Axiom Verge

Axiom Verge
Developer(s)	Thomas Happ Games
Publisher(s)	Thomas Happ Games
Composer(s)	Thomas Happ
Engine	Microsoft XNA(Windows) /MonoGame(non-Windows platforms)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 4,Linux,OS X,Windows,PlayStation Vita,Wii U,Xbox One,Nintendo Switch
Release	PlayStation 4 NA:March 31, 2015 PAL:April 20, 2015 Linux, OS X, Windows WW:May 14, 2015 PlayStation Vita NA:April 19, 2016 PAL:April 20, 2016 Wii U WW:September 1, 2016 Xbox One WW:September 30, 2016 Nintendo Switch WW:October 5, 2017
Genre(s)	Metroidvania
Mode(s)	Single-player

Axiom Vergeis ametroidvaniavideo game by American indie developer Thomas Happ. The game was originally released in March 2015 in North America and April 2015 in Europe and Australia forPlayStation 4.It was released in May 2015 forLinux,OS X,andWindows.APlayStation Vitaversion was released in April 2016. TheWii UandXbox Oneversions were released in North America and Europe in September 2016. ANintendo Switchversion was released in October 2017.

Gameplay

Pre-release screenshot ofAxiom Verge.The game's graphical style draws inspiration from theMetroidseries of video games.

Axiom Vergeis aside-scrolleraction-adventure gamewhere the player controls Trace, a scientist who, after suffering a crippling injury, wakes up in an ancient and high-tech world. The game focuses on action and exploration, and features over 60 items andpower-ups.The gameplay borrows elements from classic games such asMetroid,Contra,Blaster Master,andBionic Commando,among others.

Plot

After a lab explosion knocks him out, a scientist named Trace Eschenbrennerawakens on the alien world of Sudra. He hears a voice speaking to him and fights his way to the source: a massive, mechanical head named Elsenova.

After Trace activates a power filter to partially restore Elsenova, she explains that the universe consists of many worlds which are separated by a storm called the Breach. Long ago, a man named Athetos came to Sudra through the Breach and eradicated its people using a pathogen. The only survivors of the pandemic were the Rusalki, a race of mechanical giants like Elsenova.

Trace activates a legion of drones to repair the Rusalki completely. On his way to a Rusalka named Ophelia, Trace hallucinates and collapses. While unconscious, Trace remembers that after the lab explosion, he remained on Earth and published theories that were ridiculed by the scientific community, giving him the nickname "Athetos". Ophelia confesses Trace is in fact another clone of him at a younger age. Trace expresses distrust of the Rusalka and demands to talk to Athetos, but Elsenova responds by remotely killing Trace.

Ophelia revives Trace, and they make an agreement where the Rusalki will let Athetos live if Trace merely shuts down his Breach attractor. Trace finds Athetos, who reveals that Sudra was once the gateway to a highly advanced alien world. By the time Athetos arrived however, the Sudrans had ceased to understand their role and now guarded their technology with religious reverence. Athetos planned to bring this alien technology back to Earth regardless, so he exterminated the Sudrans so they could not obstruct him. However, the Rusalki's survival halted Athetos' plan. Rather than let such powerful enemies roam free in the universe, Athetos attracted the Breach so that they could not leave Sudra.

Trace decides to fight Athetos and destroys the Breach attractor with a fully restored Elsenova's help. However, Elsenova claims Athetos is too dangerous and breaks her promise by killing him. The Rusalki tell Trace they will now return him home, and forcibly put him to sleep.

Trace awakens back on Earth after the lab accident, finding history has been altered so that the explosion did not injure him. However, Trace develops an obsession with returning to Sudra and quits his job to research it. If the player ends the game with a high completion rate, just as Trace is about to succeed on his research, Athetos himself appears. He tells Trace it is "time to wake up", and shoots him.

Development and release

Axiom Vergeis anindependentproject byPetroglyph Gamesengineer Tom Happ, who has worked on games such asEnd of Nations,NFL Street,and theTiger Woods PGA Tourseries.Happ also worked on aGame Boy Advanceproject namedOrn,a smallMetroidfangame.He is the sole developer, artist, and musician of the game, and began work on it in March 2010 as a side project.

Analpha buildof the game was submitted to the 2012Dream Build Playchallenge on May 15.The game was originally expected to be released forMicrosoft WindowsandXbox 360in 2013,but was ultimately delayed. In 2014,Axiom Vergewas included in Indie Statik's list of Top 100 Most Anticipated Indie Games of 2014.In April 2014, it was announced thatAxiom Vergewould be released forPlayStation 4andPlayStation Vitain early 2015.On May 14, 2015,Axiom Vergewas released forLinux,Microsoft Windows,andOS X.The PlayStation Vita version of the game was released in North America on April 19, 2016, and in Europe the following day.

In March 2015, it was revealed that aWii Uversion had been initially considered, but was not possible at the time due to technical issues, particularly with the game's engine,MonoGame,lacking native support forNintendo's platform.However, Nintendo were interested in havingAxiom Vergecome to the Wii U.In March 2016, it was confirmed the game would finally arrive onWii U,and was slated for a September 1, 2016 release in North America and Europe.Thomas Happ originally intended to include an unlockableSamus Arancostume in theWii Uversion, but Nintendo did not approve.At one point, aNintendo 3DSversion ofAxiom Vergewas also considered.Thomas Happ stated after theNintendo Switchwas revealed that he hoped Nintendo would send him a developer kit so he could begin portingAxiom Vergeto the Switch.A port was later confirmed alongside the special, physicalMultiverse Edition.

In October 2015, Thomas Happ Games teamed up withIndieBox,a monthlysubscription boxservice, to create a custom-designed, physical release ofAxiom Verge.The limited, individually numbered, collector's edition included a flash drive with aDRM-freecopy of the game, official soundtrack, instruction manual,Steamkey, and several custom-made collectible items.High demand for this physical version caused the IndieBox website to crash.

Six years after its initial release,Axiom Vergereceived adownloadable contentupdate in 2021, featuring a new gameplay mode that randomizes item locations. The update was a collaboration between Happ andAxiom Verge'sspeedrunningcommunity, who had unofficially developed amodfor this game mode and were looking to officially add it to the game.

Multiverse Edition

In February 2017, Spanish game distributor BadLand Games announced they were collaborating with Thomas Happ to publishAxiom Vergeas a retail title. In addition to a standard retail release only for thePlayStation 4,a special, limitedAxiom Verge: Multiverse Editionwas to be available for the PlayStation 4,PlayStation Vita,andWii Uduring Q2 2017 in both North America and Europe. TheMultiverse Editionwould include a physical copy of the game, a deluxe booklet with developer commentary and art, a double-sided poster, and a making-of documentary onBlu-ray(initially announced as being on a DVD). BadLand Games expected to announce theMultiverse Editionfor other platforms later on.In June 2017, it was confirmed that theMultiverse Editionwas going to release worldwide in the following August, and will also be available for theNintendo Switchwith exclusive soundtrack CD.However, the release was delayed to October 17, 2017.That date was not kept either, and ultimately the Multiverse Edition was released on November 21, 2017, in North America. The European release happened on January 29, 2018.A physical edition of theWii Uversion was distributed byLimited Run Gameson March 29, 2019.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	PS4: 84/100 PC: 80/100 VITA: 78/100 WIIU: 89/100 XONE: 85/100 NS: 87/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Destructoid	7.5/10
Game Informer	9.25/10
GameRevolution
GameSpot	8/10
Giant Bomb
IGN	7.9/10

The game received generally favorable reviews upon release, with praise particularly directed to its setting, weapons, boss battles, control, upgrades and secrets featured. Aggregating review websiteMetacriticgave thePlayStation 4version 84/100 based on 61 reviews.

Jeff GerstmannfromGiant Bombgave the game a perfect score, praising its huge variety of weapons, as well as its rewarding and worthwhile upgrades. He also praised the game for encouraging players to reach 100% completion, the audio and visuals for evolving in meaningful ways while being similar to those of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Regarding the difficulty of the game, he stated that it "makes things challenging without making them overtly frustrating". He summarized the review by saying that "If you've ever been into this sort of action-adventure game,Axiom Vergeis positively terrific. "

Peter Brown fromGameSpotgave the game an 8/10 rating, praising its high replay value, surprising and rewarding story, occasionally breathtaking scenery as well as the setting, which he stated "instills a strong mixture of curiosity and dread". The game's secrets, large selection of weapons and soundtracks were also praised. He also particularly praised one of the weapons featured, the Address Disruptor, calling it "one of the most interesting weapons or tools that I've ever seen in a game." He summarized the review by saying that "Axiom Vergeis a game that's easy to fall in love with because it hits so many high notes. It takes theMetroidvaniamodel and adds layers of ingenuity that are in a league all of their own. It's not a stretch to say that Axiom Verge is better than the games that inspired it, because it's so inventive and thoughtfully crafted. "

Marty Sliva fromIGNgave the game a 7.9/10. While praising its satisfying character progression, challenging boss encounters, responsive control and great sense of movement and combat, he criticized the forgettable story, characters that can't be related to and the map-design, which never evolves throughout the game and discourages exploration. He added that the game doesn't have enough distant and memorable regions. He also criticized the game for being too familiar with theMetroidseries and for lacking a clear objective.

Entertainment Weeklymagazine has rated the game "A−"and figured the game on its "The 10 Best Games of 2015" list.

Thomas Ella ofHardcore Gamergave the game a 4/5 and described it as "a 2D side-scrolling game with a vast, open world divided into distinct rooms, an array of weapons and power-ups and a map screen laid out in a grid for easy tracking of where you've been and where you might need to go next."

In a review ofAxiom VergeinBlack Gate,Matt Drought said "Axiom Vergeis a blast to play. It is worthy successor to carry on the mantle of games past. Journeying through the world of Sudra, fighting enemies, exploring new areas, and gathering new weapons with different powers is very enjoyable. The game challenges you to survive this world filled with enemies and traps trying to kill you, and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, especially after defeating a particularly hard Boss. As a sole developer, Thomas Happ has created a game that brings the player in with great gameplay, an interesting premise, and a fantastic soundtrack. "

Awards

List of awards and nominations

Award	Category	Result	Ref.
The Game Awards 2015	Best Independent Game	Nominated

Sequel

Main article:Axiom Verge 2

During the 2019 Indie World presentation, Happ revealed that a sequel is in development, titledAxiom Verge 2,and was planned to release forNintendo Switchin fall 2020.In October 2020, it was announced that the game was delayed to the first half of 2021. In May 2021, the game was then delayed to Q3 2021.The game was released on August 11, 2021.

External links

• Official website