Astral Chain - Easy Allies Review
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2019
- Despite a meager story, Astral Chain is still packed with incredible action.
Written by Ben Moore
Video Edited by Brandon Jones
Reviewed on Switch
Available on Switch
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#EasyAllies #AstralChain #Review - Hry
I hope Astral Chain gets into Smash, so we can have a legit JoJo battle against Joker.
Kono Joker Dah!
Joker: "oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away you're getting closer?"
Akira: "I cant arrest you if I dont get closer"
My number one choice for Smash... Kazuma motherflippin Kiryu :). I would buy that fighter pass in a heartbeat.
Im 15hrs in and I agree whole heartedly with this review. Story is basic but the world and combat is amazing. Thank you Ben for talking about MGS Rising, which no review mentionned when its an obvious inspiration (way more than nier or bayonetta)
Terence Caron the story is back heavy. The ending is bonkers
I'm on about File 10 and I'm finding the story very engaging, although the *world* is the even more engaging imo.
Well the story is anime 101 story telling, but then they shifted gear to high hell in the last quarter of the game.
Actually, I feel like Astral Chain took a but from every game Platinum has ever made. Theres some Revengeance, some NiER, some Wonderful 101... this to me was the culmination of Platinum's efforts throughout the years.
Really looking forward for this to become a trilogy.
I hope so
YESS
I'm loving Astral Chain. The little chores mentioned here, I actually enjoy them for some reason. Before release, those were my initial worries, but I ended up having fun with them.
i fell liberated picking up cans and throwing them in the bin. XD
@@LinksRoyal When throwing trash away is made fun, you know the game's good.
I finally got around to finishing it this past weekend (even though I've had it since launch). This is probably tied with Fire Emblem Three Houses for my GOTY.
Good review. I just started this today, the physical copies were sold out everywhere and it took a while to get hold of one.
Admit it Ben, deep down you wanted to give this a 9! Haha great review man, love your work. Great edit by Jones as well!
Not a single mention of the fantastic soundtrack. Really?
Or the visuals really...meh
Soundtrack is meh to me although it's hard to compare to niers
TooFast00: I love easy allies but they rarely go into any detail about a games soundtrack, it's been an annoyance of mine since the gametrailer days.
This game rules. It's probably my favorite game of the year so far.
A bit of a gripe probably has to do with Blue Cases in File 6, which disappeared randomly as I progressed even though I could still access the areas. It was kinda annoying.
The music in this game is really great. Along with everything else.
Been waiting for you to review this! Thanks.
Very fair review Ben. I'm kind of in the same boat of 7.5-8/10. I think it's good, but not great. Combat is fun, but the story and side missions aren't the greatest. Games like DMC5 and Bayonetta are so good at engaging you throughout the entire mission and it makes replaying missions a lot of fun because of the intensity. But in AC, most missions feel like a drag and there is a good chunk of down time between fights which can make it a bit of a slog. I do enjoy the game, but it's no where near my favorite Platinum game.
Same here, for a first game in what will hopefully become a trilogy it is pretty good, but the sequels have a lot to improve from here on out. Especailly the combat, i kinda wish Platinum would move away from the more style over substance combat systems like in Automata and Astral Chain and would focus on atually balancing them. I know a lot of people will be impressed by it just like they were probably impressed by Automatas or FFXVs combat system, but i just can't really get used to combat systems where you can just turn off your brain and cool things happen.
Confirmed. I'm not getting this game.
This about where I'm at. The story is the only part of the game that's not outstanding to me (and some of the side missions to be fair), but it's not bad. I'm about 3/4's through and I want to see how it ends, but I'm not expecting it to knock my socks off. I think the telling aspect is, so far, this game doesn't have any true breakout characters like Bayonetta does for example. The main characters are fine but pretty standard for this type of game and the side characters are just kind of there.
I'd definitely recommend the game to people who like Platinum or action in general, but I wouldn't expect it to become their new favorite. I am hoping there will be follow-ups like the devs were hoping for as this is the most fun I've had with an action game in a long time. I'm not very good at them in general as I just can't memorize a ton of combos, but AC's combat is structured in such a way that I actually feel kinda good at it. XD
Devil May Cry 5 is so boring and dated, it's a basic hack and slash and nothing more; Bayonetta was the same but 10 years ago, when hack and slash were already struggling to not feel dated. Astral Chain is a lot more dynamic and the downtime definitely adds to the experience, especially because you don't HAVE to do any of the more boring side tasks.
@@FuzzyDlop I feel like you're the same type of person that would say Assassin's Creed innovates with every release... I think you just don't like action games, there's nothing dated about the titles you listed. How do you feel about fighting game sequels, stale as well?
If Ben played the game I have to assume that every time he used the Arm Legion he went "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!".
Wow, that was a harsher take on the story/world than I was expecting and I'm not sure I fully agree, but I can respect your opinion nonetheless.
Great review Ben, as much as I love Astral Chain and consider it my GOTY so far I can totally understand your gripes about the story, from my point of view the game deserves praise for bringing an innovative approach to the Action genre and, to be fair, I felt engaged enough with some of the main characters that they made me apreciate the story too. Just a heads up: I wish you mentioned the sountrack because it's simply badass.
Not sure if this game deserves GOTY for its action combat. The combat mechanics of the player character seems very boring and controlling the Legion seems to be streamlined and limited. Of course just like Nier Automata Platinum tried to create a game with so many more layers than just the action here whether it is all the RPG elements, puzzles or side quests like the cases, so it probably wouldn't be fair to compare it with pure action games like Devil May Cry V.
@@weaverquest seem?...oh so you havent played it for yourself then :), there's a lot more to it then the basic attacks with ur different x baton weapons, theres sync attacks(which can have extra sync attacks u can do, like for example of ur using ur baton and the sword legion, if u do a spin attack it leads to a sync attack, which leads to another sync attack, and then to another, thefed basically different sync combos depending on ur weapon and legion that ur using), spin attacks, and also ones where u move the stick back and then forward(just a little flick basically, oh and these also lead to sync attacks which can go to other sync attacks lol) all of which are different moves for each legion, then theres the legion abilities...which add so much depth as well like being able to use 2 legions at once ;0 lol, which u can do by giving a hit rush ability to one of ur legions, and then u can switch to another legion and use that one while ur unchainled legion is attacking aswell...if most of what I said didnt make sense then its because theres quite a bit of depth that u need to see for yourself lol, and I didnt really mention all of it either 🤣
@@weaverquest Maybe play the game then you'll be sure if it's a GOTY contender or not.
@@lum1notryc828 Please for the love of all that is pure use full stops, I almost died of exhaustion reading that.
10/10 and im not even a platinum games die hard fan. Simply astounding what has been accomplished on switch and I love the rhythm and pace of the game... Every missions starts of with normal police work and escalates and escalates. The game feels like a series of endings as a result. Took me 33 hours as I wanted to see everything and I still have so much to unlock. So much style and once you start to unlock abilities and chain combos oh boy is it super satisfying. Can't think of a better game released this year. Though I still have control to play... Just put off by the performance issues on pro.
Thanks, gents! Fantastic work as always!
Solid score. I love Platinum and like the game for what it is.
Solid review Ben. Nice work
The combo of Jones/Hinck and Moore/Bloodworth is so damn beautiful it always deserves an upvote.
Rescuing Cats. That's a "10" in my book.
A "9", "10" for dogs.
I thought you could pet them. Doesn’t seem to be the case from what I can tell, and I’m halfway through the game.
@@mrshmuga9 BUT!!...you can wear it on your head
@@mrshmuga9 you cam feed them.
Stupid things amuse stupid people.
Great review Ben!
Not gonna lie, I expected this to be out LAST Friday lol; love your reviews
Been waiting for a minute for this.
This game reminds me a lot "Chaos Legion" from Ps2 and PC, awesome game!!
they are both same in term of what?
Oh yeah I member!
@@qifatrahunt541 In the mechanic of working with a legion to fuck up some enemies
Awesome review ben
how long the duration of this game?
Wow, this is probably one of the few times I really disagree with an EZA review. Not that this is a bad score at all, but hearing Ben say that this has no potential to become a classic and that the story is weak seems odd to me, since I personally was extremely surprise at how much I cared about the main characters (the twins) and their relationship to their father as well as their back story. The cutscenes were extremely well done and I was just playing Control before, and compared to Control (which EZA praised the story and characters of) I felt way more connected and engaged in the story of Astral Chain. Control was a weird mess for me. Astral Chain was very interesting and super stylish. I was never a big fan of Platinum games, but this game is easily the best thing Platinum has ever created, with a super unique combat style and very varied gameplay (Actions scenes compared with Detective work and characters interaction). I think this deserves a 9 and should be in GOTY discussions.
The best game Platinum has ever created !? You are a 🤡
@@legsweep4268 while your the entire circus
All FACTS bruh. Im starting to think some ppl are intentionally trying to score this game lower than it should be. But no worried this will definitely be a GOTY contender front runner
@@legsweep4268 I don't think it's THE best, but I think it's among them for sure. This game runs on all cylinders and it shows. I really think its up there with Bayonetta 1 & 2. I'd say Nier as well, but I'll be honest when I say Automata is more of a Yoko Taro game to me than a Platinum game.
I have to completely disagree on the story. It's incredibly hard to care about the characters in this game with the astonishingly poor English VA coupled with their 1-note personalities. Everything seemed generic and distracting. Thank god for the levity that Marie and the droid provide, as without those the game would be utterly devoid of good VA and genuine fun from it's narrative. Coming directly off the back of FE:TH, it's a huge shift in quality which makes it even harder to acclimate to. It doesn't help that even though I respect and understand the depth of the combat, I just plain do not find it fun to play.
I love astral chain it’s really awesome and badass
Does anyone know how this game runs on a switch lite?
like butter
Agree 100% with the review. I see many people suggesting that Astral Chain is a candidate for game of the year and that an 8 is too low. If a category for best combat system existed I would support this game for the category 100%, but it has a couple problems in other areas and in my opinion that kind of takes the GOTY award away. I still love the game and have enjoyed it enormously but storywise it’s a little bit weak at certain moments (parts of the ending either make no fucking sense or are way too anime just for the sake of being anime).
Well the story is a over the top anime rofl just watching the intro you know you are in for a tropey anime story.
Great review Ben! I enjoyed my initial playthrough, but unfortunately all the downtime beats inherent in the campaign make replays a little bit harder to deal with. While that change of pace is nice the first time through, it certainly drags the experience down on replay, especially since the story is lackluster. Fun game though, would recommend to those looking for a Platinum fix.
Exactly how is the story lackluster. Don’t state that objectively as there are plenty who disagree.
@@Zabikin11 fr
Thank you Ben and Brandon. Also special thanks to Bloodworth just because he’s cool
I actually enjoy the chores since they provide exp. if it weren’t then yeah I’ll would have hate them to to the point of ignoring
Does anyone remember the game Chaos Legion? This reminds me so much of that! It must be the same people who made it!
Nope... this was made by platinum games
@@lum1notryc828 You know Platinum is composed of former Capcom employees, don't you?
Definitely my GOTY.
Story as always is subjective many people loved it many found it meh. But one thing that all agree is the amazing combat (that is the core of the game) and over all great gameplay.
Making a game in 2019 that feels and plays like nothing else is a major achievement. It makes other action games feel really lazy.
vines that butter my croissant
finally! :D
My game of the year right here.
I'm near the end and I find the story ok, if not amazing. Overall I really like the game, my only gripe is that the boss fights become a little repetitive as do the side quests. I've fought that homunculus about 4 times - a variation on the same fight.
Also, if they don't appear before the end again, Kyle and the Hermits are criminally underused characters.
SPOILER Yeah those were also some of my complaints. Repetitive enemy designs that ultimately just have different colors, health, and status gimmicks. I was hyped to hear that groups like the Hermits existed and were curious to what they did in such a cool world, but was devastated that they were just a one time plot point. The whole plot just feels segmented and you just aren't given enough time and opportunities to get to know the characters.
@@pluna3382 Agreed. I still haven't finished the main story so I can't say anything about that, but while a really good game that I'd recommend to anyone who's on the fence, I agree with Easy Allies that a few changes could have made it a real classic.
Kyle is such an awesome-looking character and there was so much potential to create an ongoing story thread with him. He seems almost like a Robin Hood character, but his motivations are barely explored.
I hope they address and improve on these things for Astral Chain 2.
Kyle was one of the most memorable characters for me despite being around for a very short amount of time in the game. it might just be his character design (which i love, alot), but i really wish i saw more of him, i felt like he just kinda faded out of the story.
Persona+MGRising+Wonderful101
I just have to ask the voice over work is this the same guy who used to review games for gametrailers.com?
@@EasyAllies cool! I thought as much
I think the controls can be kind of hectic to get used to, especially at the beginning. Using the Sword Legion ability can be kind of clunky in particular especially during combat. Still, it's a fine game, just far from other PlatinumGames releases like Nier Automata and especially the two Bayonetta games.
I dont get it, nier automata's atmosphere felt dead, the combat was fine, so wtf... I think you didnt learn the combat in this game well enough lol
@@lum1notryc828 Well, it was intentionally dead. Earth is in ruins. Whereas the colony of Ark is much livelier in Astral Chain. I just never cared about any of the characters and the acting was just okay. And I have learned the combat, in fact once chapter 5 kicks in it does get better in terms of combos to string, but it doesn't have similar levels of finesse. You can disagree all you want, but I never said the game is bad, I just prefer the other two better.
@@lum1notryc828 the Sword Legions slash ability is very clunky and needs work, it feels off and slows everything down when you're needing to rush but can't because the mark won't go in the direction you push the analog in and instead have to rotate it just to get it to align properly.
Every time I boot this up and venture into the menu systems my brain crashes.
I would honestly give it the same score, maybe even a 7.5. It's quite good but definitely not as amazing as so many people make it out to be lately. The sequels can hopefully improve on a lot of things, especially the combat balance. It has the same problems as Automata, it all looks flashy and it will impress people because of that but just like in Automata the balance is pretty bad in favour of being stylish. Great OST though, probably my favourite part of the game.
Exactly, some people are overhyping this game a bit too much.
@@unversedhero6028 or some like it more than others...
@@TonyJenn If those people truly liked it they would properly point out the flaws so that Platinum could improve the next game. A real fan is and should be harsher critic towards the thing they like with hope for improvement, blind praise doesn't help anyone.
@@unversedhero6028 This and it especially happens with Nintendo games or certain fanbases like Final Fantasy. For them criticizing a game automatically means not liking it for some reason. I could criticize some of my favourite games of all time. Just blindly defending and accepting everything just leads to worse games in the future.
And no i'm not saying people are allowed not allowed to like the game more than me, but i had to point it out because otherwise people would probably get that idea.
@@TonyJenn here we go interjecting your opinions on other people about a game! I think you are right about the game. Other people just like to rain on other people fun!lol
Those menus look nier inspired
I think having a silent protagonist was a really bad choice and hurt the story. Overall I loved it though :).
SPOILER It breaks my suspension of disbelief a lot when you have one twin that talks a bunch but loses their legion and can't fight very well and one twin who never talks but has super special protagonist plot armor and fight skills with his legion
@@chuckbatmangaming I just felt there were so many moments in the story when something crazy or distressing occurred and it seemed so dumb that my character didn't respond at all.
A lot of games have been making that mistake recently.... Daemon X Machina, Fire Emblem... I cant stand silent protagonists now
@@reed1645 at the very least the protagonist in Astral Chain reacts. I still have flashbacks of Pokemon Sun and Moon's soulless protagonists that were always ALWAYS smiling.
@@ArynBacklogDragon lol it feels like a real wasted opportunity in astral chain though as the story actually is very good.
It didn't bother me so much in fire emblem as the leader of my house kind of acted as the protagonist.
It's just a very Japanese style of game design which works fine in jrpgs like dragon quest but not so much in an action game like astral chain.
Have you played daemon x machina out of curiosity? I was really hyped for it but it sounds like it's a bit too repetitive and has a bad story.
I'm buying this game... TADAY
Bought this game yesTDAY!
dat bubble ass tho
Ben's words here about Astral Chain echo my feelings toward Mirror's Edge Catalyst.
The core gameplay is there and is fun.
Its predecessor is a game I love, but also one that went under appreciated for being interpreted as too linear.
And while Catalyst does open things up, the tasks are menial and annoying; it also failed to present me a story I could care about and believe was connected in any way to the world I was exploring.
FINALLY
So pretty much akin to platinum's transformers game.
I guess it makes sense since bayonetta 3 is their bigger budget game rn until a nier sequel or babylon's fall.
Tramsformses game?...lmao tf, just cuz the legions are wearing armour?...ignorant ass
CEREZA!,!!
The only ones i trust when it's coming down to game reviews. Keep up with the good work!
I don't think there is a single review that doesn't lead with the neuron HQ music =P
Not suprised about the story. None of Platinum's games otuside of Nier Automata have well written stories. But Nier having a good story is only because Yoko Taro wrote, as it's a part of his game universe. Platinum just simply gave the story a vehicle to ride in.
The story is actually good, it’s like watching an anime. Maybe that’s the reviewers issue, which I’d say is a personal one.
@@Zabikin11 Ah, well then that doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Eh, I really enjoyed Wonderful 101's story. It feels like a great big love letter to saturday morning cartoons.
@@agt_pendergast8899 Oh yeah. They did make that. I honestly forgot. But I also never got to play it. Heard it was good.
I'm sorry Ben, but the real reason this game is an 8 is simply because it needed more Kyle, lol. I loved that character. But if its gonna be a trilogy, well then...can I play as Kyle in the next one? Please?
Yeah... Kyle was great but he was gone as soon as he showed up.
*SPOILERS*
V
V
How cool would've been if he was the one Hal took us to after we deserted Neuron? Instead of that one random building we could've been in the Hermit's main base.
@@ArynBacklogDragon Yes!
Definitely my Goty so far, just ahead of DMC5 just because it's so fresh and original.
I'm actually the opposite, as much as I liked the combat here, I never thought it came close to touching the complexity, depth, and focus of DMC5 and how much I enjoyed it. I also felt like all the menial stuff between combat sections stretched for far too long and completely killed any desire to go back and try and s+ missions, when in DMC5 I immediately did so for every difficulty.
@@LastCommander oh DMC has way better combat, and I spent near 150 hours S ranking all difficulties. Just was still a Devil May Cry game as opposed to a fresh new IP that has room to grow in sequels as well.
Probably won't be replaying Astral Chain the same way I played DMC5 nonstop for 3 months, but Astral Chain felt so fresh despite being less polished.
@@beetlehorn I definitely feel like it could be goty quality in a sequel if they refine and improve on it, much like how dmc5 did with that series
Yikes.
Totally agree. Great review. Im suprised you didnt mention the easy default difficulty. Seasoned gamers will want to up the difficulty
Compared to how I remember Bayonetta 1 and 2, I think PT Standard on this still felt a little easier than those. Not too mention the deluge of items you have access to.
The default ain't the classic bayo 1 standards...
jolly
Uh-oh! Brandon has a cold again...
your review are very important to me... i just wish you could release them a little bit sooner when the games come out
cool.
Love this game. Love it. But I agree on your point about the story. It's VERY predictable and was basically given away in the game's first trailer.
I honestly believe that's done on purporse. Hell, a bunch of twists are given away in its anime-like opening.
It's basically what the game was trying to be, and I feel it works in that context.
How every reviewer uses the same music. 😁
The narrator sounded like the guy from Gametrailers.com?
The only thing that urked me was dodging. It works fine with 1 or 2 enemies but get's annoying to do with a larger group.
You gotta think dude, just use ur axe legion and press the L button, or use ur axe legions ability where it gives u 3 shields
I had that problem too, and what I eventually decided to do that helped a lot when faced with a large group was the chain jump they teach you early on. Send your legion through, then pull yourself to it while hitting some dudes along the way.
Its not designed like bayo dodging. You still get hit if you couldn’t avoid the attack
Axe legion, perfect dodging, perfect call. Lots of options.
I feel an 8 is too high. The controls with your legion are fiddly. The investigations are way too uninteresting and a lot of the environments are kinda bland at times.
Fiddly? You mustve not played anywhere over 15 hours 😂
"environments are kinda bland"
just imagine
Okay Platinum, now make a JoJo adventure game please. ;)
You can pat your beast legion, you rescue cats, you make sick combos, the graphics are phenomenal, traversal actions are cool and some boss fights have you use legions you dont normally use. GOTY contender.
wait a sec
you can pet the beast legion?!
@@martymcfly5013 yeah, summon it and press A while facing him (don't remember if you had to hold ZL) but you can totally do it.
You forgot about Bel.
Game is way easier than the Bayonettas. Sword Legion popping its spin ability ASAP will get you S+ all day with very few and specific exceptions.
That Sword Circle ability ships damahe like there is no tomorrow lol
Way easier? Idk bout that, especially with platinum ultimate..it gave me sooo much trouble on the Noah fight alone, not to mention the post gam cases lol
My god... the sound engineer of Easy Allies is on a fucking another level.
The sound quality in a simple car sound system is fucking awesome, specially the audio from program's openings.
Great review, I don't really agree with the stuff on the story but I do agree with pretty much everything else. A few particular missions feel extremely long for no real reason, and I was ignoring any side-cases that didn't seem like they'd have combat in them by the last third of the game. I feel as if Americans (I am one) are expecting this narrative to have something to say because it revolves around being an officer, but I don't really understand that expectation. I don't think Astral Chain ever claimed it had something to say. I just don't really get the deep digging for more meaning in something that isn't trying to have that to begin with. For what it is I think the story is a nice piece, nothing special but I wasn't disappointed by it either. Since you guys do half points now, using your scale I'd likely give it an 8.5.
I'm pretty sure seeking a deeper meaning is based on Nier having so much to say, and not because of expectations based on current social issues
@@apictureoffunction I don't understand that either though. Automata is basically an outlier for Platinum. The director of Astral Chain was only the gameplay director for Automata. This wasn't written or directed by Yoko Taro like that was, so I don't understand why this should be held to that standard.
That said, I have seen Americans also shitting on Astral Chain's story almost entirely because it's not commentating on American police brutality. Despite being a Japanese game, made by Japanese people.
@@TinyPrinceGames I'm an American and I apologize for our collective stupidity.
I think the main problem here is that a lot of people don't know who writes and directs the games they play, they don't know who Yoko Taro or Hideki Kamiya are, which is a damn shame. I mean I know far too many "gamers" who don't even know the difference between a developer and a publisher. Not to mention just how much entitlement there is in the gaming community as a whole. People seem to forget that games ARE an art form, and that the people who create them do it because they like to, and for developers who actually care about the medium, it's not simply just a commodity.
@@apictureoffunction I'm American too, so no worries my dude. I just take issue because Ben does know this game has a different writer and director yet still seems to put an unfair expectation on Astral Chain's narrative. I mean if the story didn't hit for him then that's totally fair, it just feels as if it's being put to expectations that really have no foundation.
@@TinyPrinceGames having not played it yet (I plan on buying this next month as well as Smash Bros), I can't really make a judgement call on the narrative. But a lot of people seemed to really like it, and in any case, the gameplay has been pretty much universally lauded and the length seems to be pretty decent, so even if the story isn't perfect I don't think that'll damper my enjoyment of the game
If you own a Switch, buy this game!
They just need some good writers man, the gameplay is solid. Oh and maybe someone who can work out that camera a little better.
I still consider this my personal GOTY despite understanding what gripes others may have. But Idk even though I sometimes dread having to do the blue side cases with no combat, I find myself surprisingly charmed more often than not.
I genuinely love this game over DMC 5 and that game’s been a son to me. Yes, DMC 5 has some of the best combat to go around but Astral Chain also has tons of combat options and a story with characters I’ve come to love alot. Especially Lappy.
Overall 5/10 It’s got alot of nothing for no one
DMC5's characters and story are a million times better though. Wtf lol
SuntoryKick glad you like DMC 5’s story that much and while it was definitely satisfying, Astral Chain’s just hit the right notes for me
@@Gundamseeddabest 5/10 0_0
Had to quit it.
Usually I'm doing okay with character action-games (DMC/Nier/GoW) but the controls in this game feel convoluted with the necessity to constantly switch between legions + attack- and traversal-modes. I got the beast-legion and constantly fell off platforms because this thing is navigating with only 2 meter-leaps in any direction. So yeah, I just suck I guess and there's no subtantial story or interesting characters to keep my hooked tbh.
Don't get me wrong - when everything clicks it's awesome, but I'm struggling more with this than I did with Sekiro.
"the narrative has nothing of consquence to say..." WRO...i mean Objection. I got Vaati on this game and I found a lot! Astral Chain is a game that keeps on giving if you keep and open mind and take your time. Platinum is back and they haven t lost their weird but thoughtful touch. Kudos
A little late with the reviews. Astral Chain is awesome. Still waiting for the Gears 5 review!
Not their fault they weren't provided with the game on time idk
7.8 - Too much Evangelion.
GOTY contender
It's a hard choice for me for best Platinum Game. It's either Nier Automata or Astral Chain. Both amazing games.
Nier is better by quite a bit for me.
@@InFiiLtRaTor Neir is definitely a masterpiece level game. The story alone is a work of art.
Dang, surprised at the score. One of the few EZA reviews I have found myself disagreeing with a lot. This game was easily a 9+ for me. 7/10 story with 11/10 combat and given the style of game, I put a lot more weight on the combat. I found the mission structure and side stuff to be an asset to the game, as it provides a lot of context and buildup for the fights that winds up making them more enjoyable when they do happen. If the game was cut down to mostly the fighting sections, I definitely would have enjoyed it less. I felt a similar thing with Three Houses, where splitting up the combat with other gameplay actually made me more invested in the core gameplay. Also, one of the best soundtracks of 2019.
The story is for sure the weakest aspect of the game BUT what makes it awesome is the way its presented through cutscenes. The voice acting is especially great
Except Jin's lines during the combat tutorial. Idk why the director decided that the VA needed to unnaturally nuance some of the mechanics like you were a preschooler. Other than that I pretty much agree.
I do feel like its a Platinum classic, i need to go deeper into the combat mechanics a bit more, but so far i feel like is the best action game since Bayonetta 2, and thats saying something.
Not in a world where DMC5 exists.
@@SuntoryKick subjective opinions, etc, etc.
@@SuntoryKick hahaha...no
@@lum1notryc828 Not enough fluff side quests?
I want this on the ps4 damn it!!!
Completely agree with this one. People are whining that you guys aren't giving this GOTY or 10/10s, but such people hardly push games to their boundaries. It's because I know Platinum games could do better that we need to criticize fairly. The story is definitely not great. Having anime levels of spectacle and awe still needs good narrative to carry it through. It's funny considering that said people should know that being able to invest in your characters is also important (which the game seriously lacks). Although I commend the devs for putting such a fluid action experience on the Switch, there were a bunch of flaws with the combat system and technicalities (constantly fighting the camera, damned if you get hit at all, etc). Before anyone accuses me of not playing the game, I completed the story with 30+ hrs and on avg ranked S+ on cases. I still had a less than optimal experience and i experienced these problems the worst during the challenges cases at the end of the game.
Don't be complacent and fear a game won't be appreciated. We will never get better games with that sort of insecure mentality.
Didn't even mention the music SMH, I feel like that alone is enough to bump it up to a 9.
Definitely not. Music was good, but Astral Chain is inferior to Nier Automata in almost every way. This game's solid, but not fantastic.
@@michaelfrost3357 Well I disagree strongly but that's the wonderful thing about opinions, we're all entitled to them and I respect yours.
@@anxiousmasochist3423 Sure, disagreeing is totally fine as long as it's respectfully done.
@@michaelfrost3357 I respectfully agree XD
I disagree a bit on this one, Ben.
Story aside, which is pretty predictable anime-ish, I can't get over the unqiue gameplay, presentation (prettiest Platinum game to date) and overall vibes this game have. It is a bit slow at times but that adds to the experience (unless you are in a hurry to finish it of cause...).
It feels and looks like a proper new original anime IP and I dig it a lot.
I am certainly more in the 8,5-9 range, but fair albeit kinda harsh (at least the stinger) review.
I personally like it more than DMCV, but that might be because I don't have a huge history with that franchise. The more involved areas between fights in Astral Chain just feel way more engaging to me than DMC's samey corridors. Combat is better in DMC tho (well the dodging is trash)
Bayo 2 has better combat and Nier Automata has a better and more unique story, but Astral Chain is the best overall Platinum package IMO.
Would someone who likes bayo and dmc but not nier like this game?
@@axis0316 oh yes, definitely
@@axis0316
Yeah.
Definitely not an 8 and with all the games you guys have given a 9, this should have been one of them.
Not a bad score but absolutely a better game than just a 8.
Good review Jones!
0:20
@@kraajkase maybe he likes the editing
Completely agree with the score. I felt like if they cut out some of the menial tasks and the unfun minigames they could have put work into expanding the detective portions to be more complex and expanded the combat even more. I found myself hating stuff like the stealth sections, balancing minigame, running around to collect useless items for one guy etc and just wanted to get back to the great combat.
OnyxMemory the first stealth mission was eh, fine. but the second one really outstayed its welcome. it did feel like the detective stuff was a little undeveloped by the end and they had the beginnings of something more there. i hope they’re able to flesh it out some in the inevitable sequel
So what your saying is the sequel will be amazing.
Daemon X Machina review when?
@@EasyAllies Another issue is that Marvelous is taking down videos, even reviews. Frame Trap is the best bet because it's not reliant on game footage.
Very few people are covering that game because the dev, Marvelous, has a very backwards attitude and is copyright striking anything that uses a single scrap of game footage. They don't seem to get that reviews or videos of people having fun playing the game helps to sell copies.
@@clockstomper or help not to sell copies
@@twistedhood6697 Nah, Marvelous is straight committing suicide. spawnwave actually has a video on how they took down Sega's TGS livestream, they're that insane. It's like they want to wipe themselves from ever existing.
If you like Armored Core, Xenoblade X just get it.
this isnt like chaos legion at all.
Wowwwww
an 8? it minimum deserves a 9 if sword and shield can get a STUPID 9 astral chain should to heck The story is leagues above anything prior to nier automata from PT games.
Platinum games are the Dark souls developers of stylish Action games 🤣
Platinum, for the last decade, has been the undisputed champion of the stylish action genre. Capcom are making a strong comeback with DMC5 but 1 title isn't enough to take the belt from the current Champion.
Personally I dig the story. It’s anime as it gets, but I like anime, so I don’t mind the tropes being predictable.
Hm, Astral Chain getting the same score as Yoshi‘s Crafted World?
Something seems off there...
It’s probably another Ally reviewing it, but still.
Then again, most Nintendo reviews on EA are lower than the average critic score (in this case 7-8%g, so it was kinda expected!
As weak as the story is, the combat, music, artstyle, feel and action design is top notch!
Yes, it might not be Bayo, DMC5 or Nier:A, but it’s not THAT much worse...,
What I’m saying is, that I don’t agree with the score, but the review itself was pretty fair and well done.
usually find myself more or less agreeing with easy allies with regards to their reviews. But I have to say I don't agree with giving an 8. Astral Chain has been one of the most refreshing games I've played in a while and for me a contender for game of the year. it's on its own in terms of being different than anything else this year that would also be considered game of the year. And the soundtrack is spot on too 👌
An 8? I’m surprised, would have thought Ben would give this a 9.
Thought the same. Can't see why someone can give this game less than a 9. Its just so good in any aspect.
He gave NieR Automata a 9 so it just means he's deduced that Astral Chain isn't as good
@@rahlap2449 He seemed to explain it well to me (who hasn't played it yet). It seems it tried to be a lot more than an action game (story, characters, side missions etc) and failed at it. It also seems like it's a good action game, but nothing ground breaking that might've pushed it more.
@@Ayoul I've played it and I think its one of the most, if not the most, innovative title of 2019. Controling two chars at once in an action game like that? You really have to put in much effort to do that. If you fail it will feel weird or wonky but platinum games delivered really really well. It feels natural. The other aspects of the game (like police work and rpg elements) arent that awesome but they have their place to break up the pace of the game. As I said. It is in my opinion the best game of 2019.
It's combat is fantastic and it does many things well, but lack of character depth and mediocre side quests hold it back. I'd give it an 8.5 myself, but this is a fair score.