Multiplayer: Y | Year issued: 2019
I was on the phone about The Astral Chain from the day the first trailer came out to a good few hours of gameplay. It all feels very familiar, almost a numbers-by-numbers translation of an action game. I didn’t have to worry so much, as it is one of the first titles to come from PlatinumGames, the developer behind the Bayonetta series, in recent years.
In the future when the world is constantly attacked by creatures that exist on another plane of life, you play as an officer in a special force that faces this threat. The gimmick of the game is that you can control these creatures to become Legions that you use in battle. Encounters play with you controlling both your character and the Legion at the same time to take on waves of hordes and larger, more challenging enemies. As well as fighting, you will use your Legion(s) to solve crimes and cross territories.
The Astral Chain it sticks closely to the cycle of detective work, platform puzzles and combat – too closely, if I’m critical – with the game divided into cases that act as chapters. The story starts off well enough but quickly descends into a mix of various anime tropes, including twists and arcs ripped from other more popular games and films. However, the minute-by-minute gameplay is enough to keep you engaged in the massive 20-hour or so campaign and the all-important end-game content.
Is it The Astral Chain to reach higher places Nier: Automata? No, it’s not, but its combat and environment can often surpass that game, which is probably my favorite of this generation. Usually available for less than $50 these days, it’s worth your while.
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