As far back as I can remember, my entire childhood has always been about Super Mario Bros., Contra, Double Dragon, and other games. But, by the time I got older, Castlevania and Metroid gave me a taste of Metroidvania games and what they had to offer. Whether it was exploring the unknown or exploring old 2D visuals, these games always offered something that no one else could.
Thanks to a copy provided by Dark Pigeon Games, I had the chance to play Awaken Astral Blade, a game based on the same concept. Jumping into the game, I immediately felt a wave of nostalgia. But it was more than a stroll down memory lane or a look back at the golden age of the past. Being a collection of so many factors that I love about the game, it’s only fair that I sit down with you and tell you why I love it all in my Awaken Astral Blade review.
A beautiful darkness waits
As soon as the game starts, we are shown Horace Island, the place where our adventure will take place. you wear shoes taniaA bionic girl who was sent by her father Dr. Herves to investigate the place. Although in the early stages, the Horace Island rainforest looks colorful and exciting, but darkness is waiting around the corner.
After just a few steps forward, I encountered some of the usual enemies in the game. And despite my access to that world, the enemies were nothing. From exceptional artwork to great flexibility, the enemies in Awaken: Astral Blade are captivating to behold. I won’t lie, I found myself dying because I was so distracted by the clean art of it all.
The overall art design of Awaken is visually stunningIntricate background details are scattered around your path. It’s definitely worth taking the time to admire. Plus, Tania’s weapon designs, as well as her various skins and hairstyles, will remind you of all the famous bionic characters.
So, as soon as I saw Tania, I was reminded of Alita and EVE. Seeing his resemblance to some of my favorite Bayans piqued my curiosity to explore his fighting style, running and even passive stance. Honestly, she’s quite different from all the bionic women I’ve seen in other games or animations which was a big plus for the game’s design.
Whether you talk about focused attitude, combos or skills, Tania is full of miracles. And the game’s art design reflects this flawlessly. I spent a lot of time exploring the world more to see the world’s design and at every turn, there was some amazing bunch of flowers, bricks, or even bushes waiting to be harvested. And while the beautiful design is one of the things you’ll notice, Horace Island has its own secrets too.
an island full of secrets
Beyond the colorful palette of flora and fauna lie the darkest secrets that you must uncover as Tania. Exploring further into the forest, I battled mutated bionics and other deadly enemies. Moving forward, my eyes fell on ancient ruins jacha cityA lost civilization that is considered extinct. There players will also find the Royal Altar, the center of the Corpus energy source, which marks the beginning of Tania’s quest to uncover its secrets and its origins.
Yes, you’re familiar with Tania’s origin story and all the secrets beyond finding the Altar. You meet Cythna, a hologram who is trying to lead you to the truth. Here you will also learn about Tania number 103 where you will finally realize that you are not the only Tania. From then on the focus of the game shifts to discovering our main character’s true form.
This is one of the key elements I love about the game. Apart from the entertaining storyline and the shocking twist that awaited me, I liked many more elements of the game. Kudos to developers Dark Pigeon Games for brilliant storytelling. Of course, I won’t spoil the story any further for you, but if you want to see what happens with Tania and her true origins, the plot alone could be a perfect selling point.
However, just when I thought my work was done, I found out that Awakened Astral Blade has multiple endingsYes, the first for a Metroidvania-style game. This alone would be enough incentive to keep a player coming back for more. Want even more? Let’s talk about the game’s exploration and combat.
Exploration is fun but a little tricky
The first thing that will keep you coming back for more is the game’s exploration. There are plenty of paths in the game that you can explore and earn valuable Aethers. However, sometimes you may miss weapon upgrades or Aether Flowers by not looking beyond the end. This is a bit difficult for someone who doesn’t focus enough on exploring the game and keeping it fun.
Tania’s unique costume is more than a skin
Remember when I said there are different styles you can dress her up with? They also give you special incentives. Thus, players get double the trouble of getting not only a new style but also a solid power upgrade. To unlock new costumes, you have to look around the map. So, yes, you get a chance to choose your outfit as per your styling and power needs in one go.
Clear combat and solid skills
Ever since I watched Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Review), no matter what Metroidvania game I tried, the combo has been a must for me. Well, the Astra Blade has nailed it in that department. You start off with a simple sword and some basic combos. You can also sometimes collect energy to complete your finishing moves. Additionally, you have the option of a finisher button to finish off certain enemies with a slash of your bionic tentacles.
Plus, you get more weapons down the line including a scythe, tentacles, or a giant hammer. Each weapon has its own fighting style that comes with different combinations. You can adapt to the enemy and quickly switch between them to never run out of moves in Astral Blade. hold on hold on. That is not the end.
From the skill tree menu, you can upgrade your active and passive abilities. These include Parry which helps you gain the upper hand against larger enemies, Quick Rise which lets you get up to fight right before you fall and much more.
The more you upgrade yourself, the stronger you will be. In the end, it is you who decides whether you want to complete the story or become stronger to fight the bosses easily. Well, if you still find it difficult then you can also remove the difficulty settings through three different settings.
Graphics and performance: cut ’em easy
While I’ve already mentioned that Awaken Astral Blade’s art is its soul, I’m glad to see that the graphics and performance are also faithful to it. i played the game 1080p high settings And I must say, my PC has never performed as smoothly as it did with this.
Astral Blade gave me a constant 165+ fps In every sequence, including combat. With virtually no stutter or lag issues, I can promise you that Awaken Astral Blade is perfectly optimized. Well, at least for PC. For more context, I played this game on:
My setup:
CPU: amd ryzen 5 3600
gpu:nvidia gtx 1650 super
to hit: 8×2 DDR4 RAM @ 3200 MHz
ssd: NVMe 512GB eData XPG
monitor:1080p@165Hz
More than the frames, it was how the battle latency felt. And honestly, each piece felt like I was the one delivering it right away. From the first scene to the last, I enjoyed every step. Be it the design, graphics quality, or performance, the game looked and felt good.
Well, I also tried 2k resolution and I was amazed. My GPU was not expected to run a 2k game so smoothly, but it did. That’s when I was convinced that Awaken Astral Blade could be one of the few well-optimized games we could get in 2024. At last eh?
Verdict: A rich mix of everything
Although we don’t have pricing details for Astral Blade, I can tell you that it will be worth every penny and then some. Tania’s art and the world of Horace Island will ensure that you are always amazed by the beauty and mystery. Additionally, the intense story you’ll uncover with Tania and the game’s numerous endings is a rare sight in the Metroidvania genre. I can guarantee you that there will be no right or wrong ending when the game ends.
Even if you’re not a fan of story games, the combat and level-up system will be enough to draw you in. The different Souls-like fighting elements constantly reminded me of our beloved game Hollow Knight. And when a game makes you remember the best of them, that title clearly deserves attention. So, if you’re wondering if you should get Awaken Astral Blade, I’d say it’s one of the best platformers I’ve played so far. Oh, and did I tell you, you can pet cats in the game?
And that’s it for our Astral Blade review. What do you think about the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
