Console games on platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox often seem to be dominated by big titles coming from AAA studios, while indie games can fall into the background. However, that doesn’t mean that incredible indie games aren’t available on these platforms. Often there are just as many available as there are for PC and Switch players, but players just aren’t exposed to them in the same way. One of the games that may have slipped by unnoticed is Axiom Guardian 2.
Released in 2021, Axiom Guardian 2 is a Metroidvania game that was developed by Thomas Happ Games. In this game, players take on the role of a billionaire woman who receives a mysterious message from an unknown source, telling her to go to Antarctica if she ever wants to see her missing daughter again. It’s currently listed as a free PS Plus game for January, so newcomers may be wondering if the game is worth their time.
Axiom Verge 2 combines retro elements with modern appeal
Like many indie Metroidvania games, a lot of Axiom Guardian 2 will appeal to gamers who enjoy titles from the 1980s and 1990s. These retro titles include Metroid of course but also Blaster Master and Bionic Commando. Being classified as a Metroidvania means that a game is focused on traveling through a map to obtain items and abilities that will help the player open up even more of the map. Axiom Guardian 2 definitely hits those points as it is focused on action, exploration and getting power-ups that allow the player to take down enemies.
IN Axiom Guardian 2, the player also moves between two parallel dimensions while exploring the in-game world, as it is often necessary to move through one dimension to get through the other. Both environments shown in these parallel dimensions are quite different, with one being larger, more natural and similar to Earth, while the other is more digitized and can only be accessed via a drone. Perhaps fitting for these two worlds, the player can also attack enemies by hacking them, along with using weapons such as axes and boomerangs.
Don’t just do it Axiom Guardian 2 have high-quality gameplay in an engaging world ready for players to explore, but it also changes the formula typical of Metroidvanias by making most of the bosses you encounter optional. If they wish, players can bypass them without any consequences to their progression. The game also has an interesting narrative that balances an emotional story centered on a parent-child relationship with interesting science fiction elements and moral dilemmas. Like other Metroidvanias, included Metroid itself, which has multiple endings depending on the time it takes the player to complete the story, Axiom Guardian 2 also features a secret ending that unlocks a short post-credit scene if the player completes the game with at least 80% of the total items collected.
Despite being a sequel, the story is in Axiom Guardian 2 is independent and feels like a full-fledged narrative. Although it reveals more details about the universe of the games introduced in the first, each game can be played without knowledge of the other. Players should not be put off by the fact that it is a sequel to enjoying this game.
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