Axiom Verge is a good game on its own, but the abundant comparisons and allusions to Metroid, particularly Super Metroid, make the game look weaker by comparison, and the attempts to emulate it only wound up making the game worse in my opinion.
A major problem is that AV has all the worst aspects of Super Metroid without the mechanics that would offset them. In Super Metroid, if there was a block you couldn't break or a door you couldn't open, item symbols or coloring made it very clear what was needed, so you wouldn't waste your time. But here there's no way of telling what upgrade you need to pass a certain obstacle, or if you've obtained it, so first-time players will wind up backtracking a LOT trying to find items that aren't there, and there are fewer shortcuts and no speed enhancement to help you. It's also tedious looking for secret items, because there's no equivalent to power bombs or the x-ray scope to expedite the process. The level design falls short as well. Super Metroid had very distinct designs and layouts for its rooms, but Axiom Verge's rooms all kind of blend together, and I only recall a few of them based on how frustrating I found them, such as a very tall one filled with laser-firing enemies which was a pain to navigate without taking damage. I enjoyed the game most when it distanced itself from Metroid, such as with the remote drone device rather than a morph ball, which was creative, fun, and useful.
The plot takes a while to get going and starts off a bit cliche: you're a scientist trapped on another world after a bizarre lab accident, trying to find your way out and learning what happened to this awful place. It's not very engaging at first, but the atmosphere is good and it's enough to keep you going. Though considering the protagonist isn't a silent one, you'd expect him asking more questions and showing more shock at the frankly disgusting things he's finding early on, even if he's only talking to himself. Which might be another misstep in trying to make the protagonist stoic like Samus, but I'm not certain how the character was intended to come across.
Overall, I'd still recommend it, and it's very impressive for a game made by one person, but don't let other reviews make you think you're buying the new Super Metroid.
Good on its own merits, but don't listen to the Metroid hype
Axiom Verge is a good game on its own, but the abundant comparisons and allusions to Metroid, particularly Super Metroid, make the game look weaker by comparison, and the attempts to emulate it only wound up making the game worse in my opinion.
A major problem is that AV has all the worst aspects of Super Metroid without the mechanics that would offset them. In Super Metroid, if there was a block you couldn't break or a door you couldn't open, item symbols or coloring made it very clear what was needed, so you wouldn't waste your time. But here there's no way of telling what upgrade you need to pass a certain obstacle, or if you've obtained it, so first-time players will wind up backtracking a LOT trying to find items that aren't there, and there are fewer shortcuts and no speed enhancement to help you. It's also tedious looking for secret items, because there's no equivalent to power bombs or the x-ray scope to expedite the process. The level design falls short as well. Super Metroid had very distinct designs and layouts for its rooms, but Axiom Verge's rooms all kind of blend together, and I only recall a few of them based on how frustrating I found them, such as a very tall one filled with laser-firing enemies which was a pain to navigate without taking damage. I enjoyed the game most when it distanced itself from Metroid, such as with the remote drone device rather than a morph ball, which was creative, fun, and useful.
The plot takes a while to get going and starts off a bit cliche: you're a scientist trapped on another world after a bizarre lab accident, trying to find your way out and learning what happened to this awful place. It's not very engaging at first, but the atmosphere is good and it's enough to keep you going. Though considering the protagonist isn't a silent one, you'd expect him asking more questions and showing more shock at the frankly disgusting things he's finding early on, even if he's only talking to himself. Which might be another misstep in trying to make the protagonist stoic like Samus, but I'm not certain how the character was intended to come across.
Overall, I'd still recommend it, and it's very impressive for a game made by one person, but don't let other reviews make you think you're buying the new Super Metroid.