Astral Chain
Rating Summary
Based on 103 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
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 is one of my favourite games that I’ve played recently, largely because of its combat system. It’s incredibly fast-paced, satisfying, and deep, especially when you get comfortable enough with the system to start going out of your way to explore it. There are so many options at your disposal, and none of them feel bad to use or extraneous, even if certain things feel a bit cumbersome at first. That isn’t to say that the game is perfect, considering the somewhat ill-advised stealth segments, unreliable Chain Jump, and woefully underutilized motorcycle, but I think the stellar combat makes up for those shortcomings. If you enjoyed the gameplay in the other work of Hideki Kamiya – such as Bayonetta and Devil May Cry – or Taura’s previous work Nier: Automata, Astral Chain will likely be right up your alley. It’s well worth the $59.99 USD for the over 30 hours and counting it’s offered me so far, and it’ll be much more before I find everything hidden in the various stages. Even if some of the more auxiliary mechanics may fall short, Astral Chain is still one of the best action games I’ve played in quite some time.
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.
Where we’re treated to true cinematic experiences across all major platforms, that deliver some of the most expansive worldliness that can only be achieved by a plethora of untapped potential in gaming. This is it. Astral Chain is one of the best video game’s of 2019.
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.
Astral Chain feels like the culmination of Platinum Games’ work, combining sleek character-action gameplay with well-defined progression mechanics, a striking world, and more than a few memorable moments.
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.
Astral Chain definitely falls within the higher tiers of Platinum Games’ offerings. It boasts a wholly unique and fully-realized gameplay mechanic, above-average world-building and characters straight out of animé, a memorable soundtrack, and more than enough replay value, all glistened with a coat of polish that will have you itching for more, even once you’ve completed its twenty-odd-hour campaign.
