Multiplayer: Yes | Year of release: 2019
I was on the fence about Astral Chain from the day the first trailer was released until a good few hours after I started playing. It all seemed a little too generic, almost a paint-by-numbers rendition of an action game. I shouldn’t have been so worried, as this is one of the most original titles to come out of PlatinumGames, the developer behind the Bayonetta series, in recent years.
In a future where the world is constantly under attack from creatures that exist on another plane of existence, you play as a special force officer who deals with this threat. The trick of the game is that you can tame these creatures to become legions that you use in battle. Encounters take place in which you control your character and the Legion simultaneously to deal with waves of mobs and larger, more difficult enemies. In addition to combat, you’ll use your legion(s) to solve crimes and traverse environments.
Astral Chain sticks to a loop of detective work, platforming puzzles, and combat – a little too closely, if I’m being critical – with the game divided into cases that serve as chapters. The story starts off well enough but quickly turns into a mix of various anime tropes, including twists and arcs taken directly from some very famous series and films. However, the minute-by-minute gameplay is enough to keep you engaged throughout the roughly 20-hour main campaign and the sizable end-game content.
Do Astral Chain reach the heights of Nier: Automata? No, not at all, but its combat and environments can often surpass this game, which is probably my favorite of this generation. Often available for less than $50 these days, it’s well worth your time.
