thru 2 and loving it as well. so many games, so little time
13:28 This is the reason why I don't think ALTTP was not the main inspiration here, but rather Metroid Prime 2 was. In that game, you had a "dark world" which instead of being a complete copy of the light world, took sections of the light world and altered them, creating an entirely new subset of paths which connect to various areas of the light world through portals. The game requires you to move between the light and dark worlds in order to get to certain sections of the map. This concept is exactly what AV2 does with its alternate world; creating a subset of paths off of the main world you move through to get to new areas. Both games also have their alternate world be much more oppressive than the main world, although for different reasons.
Axiom Verge 2 is in contest for my game of the year with Metroid Dread. They are both the 2 metroidvanias I would consider the best. Even after my 6-7th Dread replay I am still not sure which one I liked more. I am glad that after so many years I feel that the metroidvania genre grows and gets better.
I loved this game so much, I had two problems tho. One, it was short I finished the story in about 6-7 hours which was a lot less than the first game, secondly, the final boss. While the lack of bosses did not bother me because the exploration was on point, the final boss was anticlimactic. I feel like if this game isn’t about bosses than a bossfight isn’t the best way to finish it. Besides that, this game is so good at what it does
I remember buying this game on day one. I had beaten the original, but I didn't pay much attention to the lore because I'm not a narrative heavy gamer. What really drew me in with the first game though, was the general pacing of the gameplay and the mechanics. The second game felt more in line with the types of games that I usually play. Playing with the drone, and all the different movement tech that you gain over the game, it just makes traversal so fun. The twist of the end was also pretty surprising, even if somebody who doesn't really care about the lore of these games, I found myself intrigued and I went back and read a bit more about the first game.
Absolutely love indie metoidvanias my switch is filled with them. Been playing Axiom Verge 2 it’s definitely awesome. Hollow Knight will always be my favorite even got a tattoo done by one of my apprentices. It is amazing both Axiom Verge1&2 are made by one guy with a ton of talent.
If your analysis about Indra's daughter having been dead for a while is true, then that likely means that the communication with "Hammond" was nothing more than a ruse to trick Indra into hacking that tech. I have feeling that the protagonist of the third game is going to be Hammond and that in the third game we are going to find out who was impersonating Hammond when talking to Indra.
I don't think it's a ruse or Hammond's an impersonator here. I think A'ansur (or some other world) is either the afterlife, or perhaps even somewhere where Indra's daughter got sent after some accident while doing sciencey things.
I played the first game some time ago and I really loved it, when the second game came out I was looking forward to play it but only managed to do it last week, and oh my God, I found it AWESOME, I've finished it two days ago and now I found myself here searching for someone who can explain me this insane lore (insane in a good way) and want to start the first game again ASAP
It felt more exploring and I like that axiom verge had good combat this has good exploring I completed this game twice now but I still haven't found all items
I’d say that my main flaw with the game was the boss fights. I really like the concept of “parts” boss fights, as they have a wide arsenal with separate health counters, and really compliments the hacking ability seen in the second game. However, beyond one fight that I could only access with the drone at the time, they could all just be annihilated with the hammer in two seconds. The other, more miscellaneous bosses were much better executed; I loved the idea of dropping stalactites on the underwater boss, and the sphere boss in the breach was cool until I realized that respawning in the adjacent room didn’t reset its health. The Indra fight was incredibly well done, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Fighting your human form as the drone both played and felt amazing, and both of you respawning in the middle of the fight perfectly conveyed the idea of neither of you being able to kill each other. I found the final boss to be incredibly disappointing. Once again, you respawn mid-fight, and the enemy can’t die. The main difference between the two fights with this gimmick is that this fight actually has a system of progression. When the boss is stunned, you can hit one of the switches to activate the breach bomb. I get that respawning elsewhere wouldn’t make sense, but I don’t see why they couldn’t have just restarted the fight in the same way they restart the escape sequence. This concludes my ted talk
Loved it. Love it more after this video. Didn't make the potential connection to Ophelia, would that potentially make this game a prequel? Trace's Lab Assistant in the first game was named Hammond. Even though earth time is later than the first game... I dunno. Love this cryptic beautiful art. Thanks for the video.
The AV timeline is a bit weird like that. In the first game, the events of the game probably take place centuries after the original lab accident. Hammond somehow got separated from Trace in the multiple worlds, so she founded Hammond Corp and set up secret experiments to try to find him. At least that's how I see it
I was really disappointed with the extremely low difficulty and effort put into the bosses. There’s loads of great accessibility options for people who might struggle with them so I don’t see why he couldn’t make them harder. The final boss can’t even kill you lol
You can easily tell that Tom Happ has a grand plan for this series, 7 games total according to an interview. I hope he sticks with it, despite the cooler reception of 2. I love the hell out of AV1, and I do wish I could just play that game for the first time again, but Axiom Verge is _much_ bigger than what we saw in 1.
@@ingeniousclown genuinely, dude’s gotta assemble a dev team, at least if he plans changing the artstyle by the same amount between each release as he did between 1 and 2. Getting the sloped terrain right was apparently a major factor in the delays for 2.
Rusalki is a Russian word, I think it means mermaid or merfolk, or water monster, something like that, and rusalki posses aquatic animal forms we see Elsenova use one of these at the end of Axiom Verge 1, but now there's a reason for a random Russian word to be in the first game, there was a Russian research team in the same world Indra came to. Not to mention dr Hammond was Traces research partner in Axiom Verge 1
I just discovered Dyson Sphere Program and found your channel that way. I guess that's why he hasn't been doing any UA-cam content cuz he's been busy playing it too !
While I get the argument, I believe it's kinda flawed. When people bought Axiom Verge 2, exactly what they wanted was a continuation of Axiom Verge. That's what the "2" is supposed to mean. When you say that this feels like a completely different game in the same universe, you're just hammering in the point of what some fans wanted was a sequel, but what they got was a spinoff.
Well not quite. This game in reality is a prequel. People are far too attached to the idea of getting more of the same as that's the usual norm. Every game should be looked at from a blank state. The theme is extremely fitting and considering all the abnormalities present, the progression and the choice of tools make a lot of sense. It is hard to stomach for those indeed expecting more of the same but should this game have come first as in a sense it should have, I legit doubt any of you would've been this critical.
@@MoVySaN That's...kinda a bad argument too. I mean, think about it. Axiom Verge was unique in both gameplay and storytelling. Gameplay wise you could glitch enemies or walls to help you reach new places, or input a code on a special device which was tied into the lore of the game. Instead of jumping over or climbing walls, you could just phase through them. Secret levels that were randomly generated every playthrough containing one of three unique weapons you couldn't get anywhere else. Sure, not every weapons' niche was very useful, but damn did the variety really help put a new spin on things. I could fight off my enemies with a giant fan, or a spike ball, or a lightning storm. On the topic of story, you could just look around. Prisons filled with the bodies of people trying to escape a plague, giant machines designed for war broken down over a battle with a being called Athetos, the notes talking about a past long gone. Sure, many metroidvania games have deep lore, but most of it boils down to, "Thing bad, you're the chosen one, murder it." Axiom Verge turns this on its head. You start to notice the mechs aren't really your friends, you get the feeling that there's more to the story than what they're telling. What did Axiom Verge 2 bring to the table? Well, gameplay wise, not much. You get an axe and a boomerang, and you find Stat increases for each. You get what's essentialy a magic system, where the hacks are now debuffs or you can cast a "powerful shockwave". The leveling system is exactly like any other game that has one. The story side isn't fairing any better, it really wasn't a surprise to me that the arm with a person's mind wanted a body, and every enemy is just the same 7 robots. They made it very clear that no, there's no mystery, ancient robot bad and you need to kill her. It's ironic, because for a game that's not supposed to be more of the same, it really feels like it's just a rehash of every other game in both the story front and gameplay. Even the most original thing about it, the Drone, just feels like a Morph Ball with a little bit more things to do. So, I get why most fans were upset, why the criticism came hard on the game. It really doesn't feel like the original Axiom Verge, it doesn't even really feel like a Metroidvania. It feels more like an rpg, and that's fine. I had fun playing the game, I don't regret buying it. But I have to agree with some of the fanbase, even if I don't want to, because I really can't call it Axiom Verge 2.
I loved Axiom Verge 2. I spent allot of time as the drone, probably more than most, because I managed to miss the extremely obvious (in hindsight) way to progress, so I ended up exploring literally everywhere else before I found it, and gosh it was fun. What starts off as feeling completely helpless turns into a forced adaptation into an unfamiliar body to the point you are better at controlling it than your human form. When I wasn't fighting things in my later human form, I was skittering about, grappling on to things, flutter flying to places I probably wasn't meant to get to as easily. The game is fun in a completely different way to the first, and that's ok. Also I skipped the credits so I had no idea about the Ophelia reference and wow that's amazing.
I was definitely more fascinated with the upgrades in AV1. Doubt that's controversial. However, I found the upgrades in AV2 much smoother, and more fun to use, especially drone traversal. Would've been amazing if switching between drone and human modes could have become a more fluid part of movement and combat. Might have been a better way to implement the upgrade for bypassing grates, if it was a temporary form during the mode transition but retained all your momentum, and you had to time those transitions during boss fights.
Personally I am baffled by how anybody could have found the upgrades in 1 to be better. So many upgrades are just keys effectively. Phase through 1 brick wall. Then 2 brick wall. The corruption gun was very situational, but was effectively just another key. So was the drone. Outside of drone sections, you never had a good reason to use it because it sucked. I usually like grappling hooks, but AV 1s was very awkward and the environment was very tight anyway making it not useful most of the time. Overall your movement options are VERY limited right till the end and even then they are not interesting ( a double jump). But whats your take on it? Could you explain why people think its better?
@@davidspektorov8262 Traveling through walls/floors and glitching/breaking tiles are just very different from what I expect based on other metroidvania games. Every upgrade in every such game is a key, so I don't really think that's relevant. To me, there are only two important questions when it comes to metroidvania upgrades: 1. Have I seen it before, or will there be some surprises and unfamiliar puzzles? 2. Is it fun to use? Question 1 indicates just how much the game will grab my attention on a first playthrough. Question 2 indicates how much I'll want to replay the game if I enjoyed the first playthrough. AV1 does have some fun upgrades. Glitching different enemies sometimes has interesting consequences. The drone is great for exploring when I don't want to commit to a path, so I can just cancel the drone and immediately get back to where I launched it from. It also lets me protect Trace's health. The advanced drone launcher plus the drone teleport essentially lets you throw yourself. There's a lot of potential that the maps don't take advantage of quite enough. AV2 outshines all that with just the combination of the drone tether and hover. So fun, and they can work almost everywhere, but not really everywhere, so you still have to look around the map and plan a good route. Going even further in that direction would have been amazing. It's just fun having different ways to gain momentum from the terrain and more abilities that let you keep momentum. I do think both AV games would have benefited from more chances to use the upgrades. Optional walls you can phase through for combat, plus enemies who sometimes shoot through walls, telegraphed. New kinds of objects that do something interesting if you hit them with the drone launch. More small spaces that necessitate the drone, but only briefly. That said, it can be annoying to use an ability over and over if the ability isn't fun to use. Part of that is smoothness. The first lab coat is too slow, but the second and third ones could be usable for all kinds of tactical combat, as long as being behind a wall doesn't protect you 100%.
I loved the first game but couldn't stand this one. It was nowhere near as good. I quit after a hour or so. Maybe it gets better later but I just couldn't continue. I plan on playing it one day when I have nothing else to play but I was very disappointed in it. I couldn't wait to play it but then I played it. It's been a while since I played it but from what I remember I couldn't stand the melee weapon. The enemies were all ranged so you needed a ranged weapon but only had the melee at the beginning. No clue why they went that route. I don't mind having both but they should give you both from the start.
It sounds to me like very deliberate wording, "Come to Antarctica if you wish to see your daughter again." VS "..if you ever want to see your daughter again." If her daughter did in fact die, and if she is certifiably mentally unstable, she may actually be willing to take the leap that she can somehow see her dead daughter again. I like it.
Does it have those stupid secret worlds from axiom verge 1? I didn’t wanna spend ages looking through barely documented possible 5% chance areas just to try out only 1 of 3 guns and to get 100%. Kinda ruined the post-game for me.
You should totally do a video on Environmental Station Alpha. It’s so good. It didn’t receive nearly enough recognition when it came out, and still doesn’t to this day sadly. It’s a shame. I’ve replayed it more than I have any Metroid game outside of Super Metroid and feel like it’s leaps and bounds above nearly all of them. I feel like it avoids so many pitfalls that many other metroidvanias tend to fall into, which was a rarity until Hollow Knight perfected the formula. I’ve only ever seen one video essay on the game and it was made by someone with like 100 subscribers (no offense intended, it was really good) so I can’t imagine it gave the game much exposure. Just something to consider if you ever need an idea for a video.
I do think both takes on Metroidvanias are important. Something like Axion Verge 2, which shakes up the gameplay drastically from the first, is one thing that more sequels should do, but for something like Mario (a closer comparison would be the 2D Metroid games) the more iterative expansion on what has been, and the remixing of elements in prior games, can, when done well, lead to a very satisfying experience. I dont think either is wrong, but it is sad to know a good game is so fraught with controversy in the fanbase because its take on sequels isnt the norm. Its ok for a game to be different, and to offer a different experience from what came before. Whats important, from where I stand, is that it both feels like it belongs in the same universe as prior titles, and is deliberate in design. Its obvious Axiom is taking things very carefully in mind, and as such I respect it.
I really don't enjoy the gameplay or level design of both games and didn't finish them but I love the lore and I crave Analysis Videos like these on that
There is something about this game that feels rushed, incomplete... given what I heard that it was shadow dropped with very little warning prior makes me feel like it was rushed out for what it was announced with.
Lore in this game is really awesome. But generally, the game is boring (gameplay) leaving the drone play as the best option. This game answers many questions about the original story though. Not even Indra, but Sudra, invasion, Rusalkis, and AI as the balancer between the worlds.
Solid 7/10 game. But then Axiom Verge was a magical experience. Tough act to follow. Let’s see what Happ does with the third entry. Enjoyable video as always.
I really enjoyed AV2, even replayed it already! but I think as far as powerups go there is a really big issue I have. The ring that gives the basic weapon a projectile really should not have been placed in the first half of the game. it's so absurdly powerful it trivializes just about any miniboss once a human form is gained
I have one on my second channel. Aside from the initial reveal material, I'm trying to stay as unspoiled as possible.... especially since Nintendo seems intent on spoiling every last little detail before launch. Aside from that, I plan to make a video at least like this, if not a longer form one, for after I spend some time with it.
I definitely feel like axiom verge 2 is smaller and easier than axiom verge. I had a lot of fun still and enjoy the game, I think the rift swap is clever if pretty clever. Like you said I really did feel rewarded exploring and screwing around because I got super OPed when I figured out where to go. Was really disappointed with the hack system because I didn't use it at all. I feel like the yoyo should've been explained better, I legitimately was stuck for a day trying to figure it out. And I also wish the drone had a gun. I liked the story, I'm still collecting the notes but I have really like the story. This game feels kinda like a dlc to me, ik this sounds weird because mechanically it's a totally different game, but in scope it just doesn't seem as flushed out as the 1st game, which isn't a completely bad thing, I just hope the team keeps releasing games, would love to see more games, in the series
the point of a sequel is the expectations from the prior game. If you want to make a game that isn't like the first, just make a different series. just look at Undertale. they didn't make an undertale 2, they made a differently named game by the same creator. If this is so different from axiom verge, they should have given it a different name. calling it specifically "2" suggests that it will be an expansion and more of the same.
I agree, Paper Mario is a great example... calling it Paper Mario draws attention of the fans who like the gameplay of Paper Mario while those who didn't ignore it. Meaning if you change the game... you have an EVEN SMALLER audience. No one benefits from calling it Paper.
Some of the most famous franchises in the history of gaming have seen massive change from one entry to the next, in fact some of them like Final Fantasy make it their signature move to be completely different for each entry, only being loosely connected through various recurring motifs.
@@Tamos40000 Final fantasy 9 and final fantasy 1 are hardly different. all the games up to that point were turn based JRPG. the gameplay is virtually the same, just evolved. The stories are disconnected, but they're all basically variations of the same formula. Now, beyond that, I'm not familiar with the games, but I'm pretty sure they stopped being turn based JRP, which I would say is a shame. the first "mana" game was called final fantasy legends. this is fine, because the name is different enough to imply the total change in gameplay. This is the better system, because you convey to the potential players "hey, this is kinda related to final fantasy, but it's also going to be very different." so while it's still a fantasy setting with heavy rpg elements, it deviated from the turn based battle system. Mario is a series that does it well. what is Super Mario bros? it's a simple 2D platformer. what's super mario galaxy? it's a 3D platformer with waggle controls and heavy gravity focused mechanics. what's super mario galaxy 2? it's more of the same, but built upon. super mario odyssey? another 3D platformer, but very different from mario Galaxy. Mario kart? mario but with racing. It also has examples that does it poorly. People tend to be upset when you take a well known game series and completely change how it is played, like super paper mario and the latest paper mario games. Sure, there are people that like those games, but you get fans of the old games that feel dejected and lied to. "paper mario" means a type of RPG game. if you want to make a different type of game, make a new spin off, like mario & Luigi, or Paper Mario Adventure. if they were to make "super mario bros 4", and it was a schmup, people would be upset. If you call it instead "super mario burst bros", then people might not like it, but they won't be upset that you took their expectations and dashed them completely.
More like Axeom Verge... the melee focused gameplay is bull$hit. And the boomerang is trash in away imaginable. And the "hacking" slows the gameplay down way too much. It should be an pasive Aura like ability that always hits the enemy when he enters your zone. He will then be debuffed with certian effects you the player have chosen. And not stop the game and select hack 1, 2 or 3... Didn't finish the game. Never will. Im done with this crappy indie studio.
At the end of Axiom Verge I dejectedly pulled up a walkthrough, because I couldn't be bothered to run all around the map, wasting time, just to eventually find my way forward. Kinda like Hollow Knight, yeah it's beautiful and I adore it, but ffs, the map is too large and taking a wrong turn makes you run the same gauntlets over and over again, just to die, lose your geo and then having to go there *again* in hopes of not losing the cash (or rather the time one invested into collecting it). Just kinda turns into a slog at some point. Axiom Verge 2 was waaaaaaaay more pleasant to play! Maybe I'm just a filthy casual, but it was an absolute joy to explore the beautiful locations, finding secrets, even going for 100% completion (which I rarely do). Honestly, just the generous save point placement is awesome, because it also let's you teleport all around and keep the exploration drive going. It's a simple quality of life improvement that probably would've made the first game an absolute masterpiece to me. Granted, I have ADHD, but my point still stands: That desire to explore and hunt for secrets should never be overshadowed by the dreaded inconvenience of having to slog through half the map just to check a health node I saw earlier. One should never get that feeling of "eh, I'll check out that room later" in a game about checking out rooms. (Full credit to Egoraptor for that line) I guess that comes perspective party comes due to me loving Zelda games first, Metroidvania games second. Idk, just a theory, especially since you mentioned A Link To The Past. What I would've loved to see in 2 was more of a "corruption" element, if that makes sense? Throughout the game several human npc's vanish and are replaced with robot-monster-miniboss-things. I wish they would've leaned into that much more, slowly building up into that oppessive feeling that the first game reveled in. Slowly losing all her human connections only to be replaced by murderous robots is amazing story telling for her character and the game's theme and I wish they would've done more with that, maybe even show how the world begins to slowly break apart in small ways due to the all the meddling with the breach going on. Anyway, great video! I'm very glad youtube lately recommeds me so many awesome reviewers/analysts that really capture the essence of the games they're talking about.
To be clear, I really liked AV2 a lot. But I can't argue with your comment. The first game is so vibrant and weird and hostile and I loved that about it. The imagery was actually frightening to me at times as a grown nearly 40 year old man. Maybe it's just straight up HR Giger influence but it was pretty terrifying and creepy at times. Same with the music, which was extremely memorable to me. AV2 I kind of felt like we were just checking out the mountains, on a little stroll. Indra also feels so confident to control and even her dialogue she doesn't take shit from anybody or anything. But it lost a lot of that suspense and feeling of being weak and isolated on an alien planet that AV1 had, and obviously the original Metroid games had.
Yeah, the underwhelming environment was the most disappointing thing for me about this game. It's not the annoying (for me) exploration and hidden places on the map or the mostly easy but punishing bosses that made me like the first game, it's the atmosphere, upgrades and weapon choices. While having almost no weapon variety wasn't fun for me, I could get over it (except the hacking gun, I want the hacking gun instead of the hacking in AV2). But I can't get over how.... normal everything looked. It just looked like our world but with a few killer robots with boring design in the way. The music was great and the Babylonian (I think) aesthetic is something that I like, but they are an odd choice for this game. I'm not saying it had to be an hostile alien environment exactly like AV1, but it could have been something more interesting to explore and something to give the world an unique flavour. Or, just like other games, it could have mostly peaceful areas but with a few areas with a dark and creepy atmosphere to contrast it, then you can appreciate going back to the areas that don't have an oppressing atmosphere - maybe you could consider the drone sections that, but even there there's mostly just very colorful areas with cartoonish enemies. Or have very interesting robot designs or weird plants in these normal looking environments to remind you that you are indeed in a different dimension. Or something else that doesn't come to my mind right now. And if the lore is holding you back from creating a more visually interesting game, you can tweak the narrative a little bit.
Good to hear that someone actually likes AV2 because I get legit mad when people badmouth it. It does so much right and I just don’t understand why there’s so much negativity around it. Also agree on the story. It really sucked me in and I wish I didn’t have to wait for the next game to get more!
I have not played Axiom Verge 1 but I really enjoyed this game! I can agree the bosses are disappointing, it doesn't bother me that they are optional but they are truley not memorable..They literally feel like "Big Enemies" opposed to actual bosses but i digress...lol..Still really love the game and now I need to play part 1!
I was a bit disappointed, but when I got to the later areas especially the one area when the main theme of the first game played I started to enjoy the game a lot more
Hmm.. As someone that played and platinumed the game. I am a litle disapointed with what i hear about this game. Its not the gameplay that disapoints me. that is ok. Games tend to mix things up in sequals.. But the part tht disapoints me is the person you play in this game. As in the first one you play as Trace... And in this you play someone else. i was expecting the story to continue in this one. Since the first game ended on a cliffhanger that makes you wonder. What hapened to Trace... How did he become Athetos. Did he get killed in the True ending.. or did he survive. Going from one character to another in this sequal.. just makes the wholle thing a bit weird. Unless its something that will be explored more in the third game. IF they make one. But otherwise... if this was the first game. I would have no problem with it... But it just feels a bit wrong. Who knows. Maybe its just me. But will see when i play it someday. The First one was a fun game. A diferent sort of metroidvania game. Fun. But a bit clunky. I would say the game had a bit to many wepons to chose from. I would have been more fun if he cut down the amount from 23... To maybe 4.. And each being upgraded with new powers each time. So it doesnt follow the Metroid style of 1 wepon.. that is upgraded with charge beam, ice beam, wide beam and plasma beam. Something more unique. Like Single target attack. That gets upgraded to rapid fire single target. A wide attack, that gets longer range. A homing attack, that fires fo misiles or lazer beams. And upgrades to fire more shots each charge. And a bomb type. You shoot it.. After 1-2 seconds it explodes, or you pressing attack again for it to explode. And upgrade is it explodes.. smal bombs come out for extra damage. I dont know. Something more... smaler. So the sequal having less wepons is a more concentrated thing. That sounds good. Most of the game being about traversing using the minibot... Hmm. That sounds a bit less fun. but probably ok. Who knows. Will see. This is just my opinnions bassed on this video.
Since you talk about story and sequels, Tom Happ has stated that he wrote enough story for about 6 or 7 axiom verge games, and that the 3rd will likely be the one that ties 1 and 2 together.
@@rex_yaldabaoth Lets hope so. There is nothing worse than when people make 1 game.. Confuse the shit out of people in the sequal.... And then dont make more games.
@@rex_yaldabaoth Well.. it isnt confusing if you played the Second game first.. But if you played the first one. It is. If you expect that the sequal would have Trace as protagonist again. Not someone else. You know. Like its normaly done. But who knows. Will see how it is when i play the second game.
@@harkenrebirth I dunno, i've seen plenty of games that have sequels with different protagonists. I've seen games where the sequel is completely unrelated to the original. So having a different protagonist really isn't that odd to me.
After the first couple hours the game gets awesome. I think the problem a lot of people have is that the first few hours are very frustrating and extremely "limited" feeling until you get a certain ability. If you don't use that ability to its maximum you're not going to like the game.
while I was pretty disapponited at first bcs the game was very different I came to love it more and more as time went on, the story is more clear yet still lives a lot of room for lore and theories the upgrades are still as imaginative and unique and the exploration is a lot better in my opinion (I really didn't like exploration in super metroid and axiom verge 1 bcs it required you to shott at every pixel on the screen and hope it's a secret passage)
I loved the first game. But I didn't love the second one quite as much. Not saying it's bad at all tho. Its like getting an A+ on your first test, then an A- on the next.
I'll just say this before I watch. This is nothing like Axiom Verge 1 so far. I'm not really a fan but I'm going to watch some reviews and maybe they will change my mind.
I couldn’t play the game for more than a few hours, it just couldn’t live up to the first axiom verge in the slightest Edit: after rewatching your video and digesting it for a day or 2, I’ve redownloaded AV2, and absolutely love it
6:46 To be fair, most of the guns you obtained in axiom verge 1 were completly useless and never used again after the first few test shots after obtaining them. I'd rather have a metroidvania with a few or one distinct weapon that can be upgraded than an unnecessary large arsenal that I never use.
Just because you didn't use them, doesn't mean others didn't as well. Have more options is fun. It's not always about what gun kills the fastest.
My biggest complaint about the first game is that 80% of the arsenal is useless.
Agreed most weapons are not useful, but it's really cool they are there
Were most of them of dubious utility? A little bit. Were they each cool as hell? Yeah.
I love how you discussed becoming the drone. When Indra’s body was first stolen I started getting sick of being a drone (I explored Irikar before getting Anuman so I was stuck as a drone for a few hours) but then once I got a body, I realized how much smoother it is to travel as a drone with the hovering and grabbing & flinging across platforms. Especially once you get the upgrade that basically gives the drone a Screw Attack. I tried to switch back and forth though because I couldn’t accept being a drone forever! But the game basically shows you that your new form is superior.
I’m amazed by your revelation about Ophelia. I loved that ending where Indra says she isn’t really Indra anymore. It was already fascinating and now I can see even more connections to the first game. I love how at first AV2 feels completely detached but as the game goes on, more and more it feels connected to AV1.
Thank you so much for this great video!
I REALLY hope more people dive deep into this game once it hits Steam.
I just finished both games, I bought them both when AV2 released, and I felt none of the negatives that people are complaining about with AV2. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the lore driving these Metroidvanias. I was impressed that two completely different characters, written and designed by the same person could feel so uniquely distinct and yet similar. I’m glad AV1 had a huge arsenal, I’m glad flying around as the drone in AV2 was so satisfying, but mostly I’m glad that these two stories only make me more excited for a possible future game.
Drone Indra > Indra.
I like that the devs took a risk not doing a reskin of the first game with a few more gimmicks.
its made by 1 guy, Tom Happ looki it up (Y)
Well, the one dev took a risk then cause the 8bit+ graphics were a big part of the first games appeal.
@@Error_4x5 bro game dev is hard as hell. Its the game he wanted and we should respect that. He did make a different game and it may not look the same, but he made another and of you dont like it then dont buy
@@BK-uy9nj I didn't diss the guy, just pointed out that a charge in the graphic style is a big risk. Obviously the new gameplay and graphic style hasn't caught on cause no one is talking about the game like they did the first one.
He did it on purpose
2 small details that might mindfuck you:
- The machine in which you fight Athetos in AV1 is the exact same machine used to turn people into Arms (the machines Daru says made him what he is now).
- As per programming, when you touch an npc with the drome or the drone in human form Hanuman, a 2 hours timer start, triggering a transformation toward sick then transformed into a small but aggressive Xedur Variant. The implications are that the pathogen from av1 is either a breach contamination or that Daru infect people with nanomachines that weaponize them. Thing is, the breach is wide opened in av1 because Athetos has the breach attractor working during all the course of the game.
I love the idea of Daru being an accidental plague. It's so interesting!
I haven't noticed the Athetos protective unit was the same Apocalyptic ARMs conversion device, that opens lots of possibilities. The breach as I understand it is a space among space, the concept exists in physics and is called "a Pocket Dimension". As it's explained by the Amashilama discoveries, the Lamassu concerns and the way it's presented in AV1, the Breach is the space outside the Multiverse tree's branches (each branch is a miniverse), the root is the A'ansur and some document says each miniverse is like a sphere about the size of one planetary orbit, outside there's only the Breach. In AV2 the breach is stable and you can go in and out using the drone, it's a series of back doors and passages that allow free movement between this miniverse (probably for researchers to come and go, service the Lamassu etc. maybe some protective suit was needed). On AV1 the breach tunnels are highly unstable because of the breach atractor, all Sudra is more glitchy because of that too, Trace being "human" could enter the breach tunnels without mayor consequences to access Athetos' cache of weapons, only those were highly corrupted. The Pathogen may be corruption from the breach resulting in life forms glitching, we'll have to wait for AV3 to know more
Is this what happened to the Russian guy by the ocean? He turned into a hideous monster by the end of my game.
@@czardeaner7713 yes, he was infected and finally transformed into a smaller version of Xedur from AV1, the same for the two other survivors on the camps
If we play as Trace again in AV3, would Athetos basically become an arm that Trace could use?
I had way more fun with Axiom Verge 2 than the first game, and the first one was my favorite Metroidvania before this. I don't yet know if AV2 will actually replace the first one as my favorite, it'll take replayability and time, but I absolutely love how it fits into the first game and deepens everything about it. It manages to explain so much of the first game even if you read _nothing._ The environmental storytelling is some of the best I've ever seen.
I am already very excited for the possibility of a 3rd game. And I can only assume that we'll be diving deeper and fighting ghosts. I mean, we did kind of let everyone out of heaven, right? Or was it hell?
I'm hoping the third game is centered around Trace Prime and his exploration into Sudra and his fight with Ophelia and the Rusalki. Or, or, or, just another game with Indra's alliance with Drushka and _her_ adventure into Sudra into what she eventually becomes?
Whatever we get, I trust Happ at this point.
@@ingeniousclown Agreed. Hell, if he said the next one was going to be a VR cooking simulator, I'm still in.
@@ingeniousclown I hope there IS a third game. That would be awesome.
@@TinyDiodes Happ has said he has plans for SIX more games. He isn't sure if that will be feasible, but that's what he wants to do. This series is the only way he makes money, and his dev time is generally 1-2 years, so he views making these games as the best thing he can do to support his family and pay for his son's treatment (as well as a personal passion project for him, of course.) That said, I think he's said he's considering making a non-AV game next, to take a break from the series and come back fresh while still making some money.
I really enjoyed the first game and the second game as well. They are 2 different experiences, but still feels like part of the same universe thanks to the lore and nugget (our house name for the drone).
This just gets me excited to see a third game in the series would being to the table.
Your analysis was the last piece of the puzzle i needed to finalize last thoughts on the game.
Especially about the closeup art of Indra in the credits, which did look like THEM to me, but holy shit how did i not see a straight one to one myself i have no idea.
I love this game. Differently.
I still prefer the original for the sheer alien feel of it, and the general gameplay is more up to my alley, but damn does 2 feel great to _move_ around, and exploration itself is great even if i've been stuck in this one a few times.
I NEED a third game, i want to see Trace Prime Clone finally wake up and make things right. I feel like we will also finally see the A'ansur for real, and i expect it to be that afterlife place we saw briefly.
But, man, it's gonna be another 5 years of wait.... Most likely, at least. It's not gonna happen soon by any means and it makes me hurt in wait.
Man.
I bloody loved this one. Spent 15 hours on my first playthrough just enjoying the world, and reading up on the lore afterwards is always a treat. You forget to mention just how much better the soundtrack is in this one too! Beautiful and haunting
I never made the connection between Indra and Ophelia but wow that's so cool! I hope this ends up a trilogy!
Somebody needs to make a comprehensive AV lore video
That'd be sick.
That Unforgotten Realms clip thrown in at the end takes me back. Sometime I’ll invest time into these games! I love Metroidvanias but the games came out when my daughter was born so I’ve been selective with which games I get as time is limiting.
Thanks for the awesome review
Wooo glad someone enjoyed that quick reference!
@@ingeniousclown I watched it a bunch during a shutdown in 2011 from a flood! Some of the humor doesn’t hold up well / is seemingly phobic but I still love the characters Schmoopy and Elumous :) also - I loved your let’s play of ESA and it convinced me
To buy the game!
I absolutely love how deliberate everything is in this game, as that was my biggest complaint about the original. I found 2 to be so much more mysterious than 1 because of that. Even ignoring the lore the structures and background details were fascinating. I find it odd how many people were disappointed with things which were told would be different and still expected them not to be. The only thing which I wished was more like the first game was boss lore, obviously nothing to the extent of the first game made sense but just something simple to explain why they’re bigger. I especially found the refight arenas disappointing because they felt too gamey when they didn’t need to. Overall I have to say I enjoyed 2 more even though I love them both.
Yeah Axiom Verge 2 isn't as action-oriented as the first game... You have to experience it with a different mindset, and it is a masterpiece if you do it like that
I think I'm about 50% through the game and I am loving it. It's not as surprising as Axiom Verge, but I love how it enriches the story and world established in the first game. Exploration is more fluid and the map layout feels more natural in the way areas are connected. Very much looking forward to finishing it.
the password system is actually still here. you can insert a series of inputs in the main menu to unlock tho I haven't tried it yet and as far as I'm concerned it's effects are not tied to exploration like in the first game. another thing I noticed while watching speedruns is that even the final boss is optional if you perform certain skips which are suspiciously easy which leads to me to believe that the entire second and third act of the story are simply intentionally optional
are those the directional inputs that some of the eye-tiles reveal when I use the reveal secrets ability thingy?
@@MorteTheSkull not that I remember but maybe. been quite a while since I played the game so watch an all items/secrets video and you will see
Love that you called Trace "Axiom"
And Indra lol
Awesome video. When I first beat AV2 last year when it came out, I was looking for analysis videos like this but none existed yet. Just recently replayed it and decided to look again. Glad I found this! And I agree, despite how different the gameplay and environments are from the first one, I absolutely loved AV2. Especially the music, holy hell
I agree and had same thoughts on her daughter. In a normal "missing daughter" situation and ransom, you send a special team, as a CEO, I'm sure. But you'd go alone here because the reason for going, here, would just get you committed. As her daughter *can't* be there according to "normal" rules
Your take on the game was refreshing. I too, looked online for people's opinions on the game and was interested in all the different opinions.
There were a few aspects I felt mixed on but they were primarily subjective in nature. For instance, I prefer difficulty options over sliders. I liked AV1's many different weapons, as opposed to a boomerang and pick. And combat was more engaging and fun even if its sequel gives you a sizable amount of new options in combat.
But I still really enjoyed it. The emphasis on exploration and the spoiler territory mechanics were cleverly designed. The pixel art may have been less vibrant and alien, but was more grounded and refined. I found its static backgrounds somewhat fascinating compared to the first game and other modern pixel art games that animate a lot of the scene. I can also really enjoy the continuity between all the environments when looking at the map zoomed out. The Zero Mission style objectives were a fantastic addition; not too intrusive like Prime, and actually still required exploring around.
There are sequels I enjoy as videogames, but not as a sequel to their series. Axiom Verge 2 fell flat on things that usually matter a lot to me, but I still liked it a lot as a sequel. This game's approach to the drone was mechanically different and its implementation into the story was equally as impressive because it happened as steps that we as the player did ourselves. It's that creative approach to making games that I can still appreciate a lot.
Thanks for your analysis of the game, it was very in-depth and insightful!
As soon as I unlocked the drone I just kept playing with it as much as I could, same thing I did in the first game. On Axion Verge 2, however, it's pretty clear that the game was designed to be played mostly as a drone because you can interact with anything, including computers, in that form.
I never spent a single point in human combat instead everything was put towards the drone.
I just finished 2 recently, and had a lot of the same complaints you mentioned at the end, especially about the lack of bosses. But I did experience the same thing you mentioned, getting more and more comfortable with the drone, and I do appreciate the big swing Thomas Happ made in making such a different style of game. Thanks for the lore information, too, I hadn't played AV1 in a while and didn't make those connections!
It's amazing that one of the first game genres still has so much room for creativity and improvement.
Metroidvanias saw very few entries because by the time both hardware and knowledge about game design were good enough for the genre to really take off, the entire industry had moved on to the 3D craze. It took the rise of indie gaming in the late 2000's to finally ressurect it, so it's no wonder there are still ways to innovate within it. But even beyond that virtually all genres have room for improvement as even ones that are overcrowded like FPS can see the rise of innovations like hero shooters and battle royales.
Nice video mate!
Calling it now, this channel will have 100k subs by the end of the year
lol nah, UA-cam straight up hates my channel right now
I heard so many great things about the first game, but I skipped it because it’s difficultly(just like all the other Metroid style games I missed out on)…when I head that 2 was going to be more accessible, I was so stoked! I’ve been having so much fun exploring this world and the lore. Even with the spoilers I’m a little confused but keep pressing on. Maybe after this I will take on the mighty Hollow Night…but I’m still intimidated at the age of 39 and years of gaming.
You really should play the first one. It's not difficult. I'm rubbish at games.
good to know axiom verge 2 works for you
The fact that you basically play as Ophelia in AV2 before she becomes a giant head with the body of a lobster makes me wonder how the other rusalki looked before they became women's heads with other animal bodies.
sounds like Made in Abyss
Thinking about it. What if the drone itself is just upgraded to be bigger. And only because it's made bigger do we get to see the lobster resemblance.
I was pretty disappointed with the sequel, the weapon change to melee wasn't a complete positive & hitting flying enemies was frustrating.
I preferred the ranged weapons of AV1.
The lack of proper bosses was a weird design choice.
The droid section felt a little stretched & the lack of any interaction with Trace was disappointing, there was 1 or 2 references to him in the note collectables IIRC.
The ending wasn't as good as 1 either.
I think my only issue is the sort of a rough abrupt feeling of the ending.
I need more.
I can agree with that. I was itching to explore the weird "quantum internet" zone. I swear there were "doors" on that map that couldn't be accessed and was sure that there would be a moment I could go through them, but it never came.
yeah and the boss was kinda disappointing too
Really great review, here! Just finished my first run last night and LOVED it. I think I'm going to revisit AV1 now and go straight back into AV2.
I just wish the optimal boss battles had boss music!!!! It would add to the experience of first encountering them.
I think the lack of boss music makes the environments feel more atmospheric and kind of reinforces that these fights are optional and just part of the environment, but at the same time yes I do wish they had music...I basically want any excuse for more tracks on this OST lol, it's so good
the first one was my first buy on the switch and single handedly sparked my rekindled love of the metroidvania, finally getting thru 2 and loving it as well. so many games, so little time
This was a reeeeeeeeeaaally quality and concise breakdown, man. You're great at what you do!
13:28 This is the reason why I don't think ALTTP was not the main inspiration here, but rather Metroid Prime 2 was. In that game, you had a "dark world" which instead of being a complete copy of the light world, took sections of the light world and altered them, creating an entirely new subset of paths which connect to various areas of the light world through portals. The game requires you to move between the light and dark worlds in order to get to certain sections of the map. This concept is exactly what AV2 does with its alternate world; creating a subset of paths off of the main world you move through to get to new areas.
Both games also have their alternate world be much more oppressive than the main world, although for different reasons.
Axiom Verge 2 is in contest for my game of the year with Metroid Dread. They are both the 2 metroidvanias I would consider the best. Even after my 6-7th Dread replay I am still not sure which one I liked more.
I am glad that after so many years I feel that the metroidvania genre grows and gets better.
I did not know that jump gets improved like that. Neat!
I loved this game so much, I had two problems tho. One, it was short I finished the story in about 6-7 hours which was a lot less than the first game, secondly, the final boss. While the lack of bosses did not bother me because the exploration was on point, the final boss was anticlimactic. I feel like if this game isn’t about bosses than a bossfight isn’t the best way to finish it. Besides that, this game is so good at what it does
I remember buying this game on day one. I had beaten the original, but I didn't pay much attention to the lore because I'm not a narrative heavy gamer. What really drew me in with the first game though, was the general pacing of the gameplay and the mechanics. The second game felt more in line with the types of games that I usually play. Playing with the drone, and all the different movement tech that you gain over the game, it just makes traversal so fun. The twist of the end was also pretty surprising, even if somebody who doesn't really care about the lore of these games, I found myself intrigued and I went back and read a bit more about the first game.
Absolutely love indie metoidvanias my switch is filled with them. Been playing Axiom Verge 2 it’s definitely awesome. Hollow Knight will always be my favorite even got a tattoo done by one of my apprentices. It is amazing both Axiom Verge1&2 are made by one guy with a ton of talent.
If your analysis about Indra's daughter having been dead for a while is true, then that likely means that the communication with "Hammond" was nothing more than a ruse to trick Indra into hacking that tech.
I have feeling that the protagonist of the third game is going to be Hammond and that in the third game we are going to find out who was impersonating Hammond when talking to Indra.
I don't think it's a ruse or Hammond's an impersonator here. I think A'ansur (or some other world) is either the afterlife, or perhaps even somewhere where Indra's daughter got sent after some accident while doing sciencey things.
I played the first game some time ago and I really loved it, when the second game came out I was looking forward to play it but only managed to do it last week, and oh my God, I found it AWESOME, I've finished it two days ago and now I found myself here searching for someone who can explain me this insane lore (insane in a good way) and want to start the first game again ASAP
I'm really glad that he took it in a different direction to the first one without losing that unique AV feel.
"instead of letting axiom crawl." very clever.
It felt more exploring and I like that axiom verge had good combat this has good exploring I completed this game twice now but I still haven't found all items
I’d say that my main flaw with the game was the boss fights. I really like the concept of “parts” boss fights, as they have a wide arsenal with separate health counters, and really compliments the hacking ability seen in the second game. However, beyond one fight that I could only access with the drone at the time, they could all just be annihilated with the hammer in two seconds.
The other, more miscellaneous bosses were much better executed; I loved the idea of dropping stalactites on the underwater boss, and the sphere boss in the breach was cool until I realized that respawning in the adjacent room didn’t reset its health.
The Indra fight was incredibly well done, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Fighting your human form as the drone both played and felt amazing, and both of you respawning in the middle of the fight perfectly conveyed the idea of neither of you being able to kill each other.
I found the final boss to be incredibly disappointing. Once again, you respawn mid-fight, and the enemy can’t die. The main difference between the two fights with this gimmick is that this fight actually has a system of progression. When the boss is stunned, you can hit one of the switches to activate the breach bomb. I get that respawning elsewhere wouldn’t make sense, but I don’t see why they couldn’t have just restarted the fight in the same way they restart the escape sequence.
This concludes my ted talk
Loved it. Love it more after this video. Didn't make the potential connection to Ophelia, would that potentially make this game a prequel? Trace's Lab Assistant in the first game was named Hammond. Even though earth time is later than the first game... I dunno. Love this cryptic beautiful art. Thanks for the video.
The AV timeline is a bit weird like that. In the first game, the events of the game probably take place centuries after the original lab accident. Hammond somehow got separated from Trace in the multiple worlds, so she founded Hammond Corp and set up secret experiments to try to find him. At least that's how I see it
y cant axiom crawl? :(
Why is this not on Steam?
My only complaint about this game is lack of portraits and animated cutscenes, like AV1 did.
Just a note, the password tool can be acquired by using a code on the menu
This game was fantastic, i hope a 3rd game comes out!
He's done with Axiom Verge I think. If more come out, it will be made by a different Dev...if he sells the rights
...actually, tom said that the story of axiom verge spans 7-8 games 😬
I was really disappointed with the extremely low difficulty and effort put into the bosses. There’s loads of great accessibility options for people who might struggle with them so I don’t see why he couldn’t make them harder. The final boss can’t even kill you lol
I wouldn't even say the game has bosses, to be fair. More like optional mini-bosses littered throughout the game, but no real bosses until the end.
It was like bumper bowling. It felt like I wasn't doing anything.
You can easily tell that Tom Happ has a grand plan for this series, 7 games total according to an interview. I hope he sticks with it, despite the cooler reception of 2. I love the hell out of AV1, and I do wish I could just play that game for the first time again, but Axiom Verge is _much_ bigger than what we saw in 1.
7 games holy crap. Hopefully he doesn't take 7 years to release each one ☠
@@ingeniousclown genuinely, dude’s gotta assemble a dev team, at least if he plans changing the artstyle by the same amount between each release as he did between 1 and 2. Getting the sloped terrain right was apparently a major factor in the delays for 2.
Where’d you hear that from lmao
Rusalki is a Russian word, I think it means mermaid or merfolk, or water monster, something like that, and rusalki posses aquatic animal forms we see Elsenova use one of these at the end of Axiom Verge 1, but now there's a reason for a random Russian word to be in the first game, there was a Russian research team in the same world Indra came to.
Not to mention dr Hammond was Traces research partner in Axiom Verge 1
A metroid-like inspired by a link to the past. So was MP2: Echoes.
I'm gonna wait for Axiom Verge 2 Ultimate Final Version Deluxe Edition before buying it.
I just discovered Dyson Sphere Program and found your channel that way. I guess that's why he hasn't been doing any UA-cam content cuz he's been busy playing it too !
While I get the argument, I believe it's kinda flawed. When people bought Axiom Verge 2, exactly what they wanted was a continuation of Axiom Verge. That's what the "2" is supposed to mean. When you say that this feels like a completely different game in the same universe, you're just hammering in the point of what some fans wanted was a sequel, but what they got was a spinoff.
Well not quite. This game in reality is a prequel. People are far too attached to the idea of getting more of the same as that's the usual norm. Every game should be looked at from a blank state. The theme is extremely fitting and considering all the abnormalities present, the progression and the choice of tools make a lot of sense. It is hard to stomach for those indeed expecting more of the same but should this game have come first as in a sense it should have, I legit doubt any of you would've been this critical.
@@MoVySaN That's...kinda a bad argument too. I mean, think about it. Axiom Verge was unique in both gameplay and storytelling. Gameplay wise you could glitch enemies or walls to help you reach new places, or input a code on a special device which was tied into the lore of the game. Instead of jumping over or climbing walls, you could just phase through them. Secret levels that were randomly generated every playthrough containing one of three unique weapons you couldn't get anywhere else. Sure, not every weapons' niche was very useful, but damn did the variety really help put a new spin on things. I could fight off my enemies with a giant fan, or a spike ball, or a lightning storm. On the topic of story, you could just look around. Prisons filled with the bodies of people trying to escape a plague, giant machines designed for war broken down over a battle with a being called Athetos, the notes talking about a past long gone. Sure, many metroidvania games have deep lore, but most of it boils down to, "Thing bad, you're the chosen one, murder it." Axiom Verge turns this on its head. You start to notice the mechs aren't really your friends, you get the feeling that there's more to the story than what they're telling. What did Axiom Verge 2 bring to the table? Well, gameplay wise, not much. You get an axe and a boomerang, and you find Stat increases for each. You get what's essentialy a magic system, where the hacks are now debuffs or you can cast a "powerful shockwave". The leveling system is exactly like any other game that has one. The story side isn't fairing any better, it really wasn't a surprise to me that the arm with a person's mind wanted a body, and every enemy is just the same 7 robots. They made it very clear that no, there's no mystery, ancient robot bad and you need to kill her. It's ironic, because for a game that's not supposed to be more of the same, it really feels like it's just a rehash of every other game in both the story front and gameplay. Even the most original thing about it, the Drone, just feels like a Morph Ball with a little bit more things to do. So, I get why most fans were upset, why the criticism came hard on the game. It really doesn't feel like the original Axiom Verge, it doesn't even really feel like a Metroidvania. It feels more like an rpg, and that's fine. I had fun playing the game, I don't regret buying it. But I have to agree with some of the fanbase, even if I don't want to, because I really can't call it Axiom Verge 2.
I loved Axiom Verge 2. I spent allot of time as the drone, probably more than most, because I managed to miss the extremely obvious (in hindsight) way to progress, so I ended up exploring literally everywhere else before I found it, and gosh it was fun.
What starts off as feeling completely helpless turns into a forced adaptation into an unfamiliar body to the point you are better at controlling it than your human form. When I wasn't fighting things in my later human form, I was skittering about, grappling on to things, flutter flying to places I probably wasn't meant to get to as easily.
The game is fun in a completely different way to the first, and that's ok. Also I skipped the credits so I had no idea about the Ophelia reference and wow that's amazing.
I was definitely more fascinated with the upgrades in AV1. Doubt that's controversial. However, I found the upgrades in AV2 much smoother, and more fun to use, especially drone traversal.
Would've been amazing if switching between drone and human modes could have become a more fluid part of movement and combat. Might have been a better way to implement the upgrade for bypassing grates, if it was a temporary form during the mode transition but retained all your momentum, and you had to time those transitions during boss fights.
Personally I am baffled by how anybody could have found the upgrades in 1 to be better. So many upgrades are just keys effectively. Phase through 1 brick wall. Then 2 brick wall. The corruption gun was very situational, but was effectively just another key. So was the drone. Outside of drone sections, you never had a good reason to use it because it sucked. I usually like grappling hooks, but AV 1s was very awkward and the environment was very tight anyway making it not useful most of the time.
Overall your movement options are VERY limited right till the end and even then they are not interesting ( a double jump).
But whats your take on it? Could you explain why people think its better?
@@davidspektorov8262 Traveling through walls/floors and glitching/breaking tiles are just very different from what I expect based on other metroidvania games. Every upgrade in every such game is a key, so I don't really think that's relevant. To me, there are only two important questions when it comes to metroidvania upgrades: 1. Have I seen it before, or will there be some surprises and unfamiliar puzzles? 2. Is it fun to use?
Question 1 indicates just how much the game will grab my attention on a first playthrough. Question 2 indicates how much I'll want to replay the game if I enjoyed the first playthrough.
AV1 does have some fun upgrades. Glitching different enemies sometimes has interesting consequences. The drone is great for exploring when I don't want to commit to a path, so I can just cancel the drone and immediately get back to where I launched it from. It also lets me protect Trace's health. The advanced drone launcher plus the drone teleport essentially lets you throw yourself. There's a lot of potential that the maps don't take advantage of quite enough.
AV2 outshines all that with just the combination of the drone tether and hover. So fun, and they can work almost everywhere, but not really everywhere, so you still have to look around the map and plan a good route. Going even further in that direction would have been amazing. It's just fun having different ways to gain momentum from the terrain and more abilities that let you keep momentum.
I do think both AV games would have benefited from more chances to use the upgrades. Optional walls you can phase through for combat, plus enemies who sometimes shoot through walls, telegraphed. New kinds of objects that do something interesting if you hit them with the drone launch. More small spaces that necessitate the drone, but only briefly.
That said, it can be annoying to use an ability over and over if the ability isn't fun to use. Part of that is smoothness. The first lab coat is too slow, but the second and third ones could be usable for all kinds of tactical combat, as long as being behind a wall doesn't protect you 100%.
I loved the first game but couldn't stand this one. It was nowhere near as good. I quit after a hour or so. Maybe it gets better later but I just couldn't continue. I plan on playing it one day when I have nothing else to play but I was very disappointed in it. I couldn't wait to play it but then I played it. It's been a while since I played it but from what I remember I couldn't stand the melee weapon. The enemies were all ranged so you needed a ranged weapon but only had the melee at the beginning. No clue why they went that route. I don't mind having both but they should give you both from the start.
It sounds to me like very deliberate wording, "Come to Antarctica if you wish to see your daughter again." VS "..if you ever want to see your daughter again." If her daughter did in fact die, and if she is certifiably mentally unstable, she may actually be willing to take the leap that she can somehow see her dead daughter again. I like it.
i definetly preffered AV2 over AV1 (which i played first)
it felt much more like a smooth adventure and more easy to get beginners into
I think I'm the only one who knows what 25:21 is from.
Does it have those stupid secret worlds from axiom verge 1? I didn’t wanna spend ages looking through barely documented possible 5% chance areas just to try out only 1 of 3 guns and to get 100%. Kinda ruined the post-game for me.
You should totally do a video on Environmental Station Alpha. It’s so good. It didn’t receive nearly enough recognition when it came out, and still doesn’t to this day sadly. It’s a shame. I’ve replayed it more than I have any Metroid game outside of Super Metroid and feel like it’s leaps and bounds above nearly all of them. I feel like it avoids so many pitfalls that many other metroidvanias tend to fall into, which was a rarity until Hollow Knight perfected the formula. I’ve only ever seen one video essay on the game and it was made by someone with like 100 subscribers (no offense intended, it was really good) so I can’t imagine it gave the game much exposure. Just something to consider if you ever need an idea for a video.
That's something I'd like to do, but since this isn't my full-time job I have so many other things that I'd rather focus on.
For what it's worth, a subtheme to Axiom Verge isn't what it means to "lose one's humanity", but to question what it even means to "be human."
I am in love for this games and the fun is no One can explain with certain the universe
I do think both takes on Metroidvanias are important. Something like Axion Verge 2, which shakes up the gameplay drastically from the first, is one thing that more sequels should do, but for something like Mario (a closer comparison would be the 2D Metroid games) the more iterative expansion on what has been, and the remixing of elements in prior games, can, when done well, lead to a very satisfying experience. I dont think either is wrong, but it is sad to know a good game is so fraught with controversy in the fanbase because its take on sequels isnt the norm.
Its ok for a game to be different, and to offer a different experience from what came before. Whats important, from where I stand, is that it both feels like it belongs in the same universe as prior titles, and is deliberate in design. Its obvious Axiom is taking things very carefully in mind, and as such I respect it.
Thank you for the spoiler warnings. Much appreciated!
I really don't enjoy the gameplay or level design of both games and didn't finish them but I love the lore and I crave Analysis Videos like these on that
There is something about this game that feels rushed, incomplete... given what I heard that it was shadow dropped with very little warning prior makes me feel like it was rushed out for what it was announced with.
It took him almost 10 years to make AV2
Lore in this game is really awesome. But generally, the game is boring (gameplay) leaving the drone play as the best option.
This game answers many questions about the original story though. Not even Indra, but Sudra, invasion, Rusalkis, and AI as the balancer between the worlds.
Wasn't as good as the first one for me, but still a solid game worth checking out.
Solid 7/10 game. But then Axiom Verge was a magical experience. Tough act to follow. Let’s see what Happ does with the third entry. Enjoyable video as always.
Indra daughter survives! And also original Indira, just get the complete ending to see an extra scene.
These games are really amazing it's a new universe and there is limitless potencial for new Stories.
This video makes me want to replay AV2, while simultaneously hoping an AV3 happens. I should see if there's any word on Happ working on it...
I'll bet he is, but I also bet it'll take quite a while.
I really enjoyed AV2, even replayed it already! but I think as far as powerups go there is a really big issue I have. The ring that gives the basic weapon a projectile really should not have been placed in the first half of the game. it's so absurdly powerful it trivializes just about any miniboss once a human form is gained
Off topic from AV 1 or 2: Are you gunna make a video detailing your thoughts on metroid dread?
I have one on my second channel. Aside from the initial reveal material, I'm trying to stay as unspoiled as possible.... especially since Nintendo seems intent on spoiling every last little detail before launch.
Aside from that, I plan to make a video at least like this, if not a longer form one, for after I spend some time with it.
couldn't get far into the first game, got stuck and didn't know how to progress further
I definitely feel like axiom verge 2 is smaller and easier than axiom verge.
I had a lot of fun still and enjoy the game, I think the rift swap is clever if pretty clever. Like you said I really did feel rewarded exploring and screwing around because I got super OPed when I figured out where to go. Was really disappointed with the hack system because I didn't use it at all. I feel like the yoyo should've been explained better, I legitimately was stuck for a day trying to figure it out. And I also wish the drone had a gun.
I liked the story, I'm still collecting the notes but I have really like the story.
This game feels kinda like a dlc to me, ik this sounds weird because mechanically it's a totally different game, but in scope it just doesn't seem as flushed out as the 1st game, which isn't a completely bad thing, I just hope the team keeps releasing games, would love to see more games, in the series
the point of a sequel is the expectations from the prior game. If you want to make a game that isn't like the first, just make a different series.
just look at Undertale. they didn't make an undertale 2, they made a differently named game by the same creator. If this is so different from axiom verge, they should have given it a different name. calling it specifically "2" suggests that it will be an expansion and more of the same.
I agree, Paper Mario is a great example... calling it Paper Mario draws attention of the fans who like the gameplay of Paper Mario while those who didn't ignore it. Meaning if you change the game... you have an EVEN SMALLER audience.
No one benefits from calling it Paper.
Some of the most famous franchises in the history of gaming have seen massive change from one entry to the next, in fact some of them like Final Fantasy make it their signature move to be completely different for each entry, only being loosely connected through various recurring motifs.
@@Tamos40000 Final fantasy 9 and final fantasy 1 are hardly different. all the games up to that point were turn based JRPG. the gameplay is virtually the same, just evolved. The stories are disconnected, but they're all basically variations of the same formula.
Now, beyond that, I'm not familiar with the games, but I'm pretty sure they stopped being turn based JRP, which I would say is a shame.
the first "mana" game was called final fantasy legends. this is fine, because the name is different enough to imply the total change in gameplay. This is the better system, because you convey to the potential players "hey, this is kinda related to final fantasy, but it's also going to be very different." so while it's still a fantasy setting with heavy rpg elements, it deviated from the turn based battle system.
Mario is a series that does it well. what is Super Mario bros? it's a simple 2D platformer. what's super mario galaxy? it's a 3D platformer with waggle controls and heavy gravity focused mechanics. what's super mario galaxy 2? it's more of the same, but built upon. super mario odyssey? another 3D platformer, but very different from mario Galaxy. Mario kart? mario but with racing.
It also has examples that does it poorly. People tend to be upset when you take a well known game series and completely change how it is played, like super paper mario and the latest paper mario games. Sure, there are people that like those games, but you get fans of the old games that feel dejected and lied to. "paper mario" means a type of RPG game. if you want to make a different type of game, make a new spin off, like mario & Luigi, or Paper Mario Adventure.
if they were to make "super mario bros 4", and it was a schmup, people would be upset. If you call it instead "super mario burst bros", then people might not like it, but they won't be upset that you took their expectations and dashed them completely.
More like Axeom Verge... the melee focused gameplay is bull$hit. And the boomerang is trash in away imaginable. And the "hacking" slows the gameplay down way too much. It should be an pasive Aura like ability that always hits the enemy when he enters your zone. He will then be debuffed with certian effects you the player have chosen. And not stop the game and select hack 1, 2 or 3...
Didn't finish the game. Never will. Im done with this crappy indie studio.
At the end of Axiom Verge I dejectedly pulled up a walkthrough, because I couldn't be bothered to run all around the map, wasting time, just to eventually find my way forward. Kinda like Hollow Knight, yeah it's beautiful and I adore it, but ffs, the map is too large and taking a wrong turn makes you run the same gauntlets over and over again, just to die, lose your geo and then having to go there *again* in hopes of not losing the cash (or rather the time one invested into collecting it).
Just kinda turns into a slog at some point.
Axiom Verge 2 was waaaaaaaay more pleasant to play! Maybe I'm just a filthy casual, but it was an absolute joy to explore the beautiful locations, finding secrets, even going for 100% completion (which I rarely do).
Honestly, just the generous save point placement is awesome, because it also let's you teleport all around and keep the exploration drive going. It's a simple quality of life improvement that probably would've made the first game an absolute masterpiece to me.
Granted, I have ADHD, but my point still stands: That desire to explore and hunt for secrets should never be overshadowed by the dreaded inconvenience of having to slog through half the map just to check a health node I saw earlier.
One should never get that feeling of "eh, I'll check out that room later" in a game about checking out rooms. (Full credit to Egoraptor for that line)
I guess that comes perspective party comes due to me loving Zelda games first, Metroidvania games second. Idk, just a theory, especially since you mentioned A Link To The Past.
What I would've loved to see in 2 was more of a "corruption" element, if that makes sense? Throughout the game several human npc's vanish and are replaced with robot-monster-miniboss-things. I wish they would've leaned into that much more, slowly building up into that oppessive feeling that the first game reveled in.
Slowly losing all her human connections only to be replaced by murderous robots is amazing story telling for her character and the game's theme and I wish they would've done more with that, maybe even show how the world begins to slowly break apart in small ways due to the all the meddling with the breach going on.
Anyway, great video! I'm very glad youtube lately recommeds me so many awesome reviewers/analysts that really capture the essence of the games they're talking about.
i understand that the environment is tied to the narrative and everything, but boy is it a lot more boring
To be clear, I really liked AV2 a lot. But I can't argue with your comment. The first game is so vibrant and weird and hostile and I loved that about it. The imagery was actually frightening to me at times as a grown nearly 40 year old man. Maybe it's just straight up HR Giger influence but it was pretty terrifying and creepy at times. Same with the music, which was extremely memorable to me.
AV2 I kind of felt like we were just checking out the mountains, on a little stroll. Indra also feels so confident to control and even her dialogue she doesn't take shit from anybody or anything. But it lost a lot of that suspense and feeling of being weak and isolated on an alien planet that AV1 had, and obviously the original Metroid games had.
Yeah, the underwhelming environment was the most disappointing thing for me about this game. It's not the annoying (for me) exploration and hidden places on the map or the mostly easy but punishing bosses that made me like the first game, it's the atmosphere, upgrades and weapon choices. While having almost no weapon variety wasn't fun for me, I could get over it (except the hacking gun, I want the hacking gun instead of the hacking in AV2).
But I can't get over how.... normal everything looked. It just looked like our world but with a few killer robots with boring design in the way. The music was great and the Babylonian (I think) aesthetic is something that I like, but they are an odd choice for this game. I'm not saying it had to be an hostile alien environment exactly like AV1, but it could have been something more interesting to explore and something to give the world an unique flavour. Or, just like other games, it could have mostly peaceful areas but with a few areas with a dark and creepy atmosphere to contrast it, then you can appreciate going back to the areas that don't have an oppressing atmosphere - maybe you could consider the drone sections that, but even there there's mostly just very colorful areas with cartoonish enemies. Or have very interesting robot designs or weird plants in these normal looking environments to remind you that you are indeed in a different dimension. Or something else that doesn't come to my mind right now. And if the lore is holding you back from creating a more visually interesting game, you can tweak the narrative a little bit.
Good to hear that someone actually likes AV2 because I get legit mad when people badmouth it. It does so much right and I just don’t understand why there’s so much negativity around it.
Also agree on the story. It really sucked me in and I wish I didn’t have to wait for the next game to get more!
This game just feels too high minded for me compared to the first game. I have no interest in playing it at all.
I enjoyed AV2, but it felt a lot shorter, and I did really miss the tone of the first, but it was still good with everything it did lore wise
I just hope we don't have to wait until 2027 for Axiom Verge 3.
I have not played Axiom Verge 1 but I really enjoyed this game! I can agree the bosses are disappointing, it doesn't bother me that they are optional but they are truley not memorable..They literally feel like "Big Enemies" opposed to actual bosses but i digress...lol..Still really love the game and now I need to play part 1!
I was a bit disappointed, but when I got to the later areas especially the one area when the main theme of the first game played I started to enjoy the game a lot more
Hmm.. As someone that played and platinumed the game. I am a litle disapointed with what i hear about this game. Its not the gameplay that disapoints me. that is ok. Games tend to mix things up in sequals.. But the part tht disapoints me is the person you play in this game. As in the first one you play as Trace... And in this you play someone else. i was expecting the story to continue in this one. Since the first game ended on a cliffhanger that makes you wonder. What hapened to Trace... How did he become Athetos. Did he get killed in the True ending.. or did he survive. Going from one character to another in this sequal.. just makes the wholle thing a bit weird. Unless its something that will be explored more in the third game. IF they make one. But otherwise... if this was the first game. I would have no problem with it... But it just feels a bit wrong. Who knows. Maybe its just me. But will see when i play it someday. The First one was a fun game. A diferent sort of metroidvania game. Fun. But a bit clunky. I would say the game had a bit to many wepons to chose from. I would have been more fun if he cut down the amount from 23... To maybe 4.. And each being upgraded with new powers each time. So it doesnt follow the Metroid style of 1 wepon.. that is upgraded with charge beam, ice beam, wide beam and plasma beam. Something more unique. Like Single target attack. That gets upgraded to rapid fire single target. A wide attack, that gets longer range. A homing attack, that fires fo misiles or lazer beams. And upgrades to fire more shots each charge. And a bomb type. You shoot it.. After 1-2 seconds it explodes, or you pressing attack again for it to explode. And upgrade is it explodes.. smal bombs come out for extra damage. I dont know. Something more... smaler. So the sequal having less wepons is a more concentrated thing. That sounds good. Most of the game being about traversing using the minibot... Hmm. That sounds a bit less fun. but probably ok. Who knows. Will see. This is just my opinnions bassed on this video.
Since you talk about story and sequels, Tom Happ has stated that he wrote enough story for about 6 or 7 axiom verge games, and that the 3rd will likely be the one that ties 1 and 2 together.
@@rex_yaldabaoth Lets hope so. There is nothing worse than when people make 1 game.. Confuse the shit out of people in the sequal.... And then dont make more games.
@@harkenrebirth Is it really that confusing though? I wouldn't have said it was any more confusing than the first game.
@@rex_yaldabaoth Well.. it isnt confusing if you played the Second game first.. But if you played the first one. It is. If you expect that the sequal would have Trace as protagonist again. Not someone else. You know. Like its normaly done. But who knows. Will see how it is when i play the second game.
@@harkenrebirth I dunno, i've seen plenty of games that have sequels with different protagonists. I've seen games where the sequel is completely unrelated to the original. So having a different protagonist really isn't that odd to me.
Great video. I also loved the game!
After the first couple hours the game gets awesome. I think the problem a lot of people have is that the first few hours are very frustrating and extremely "limited" feeling until you get a certain ability. If you don't use that ability to its maximum you're not going to like the game.
while I was pretty disapponited at first bcs the game was very different I came to love it more and more as time went on, the story is more clear yet still lives a lot of room for lore and theories the upgrades are still as imaginative and unique and the exploration is a lot better in my opinion (I really didn't like exploration in super metroid and axiom verge 1 bcs it required you to shott at every pixel on the screen and hope it's a secret passage)
I loved the first game. But I didn't love the second one quite as much. Not saying it's bad at all tho. Its like getting an A+ on your first test, then an A- on the next.
Why did the humans turn into into mini xedurs tho?
The pathogen is likely way more complicated than just "Athetos did it". Some theories say it originates from Damu, some from the breach itself.
I think the only thing I didn't like about the game was the Breach map. I would have preferred a bigger regular map.
I'll just say this before I watch. This is nothing like Axiom Verge 1 so far. I'm not really a fan but I'm going to watch some reviews and maybe they will change my mind.
Dust an Elysiam tale got me hooked on the genre
I couldn’t play the game for more than a few hours, it just couldn’t live up to the first axiom verge in the slightest
Edit: after rewatching your video and digesting it for a day or 2, I’ve redownloaded AV2, and absolutely love it