Video game companies are constantly morphing and changing their franchises. They add new game play element, go from 2D to 3D, and more. Sometimes we gamers want to play something familiar. Sometimes we yearn for more games from a certain era.

Its inability to make me feel rewarded is really the core difference between Axiom Verge and the Metroid games it emulates so aggressively. On a moment-to-moment basis, exploring the alien hellscape of Axiom Verge can be awesome.

It spends too much time recreating the genius of Metroid rather than adding to it, but this is still one of the best examples of the genre in recent years.

Extremely well designed game world, and very good graphics considering the lack of manpower; The Address Disruptor and other gadgets are great, as are the boss battles

Only a few new ideas and a touch too similar to the real Metroid; Overbearing story adds little to the experience; Some minor control issues

Verging on greatness You are logged out. Login | Sign up Setting Trace aside, Sudra and its inhabitants are fascinating. Every part of the planet incorporates biomechanical technology in some way, and the environments pulse eerily with power.

Due to a mixture of age and gaming ignorance, I missed early entries in both the Metroid and Castlevania series, only catching up with each when they entered the 3D-era. Despite this, I have come to appreciate the so-called Metroidvania genre in more recent times, spurred on by releases such as...

Positives Interesting, varied environments; Simple yet solid gameplay

Negatives Feelings of Déjà vu

It's just a shame that given the obvious talent and passion involved, it doesn't really have much of its own to add to the Metroidvania template. As charmed and delighted as I often was with its smartly paced escalation, its perpetually teasing construction, I kept waiting for some new element to...

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 30 years since Samus Aran first made an appearance in the enduringly popular Metroid series. The heavy emphasis on non-linear exploration, coupled with a compelling sci-fi setting has ensured that it's one of those franchises that Nintendo fans and critics...

Although they were a little over my head, I loved the action and exploration titles that were available on the original Nintendo when I was a child. Games such as Castlevania, Blaster Master, Metroid, and Rygar we the "epic" adventures that sucked me in while others got hooked into the RPG genre.

Axiom Verge is one of those games that comes around once in a blue moon and reminds me why I love video games. It's easy to admire for the sole reason that the development team behind it is made up of one person.

Axiom Verge is a side-scrolling action/adventure that applies a fresh take on classic 8-bit games by using glitches as an important game mechanic.