Astral Chain Review - Lethal Force Required | MojoPlays
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VOICE OVER: Riccardo Tucci
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
“Astral Chain” is a prime example of that ambition as the game gives players control over two characters at the same time. Does Platinum have a unique IP on their hands, or is this another stumble like “Mutants in Manhattan”? Welcome to MojoPlays, and this is our review of “Astral Chain”
From lukewarm titles like “Star Fox Zero” to blockbuster hits like “Bayonetta” and “Nier: Automata”, Platinum Games has certainly made a name for itself in the gaming world. Whether you’re a fan or not, you have to respect the studio’s drive to try new things and push out interesting products, regardless if they work fundamentally or not. “Astral Chain” is a prime example of that ambition as the game gives players control over two characters at the same time. Does Platinum have a unique IP on their hands, or is this another stumble like “Mutants in Manhattan”?
Welcome to MojoPlays, and this is Ty’s review of “Astral Chain”!
Set in a world where dimensional beings known as the Chimera threaten mankind, you fill the role of a brother or sister who have been recruited into a special task force known as Neuron. (Yes, I did name my character in typical Mojo fashion. Everyone, meet Mojooly! [pronounced “Moe-Julie”]) During your time, you’ll be dispatched to investigate crime scenes, travel in and out of the Astral Plane, and reclaim the Legions of your superiors. Although, things start getting fishy once the Commander shows interest in your amazing skills. The rest is spoiler territory.
As mentioned before, “Astral Chain” holds a rather unique concept in its combat - control two characters at the same time. You can choose which enemy for them to target, control their movement, use special abilities, or beat down on the same enemy for maximum damage. Wailing on enemies will sometimes trigger a blue blink, and pressing ZL at just the right moment will let you unleash a Sync Attack. Unfortunately, this is about as cool as the combat gets. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m about to open a can of whoop ass on all who oppose me, a brief sparkle is the way to go. It makes things pretty before the bloodshed. However, most of my fights were easily won from doing the same exact combos over and over again.
Although, the game does try to throw a few curveballs at you, forcing you to employ a Legion’s special ability to level the playing field again. For example, when going against a chimera with an impenetrable shield conjured by another, you’ll have to use the Sword Legion to cut the connection. On paper, this keeps players on their toes and makes fights intense. In execution, it’s just a pain in the ass since you have to worry about being close enough to cut the connection while trying to avoid every enemy around you while making sure your aim is angled correctly. In other words, most of these special abilities make combat more of a hassle. So, when not needed, I just spammed ZR and used Sync Attacks until everyone was dead. Simple, effective, and sadly negates most of the cool stuff the game is trying to show me. At least they come in handy for puzzles and exploring.
Funny enough, exploration seems to be “Astral Chain’s” strongest point. Your missions will often start with an investigation in a sizeable area. Yes, you could say the game is “semi-open world”. As you question citizens and gather clues, you’ll find a small handful of side missions in the area. Completing these missions will help you gather more clues and reward you with currency to buy upgrades. Most of the ones I’ve already finished were fun and hilarious! I didn’t think I’d have so much fun getting a tour of HQ while being stalked by Lappy the Dog. My favorite has to be the one about an overzealous officer who begins investigating a mysterious organization referred to as…”they”.
For as amusing as the side missions were, this is where “Astral Chain” began tripping up. I found myself more engaged with these irrelevant misadventures than I was with the actual story. How does a minute-long side quest steal the spotlight from a 15-20 hour main campaign? Predictability, my dear viewer. As soon as I found out the captain of Neuron is my character’s dad, I thought, “Yep, he’s gonna die.” Sure enough… [show him being left behind] Ah, there it is!
Your main headquarters houses several colorful characters with unique designs and personalities, yet the game does nothing with them! If you ever do talk to them, they just bum about, twiddle their thumbs, and comment on your recent events. As for the characters prominent to the story, none of them are remotely interesting, and most of their dialect is something one would expect from a mediocre crime drama or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. They’re about as memorable and unique as a pizza box, and the only reason I remember any of them is because I started naming them after other characters. Jin is Jin Kazama from “Tekken”, Akira is the descendant of Akira from “Akira”, and the player character’s father, Max, is Maxie from “Goofy Movie”. At least Marie had some kind of life inside her, leading a double life as Lappy the Dog while taking care of paperwork and sanitation.
Disappointed in the lack of character within the characters (excluding darling Marie), I had hopes that the boss fights would spice things up, but alas, no. Bosses failed to provide much of a challenge. Once again, mash ZR, dodge on occasion, and Sync Attack when possible. Fight is over in a matter of minutes. For the sake of humor, let’s say, hypothetically, I went into “Epic Gamer Time” mode and was just THAT good at the game. So, how are the bosses from a design standpoint? Not any better as some end up being reused in later levels. Tell me, “Astral Chain”, if Homunculus Alpha didn’t give me any problems, what made you think Homunculus Beta would?
I will admit I didn’t come out of every fight unscathed, but it wasn’t because I faced a tough enemy. The REAL threat was the freakin’ camera! If you were to ask me how many times I fell off the map or got sucker-punched because the camera was drifting somewhere else, I’d ask you how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Exactly! The world may never know, and I sure as hell don’t!
What’s even more shocking is “Astral Chain’s” performance. Mind you, I’m not expecting sixty frames per second for a game as graphically demanding as this, but I wasn’t expecting frame drops either. There were many, many, MANY times where “Astral Chain” chugged for a split-second, which sounds like a trivial thing to scrutinize, but when experienced personally, its uncomfortably noticeable.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it - “Astral Chain” isn’t a great game. While it boasts an abnormal approach to combat and exploration, that is its only appeal. That isn’t to say “Astral Chain” is an abhorrent game - just disappointing. Enemies and bosses don’t do much to keep the fire burning, side missions are significantly more entertaining than the lackluster main story, and the camera is about as stable as a found-footage horror movie. And yet, despite all of my problems with it, I can’t say I DON’T recommend “Astral Chain”. When approached as a power fantasy, the game can be kind of fun. The intro showed Mojooly in the most badass way possible, and I wanted to see her adventure through to the end. Just because it doesn’t do anything impeccable doesn’t mean it's incompetent in everything. It’s just for a more niche crowd. If you like hack-&-slash games or are a fan of Platinum’s work, then by all means, pick up “Astral Chain”. Just don’t go in expecting something better than the studio’s more famous titles.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and this is Ty’s review of “Astral Chain”!
Set in a world where dimensional beings known as the Chimera threaten mankind, you fill the role of a brother or sister who have been recruited into a special task force known as Neuron. (Yes, I did name my character in typical Mojo fashion. Everyone, meet Mojooly! [pronounced “Moe-Julie”]) During your time, you’ll be dispatched to investigate crime scenes, travel in and out of the Astral Plane, and reclaim the Legions of your superiors. Although, things start getting fishy once the Commander shows interest in your amazing skills. The rest is spoiler territory.
As mentioned before, “Astral Chain” holds a rather unique concept in its combat - control two characters at the same time. You can choose which enemy for them to target, control their movement, use special abilities, or beat down on the same enemy for maximum damage. Wailing on enemies will sometimes trigger a blue blink, and pressing ZL at just the right moment will let you unleash a Sync Attack. Unfortunately, this is about as cool as the combat gets. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m about to open a can of whoop ass on all who oppose me, a brief sparkle is the way to go. It makes things pretty before the bloodshed. However, most of my fights were easily won from doing the same exact combos over and over again.
Although, the game does try to throw a few curveballs at you, forcing you to employ a Legion’s special ability to level the playing field again. For example, when going against a chimera with an impenetrable shield conjured by another, you’ll have to use the Sword Legion to cut the connection. On paper, this keeps players on their toes and makes fights intense. In execution, it’s just a pain in the ass since you have to worry about being close enough to cut the connection while trying to avoid every enemy around you while making sure your aim is angled correctly. In other words, most of these special abilities make combat more of a hassle. So, when not needed, I just spammed ZR and used Sync Attacks until everyone was dead. Simple, effective, and sadly negates most of the cool stuff the game is trying to show me. At least they come in handy for puzzles and exploring.
Funny enough, exploration seems to be “Astral Chain’s” strongest point. Your missions will often start with an investigation in a sizeable area. Yes, you could say the game is “semi-open world”. As you question citizens and gather clues, you’ll find a small handful of side missions in the area. Completing these missions will help you gather more clues and reward you with currency to buy upgrades. Most of the ones I’ve already finished were fun and hilarious! I didn’t think I’d have so much fun getting a tour of HQ while being stalked by Lappy the Dog. My favorite has to be the one about an overzealous officer who begins investigating a mysterious organization referred to as…”they”.
For as amusing as the side missions were, this is where “Astral Chain” began tripping up. I found myself more engaged with these irrelevant misadventures than I was with the actual story. How does a minute-long side quest steal the spotlight from a 15-20 hour main campaign? Predictability, my dear viewer. As soon as I found out the captain of Neuron is my character’s dad, I thought, “Yep, he’s gonna die.” Sure enough… [show him being left behind] Ah, there it is!
Your main headquarters houses several colorful characters with unique designs and personalities, yet the game does nothing with them! If you ever do talk to them, they just bum about, twiddle their thumbs, and comment on your recent events. As for the characters prominent to the story, none of them are remotely interesting, and most of their dialect is something one would expect from a mediocre crime drama or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”. They’re about as memorable and unique as a pizza box, and the only reason I remember any of them is because I started naming them after other characters. Jin is Jin Kazama from “Tekken”, Akira is the descendant of Akira from “Akira”, and the player character’s father, Max, is Maxie from “Goofy Movie”. At least Marie had some kind of life inside her, leading a double life as Lappy the Dog while taking care of paperwork and sanitation.
Disappointed in the lack of character within the characters (excluding darling Marie), I had hopes that the boss fights would spice things up, but alas, no. Bosses failed to provide much of a challenge. Once again, mash ZR, dodge on occasion, and Sync Attack when possible. Fight is over in a matter of minutes. For the sake of humor, let’s say, hypothetically, I went into “Epic Gamer Time” mode and was just THAT good at the game. So, how are the bosses from a design standpoint? Not any better as some end up being reused in later levels. Tell me, “Astral Chain”, if Homunculus Alpha didn’t give me any problems, what made you think Homunculus Beta would?
I will admit I didn’t come out of every fight unscathed, but it wasn’t because I faced a tough enemy. The REAL threat was the freakin’ camera! If you were to ask me how many times I fell off the map or got sucker-punched because the camera was drifting somewhere else, I’d ask you how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Exactly! The world may never know, and I sure as hell don’t!
What’s even more shocking is “Astral Chain’s” performance. Mind you, I’m not expecting sixty frames per second for a game as graphically demanding as this, but I wasn’t expecting frame drops either. There were many, many, MANY times where “Astral Chain” chugged for a split-second, which sounds like a trivial thing to scrutinize, but when experienced personally, its uncomfortably noticeable.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it - “Astral Chain” isn’t a great game. While it boasts an abnormal approach to combat and exploration, that is its only appeal. That isn’t to say “Astral Chain” is an abhorrent game - just disappointing. Enemies and bosses don’t do much to keep the fire burning, side missions are significantly more entertaining than the lackluster main story, and the camera is about as stable as a found-footage horror movie. And yet, despite all of my problems with it, I can’t say I DON’T recommend “Astral Chain”. When approached as a power fantasy, the game can be kind of fun. The intro showed Mojooly in the most badass way possible, and I wanted to see her adventure through to the end. Just because it doesn’t do anything impeccable doesn’t mean it's incompetent in everything. It’s just for a more niche crowd. If you like hack-&-slash games or are a fan of Platinum’s work, then by all means, pick up “Astral Chain”. Just don’t go in expecting something better than the studio’s more famous titles.
