Astral Chain (NSW) Review

Another Platinum hit.

 Astral Chain is the latest title from the legendary Platinum Games, makers of my favorite action games such as Bayonetta, Vanquish, and Metal Gear Rising. A Nintendo Switch exclusive, it's among the most anticipated games on the system right now. Following the adventure of a pair of twins, they must fight off an army of alien invasion that plans on wiping humanity. At first, I was since I wasn't too thrilled with Astral Chain after watching the trailers though I got around to getting it once I heard about the praise it's been receiving. Astral Chain seems to be Platinum's most ambitious game yet, so does it meet expectations? Let's find out.

 In the distant future, Earth is under attack by otherworldly creatures known as "Chimeras". With much of the human population decimated, a technologically advanced city-- The Ark-- is left as humanity's last bastion of hope. The story follows a pair of twins who've been recently enrolled into the police's special forces division called "Neuron", which deals with the chimera threats. As one of the twins, you must keep order in the Ark and combat the rising forces of the chimeras, all while being tangled in a much bigger grand scheme. I really liked the story as the characters and villains were great and the twists were unexpected, even though I could see some of them a mile away. The side characters such as your sister, Akira and your fellow Neuron partners were also interesting as the story fleshes out their personalities a bit. It sucks that the story went for a silent, emotionless protagonist as you that you can't relate nor sympathize with in the game's more emotional moments. Other than that, yeah the story was good though not what I would call a memorable one though I'm interested in a sequel to see where things would pick up after the ending.

The story's straightforward initially, but 

it quickly manages to pick up steam.

 Astral Chain is a hack-and-slasher where you control your character alongside their legion. Alone, you can shoot enemies with your gun or melee them with your unique "X-Baton". You can also dodge enemy attacks and if you time it at the right moment, can slowdown time to briefly counterattack. Upon unleashing your legion, it will fight automatically on its own, giving you a boost in combat. Keep in mind that you can't keep the legion out for too long otherwise it'll overheat and leave you in a bind. The legion packs some pretty cool tricks as the ability to bind chimeras and letting it pull you across the room, all by using the chain that connects both of you. As you progress further into the story, you'll gain access to more legions, each specializing in different attacks from fast long-range shots to more heavy melee punches. Legions can be upgraded by earning "gene codes" from defeated chimaeras. These allow your legions to unlock new fighting skills as well as increased attack and defense, which is pretty handy when you're facing some of the tougher bosses later in the game.

The gameplay is fast-paced and solid, as expected

from a Platinum title.

 Astral Chain's 12 chapters are surprisingly long and give you an opportunity to better explore the game's world. Being a police officer, you'll be doing some investigative work before heading off to fry some legions. Your "IRIS" system-- similar to the Batman Arkham games' Detective Vision-- will highlight points of interest and scan the area for clues to get digging. It's especially handy in combat since you get to see the boss' health meter, which is hidden in plain sight. Interestingly, the legion is a big help when it comes to investigations since it can eavesdrop on conversations as well as catching chimera scents. There's also some side-missions where you can help the citizens of the Ark and apprehend wanted criminals. 

 Some missions colored in red will have you neutralizing chimera threats either by destroying the gates they come out from or by going inside an interdimensional world called the "Astral Plane" , home of the chimeras. Here, you'll be doing some environmental puzzles with your legion such as jumping on moving floors, standing on switches, and moving large blocks to clear a way, the standard stuff. The tougher bosses and new enemy variety were among my favorite parts. Overall, the detective part of the game was more enjoyable than the actual combat at times since it felt way more involving and fun as you get to meet some really oddball people on the way.

Solve interdimensional puzzles with your trusty legion!

 In typical Platinum tradition, Astral Chain packs some impressive production values. The cel-shaded design of the character models and backgrounds perfectly complement the cyberpunk setting of the game. I really like the designs of the legions, which have that Neon Genesis Evangelion feel to them. The cinematics are fun to watch and the particle effects in-game were also impressive. That being said, some character animations looked stiff at times and the lip-syncing is a tad off, as characters dialogue doesn't often match up with their lip movement. Thankfully, the game runs well on a stable 30 FPS despite minor hiccups. The voice work is commendable with some great performances all-around. The soundtrack is plain awesome with many electronic tracks to enjoy, it's my favorite aspects of the game. Tracks such as "Task Force Neuron", "Astral Plane", "Ark Mall", and "Harmony Square Station" were great pieces as they captured the game's futuristic vibe.

Astral Chain just oozes with style.

 I'm happy to say that Astral Chain actually met my expectations as it was a fun experience. The story was engaging, the gameplay is top-notch, the presentation is among the best on the Switch. Of course, there are slight incentives to back after you're done with the game. These include finishing over 70 challenging post-game missions and collecting a bunch of stray cats in each of the main story files. Even some of the game's side quests can be outright elusive at times, like the chimera missions and corruption to clean. All in all, the game took me over 25 hours to beat, which is a decently long runtime for an action game. Platinum Games is on a roll as always and I can't wait for the upcoming Bayonetta 3. If you're a Switch owner whose looking for some fast and stylish action, then definitely check out Astral Chain.