Astral Chain Reviews
Astral Chain is one of the most exciting new IPs I've played in years. From its stunning combat design to its gorgeous visuals, it packs a punch in almost every area. Combat feels incredible and the Legions add a huge amount of options to how you tackle any given battle. Some may fault the game for its more quiet moments and investigations, but the contrast they offer to the frantic action, feels near-perfect in its execution.
Astral Chain is one of PlatinumGames' finest acts this generation, cementing itself as yet another stellar exclusive for Nintendo Switch. It doesn't reach the heights of excellence achieved by Yoko Taro's NieR: Automata, but can more than hold its own thanks to an excellent setting, experimental combat and so, so much style it hurts.
Astral Chain is one of Platinum Games' most complex and satisfying action games to date, with combat that's suitably fast but far more purposeful and careful in execution. Its gorgeous world and enticing premise are betrayed by an uninteresting story and characters, but there's little else to fault when you're teaming up with your legions and solving cases across different dimensions.
If you ask if something is possible for you or your Legion to do in Astral Chain, most of the time, the answer is yes.
PlatinumGames' Astral Chain is the most innovative action games in years and certainly one of the best games of 2019.
Astral Chain is everything that’s right about Platinum, reflecting the fresh, quirky, gunslinging mentality that the studio displays in its best works. Part Bayonetta and part Pokemon with a heavy sprinkling of police sci-fi in between, Astral Chain is a breath of fresh air in an industry typically dominated by sequels and familiar formulas. Free time sections could be a bit more dialed down and the Legion combat can be a handful at times. Overall, though, Astral Chain marks a promising start to what will hopefully be a new franchise.
If only more big-league developers dared to be this bonkers, the industry would be that much more untamed.
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.
While Astral Chain‘s storyline is filled with anime archetypes and familiar plot tropes, it all works well as an overall experience.
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.
Astral Chain is weird, thrilling, unique, different and crazy, it's just held back by bad choices. Some of the design elements take a lot of getting use to and make sense in the long run, but can be frustrating to beginners. Combine this with entirely too many things going on at once and some of the most boring scenes between action packed combat sequences and you have an experience that loses a bit too much between scenes. This isn't enough to take away from Astral Chain, it just turns a title that could've been among the best games this year to something that is still among the best on the Switch.
Astral Chain is the latest and most accomplished model of PlatinumGames' ability to combine stylish action with player agency and accessibility. Exhausted storytelling and haphazard platforming also continue to underline their limitations. If Nier: Automata sought balance between power and ambience, Astral Chain finds power in power. It's a pure, grandiose spectacle.
...an impressive, gorgeous and ludicrous game that provides hours of enjoyment.
While it may not be for everyone per se, Astral Chain blends a beautiful story and world together with tight action as you fight to save everything from enemies both and far. If you love Platinum Games, and you want a truly new and fresh experience on Switch, get Astral Chain.
Astral Chains is a tour de force of potent writing, sumptuous presentation and multifaceted gameplay that stands up with the best that PlatinumGames and the genre have to offer
Astral Chain is a fantastic character action game that reimagines the subgenre at its core with a completely original and immensely satisfying combat system
Astral Chain it's another great game from Platinum Games, with a great worldbuilding and a fine combat system.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Aside from the lackluster co-op and slow start, Astral Chain is one of those rare games where it's difficult to say anything bad about it.
PlatinumGames have made another essential game. Fast paced combat, interesting characters and a lived in world. Don't miss out on Astral Chain
Astral Chain constantly impresses with its enthralling premise, frenetic action, and abundance of content. Even in its quietest moments, it exudes heart and intrigue, and for those willing to dig deeper, The Ark and its mysteries are a joy to discover. Beautiful visuals and incredible presentation values round things out to make it one of the Switch's must-own titles.