Axiom Verge Reviews

Axiom Verge is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90 / 100
Mar 30, 2015

Tom Happ's Axiom Verge keeps the best of the past and improves on every facet, crafting a game about singularity, identity and pure pixellated fun. This is concentrated, unfiltered, Super-Nintendo-excellence given the modern treatment, and a landmark indie title.

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Mar 29, 2015

The level of execution and polish in Axiom Verge makes it seem as though it came from a well-established studio, let alone a single person. There's a confidence in the design that channels the best parts of successful Metroidvania games.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Mar 29, 2015

Although it closely follows the Metroidvania blueprint, the brilliantly designed and executed Axiom Verge adds enough new and original features to make it a truly great game in its own right. An absolute must for retro fans.

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Mar 29, 2015

The ways that Axiom Verge resembles Metroid help set up and drive home the ways that Axiom Verge is most definitely not Metroid.

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9 / 10
Mar 29, 2015

As suggested by other outlets prior to release, Axiom Verge is PlayStation's very own Metroid. That may sound a teensy bit degrading, but there's no denying that this and Nintendo's own space-faring adventure have more than a few things in common. Still, if being compared to one of the most beloved game series of all time isn't a compliment, then we don't know what is. If you've never seen the appeal of these types of games, then chances are this won't change your mind. Devoted fans of the genre, however, will no doubt adore Tom Happ's opus.

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VideoGamer
Top Critic
9 / 10
Mar 29, 2015

Whereas many modern takes on classic retro genres fall foul of style over substance, this has been built with such skill that it doesn't need to rely on our annoying fondness of the past to impress.

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Mar 29, 2015

The tightly designed 'Axiom Verge' combines the best elements of the 'Metroidvania' genre with throwback visuals, a thumping soundtrack, and clever mechanics.

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Recommended
Mar 29, 2015

It's just a shame that given the obvious talent and passion involved, it doesn't really have much of its own to add to the Metroidvania template. As charmed and delighted as I often was with its smartly paced escalation, its perpetually teasing construction, I kept waiting for some new element to appear, a eureka moment that either hadn't been thought of in 1986, or that could only be done today. It never quite happens. Axiom Verge seems content to be a homage, rather than a revival or reinvention. That's fine, since there's already plenty to justify your interest, but it feels like Happ has more to contribute than he's showing here.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
8 / 10
Mar 29, 2015

Axiom Verge is an excellent example of inspired game design that takes old ideas and improves upon them, leaving a mark that won't soon be forgotten.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2015

Over the past few years, I've heard my friends complain that games are just too easy compared to what they grew up with. Axiom Verge doesn't fall into that category per se, but it does offer a good challenge for those that seek it. For others, it is a game worth exploring to get back with your gaming roots while experiencing a new take on classic gameplay, even if you hit a proverbial wall along the way. It is rewarding to overcome adversity in the platforming or to watch a boss be reduced to thousands of pixels. Axiom Verge leverages everything you've come to expect from retro gaming and uses it all to create a memorable new platformer that gives even the best classic Metroidvania games a run for their money.

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