Astral Chain Reviews
There are a lot of good ideas displayed in Astral Chain but very little is well executed. A sequel with improvements could be exciting
The latest hit from PlatinumGames is an ambitious action adventure game that largely succeeds in many ways, though it's juggling so many aspects that some fall through the cracks.
At this stage, PlatinumGames have a reputation for making fast-paced, stylish action games, and while Astral Chain is a bit slower than their previous efforts, it still has that deep and engaging combat system that these developers are practically known for.
Astral Chain is an ambitious game that gives players almost too many options. Whether you decide to stick to the captivating storyline or want to fill up your photo album with pictures of your Neuron co-workers or decide to clean up the streets of all that pesky Red Shift (that only you can see), you'll easily lose yourself in the beautiful world of the game. Astral Chain pushes the boundaries of what an action game can be, but it doesn't get so experimental that it loses sight of its goal -- which is to present an intriguing and layered story while giving players lots of horrifying monsters to kill.
In many ways, Astral Chain manages to have a big range and targets different types of players, no matter which genre (or genres) it implies that it belongs to.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Part RPG, part open-world quest-a-thon, but mostly an action game with a pretty neat tag-team mechanic that takes a while to master, Astral Chain is anything but a slog. In essence, Takahisa is clearly taking the diversity and open-ended nature of his past game and putting it all here in this Nintendo Switch title. Next to Splatoon, this is definitely one of Nintendo's best new IPs in a long, long while.
Astral Chain delivers the full PlatinumGames package while revising a number of gameplay elements that allow more players to appreciate the studio's love for combat.
In short, Astral Chain is fast, intense, stylish, beautiful, atmospheric, and frustrating. It's nowhere near perfect, but it's perfect enough in the impression it lives after you're done playing. This is one of the most technically impressive and fun experiences you can find on the Nintendo Switch, and at this point, it's safe to say that it's a must-own, as it's easily one of the best games of 2019.
A truly creative and intense hack and slash-RPG hybrid, with a magnificent combat system and sadly irregular exploration scenes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Astral Chain carves a niche for itself in the stylish action genre through its diverse gameplay options and unique two-character controls.
"Action game that shines like neon lights."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Astral Chain keeps the level of style that has come to be associated with PlatinumGames, and it’s most evident in the combat.
Astral Chain ends up being a mixure of genres in an action game quite hard to define but easy to qualify: Explosive, frenetic and hella fun.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It may not be PlatinumGames' finest title, but it's definitely a fun time for any Switch owners looking for their next blood-pumping action title.
Overall 80 - Astral Chain successfully combines great action, exploration, and puzzles together with a strong narrative. Despite a few problems with pacing and repetition, it's a fun, engaging, and above all original experience.
Astral Chain is a new IP that feels like a must have for Nintendo Switch users looking for a new hack-slash to dive into
As it is now, Astral Chain is a great action game with a few blemishes. It might not be perfect, but it should be a high priority for any Switch owners, and fans of the action genre as a whole.
All in all, Astral Chain is a solid and enjoyable action-RPG. It suffers from a lot of Platinum Games' most common problems, such as poor instructions for basic gameplay and an over-reliance on minigames, but the charm and enjoyment of the core game more than make up for that once you get past the rough opening. It's not quite up the highs of a Bayonetta or Nier Automata, but it's worth playing for fans of the company or those looking for a fun action-RPG on the Switch.
Astral Chain is both beautiful and mesmerising. You’re not likely to come across a better action gameplay system for quite some time – likely until PlatinumGames’ own next effort. Truly this is a developer that understands the principles of movement in action better than any, and while its games might struggle in other areas to meet the brilliance of the action, every second with that action is satisfying, exciting, and a very pure form of entertainment.
Astral Chain is a unique experience from beginning to end, but some strange choices in the way it tells its story and major pacing issues in the third act bring it down. Regardless, Astral Chain fits right in amongst the Platinum greats, offering a fun and unique battle system that does a fantastic job at differentiating itself from its contemporaries.