This game was just incredible. I waited for a sale when it released and got good reviews because "it's a Ubisoft game, it can't be THAT good"... It was that good.
This has quickly become one of my favorite Metroidvania's, even rivaling the brilliant Metroid Dread. None of the standard Ubisoft garbage is here, no micro transactions, no XP boosters, no season pass. The only Ubisoft slop here is a pre order bonus, which is basically required with every game nowadays.
Now to the gameplay, it's amazing. Combat is basically just a platform fighter, put in a platformer. You have high, medium and low attacks. You can sweep, juggle, grapple, air combo. It's easy to learn, but hard to master as you learn more abilities on your adventure, which almost all have combat purposes (even when you don't think so at first).
The bosses are also amazing, they test your abilities to the extreme. With a ton of attacks that you might think are undodgeable, but with some experimentation with your abilities, there is always a way to avoid damage.
For example, the fourth major boss constantly zones you, jumping away when you get close, and shooting you from a distance. He seems near impossible to get close to. But then you realize that you can use your teleport (which you have likely only been using for platforming until this point), to cut off the boss' retreat.
The bosses always make you learn something new about the capabilities of your abilities, and it's incredible .
There is also a boatload of customization to your play style, there is a talisman system, similar to the charms in Hollow Knight. Which allow you to tune Sargon to how you want to play him. I went for a glass cannon approach, buffing raw damage from sword attacks (especially in the air), but you can go for a parrying build, healing you for every parry and creating a slowing bubble when you hit a parry, a zoner build with fire arrows and sword projectiles and so much more. Nobody's playstyle is the same, yet this game has a system that accommodates for everyone.
The story is also very Metroid-like, where it's surfacable by just following the cutscenes, but the real story is revealed from reading lore items like scrolls and ancient texts. It rewards patient players with a deeper story, without alienating people who just want action and a story with it.
But I need to talk about the platforming, which felt amazing. There is no momentum system like a 2D Mario for example, when you start running. You are at your top speed, when you stop (even mid air), you stop. It makes the platforming incredibly precise, and makes the harder platforming sections feel amazing to pull off.
New abilities unlocked during the game make returning to old platforming sections a breeze, with you nearly being able to fly over the stuff that gave you difficulty at the start. It's an incredible feeling.
Lastly, I shortly want to mention the protagonist: Sargon. Which I really enjoyed. The reveal trailer for the game used rap, which made me afraid he'd be an overly "cool" character. Which he luckily wasn't.
He's serious, but generally really kind and respectful. There is a certain side character he has to repeatedly save, but instead of getting annoyed that he gets in constant danger. He respects him for his courage to go through dangerous territory, even though Sargon doesn't understand his goals. And even calls most friendly NPC's friend.
It's not much, but it's the positivity I really like in games, and hope we get more of. Just because a character is serious and doesn't crack jokes, doesn't mean they can't be nice to people.
Overall, this is one of the greatest action games, platformers and Metroidvania's I've ever played. It deserves way more praise than it got, and it's a shame that it sold so little.
Give this one a shot if you can, you might find a hidden gem.
This has quickly become one of my favorite Metroidvania's, even rivaling the brilliant Metroid Dread. None of the standard Ubisoft garbage is here, no micro transactions, no XP boosters, no season pass. The only Ubisoft slop here is a pre order bonus, which is basically required with every game nowadays.
Now to the gameplay, it's amazing. Combat is basically just a platform fighter, put in a platformer. You have high, medium and low attacks. You can sweep, juggle, grapple, air combo. It's easy to learn, but hard to master as you learn more abilities on your adventure, which almost all have combat purposes (even when you don't think so at first).
The bosses are also amazing, they test your abilities to the extreme. With a ton of attacks that you might think are undodgeable, but with some experimentation with your abilities, there is always a way to avoid damage.
For example, the fourth major boss constantly zones you, jumping away when you get close, and shooting you from a distance. He seems near impossible to get close to. But then you realize that you can use your teleport (which you have likely only been using for platforming until this point), to cut off the boss' retreat.
The bosses always make you learn something new about the capabilities of your abilities, and it's incredible .
There is also a boatload of customization to your play style, there is a talisman system, similar to the charms in Hollow Knight. Which allow you to tune Sargon to how you want to play him. I went for a glass cannon approach, buffing raw damage from sword attacks (especially in the air), but you can go for a parrying build, healing you for every parry and creating a slowing bubble when you hit a parry, a zoner build with fire arrows and sword projectiles and so much more. Nobody's playstyle is the same, yet this game has a system that accommodates for everyone.
The story is also very Metroid-like, where it's surfacable by just following the cutscenes, but the real story is revealed from reading lore items like scrolls and ancient texts. It rewards patient players with a deeper story, without alienating people who just want action and a story with it.
But I need to talk about the platforming, which felt amazing. There is no momentum system like a 2D Mario for example, when you start running. You are at your top speed, when you stop (even mid air), you stop. It makes the platforming incredibly precise, and makes the harder platforming sections feel amazing to pull off.
New abilities unlocked during the game make returning to old platforming sections a breeze, with you nearly being able to fly over the stuff that gave you difficulty at the start. It's an incredible feeling.
Lastly, I shortly want to mention the protagonist: Sargon. Which I really enjoyed. The reveal trailer for the game used rap, which made me afraid he'd be an overly "cool" character. Which he luckily wasn't.
He's serious, but generally really kind and respectful. There is a certain side character he has to repeatedly save, but instead of getting annoyed that he gets in constant danger. He respects him for his courage to go through dangerous territory, even though Sargon doesn't understand his goals. And even calls most friendly NPC's friend.
It's not much, but it's the positivity I really like in games, and hope we get more of. Just because a character is serious and doesn't crack jokes, doesn't mean they can't be nice to people.
Overall, this is one of the greatest action games, platformers and Metroidvania's I've ever played. It deserves way more praise than it got, and it's a shame that it sold so little.
Give this one a shot if you can, you might find a hidden gem.