Axiom Verge

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Fun, with a very well designed world. Decent story and engaging boss fights. Also really good music.

If you're super nostalgic of the NES Metroid, I guess you should pick that up. The game has potential but the lack of options feels more lazy than a ploy to make it look even more retro.

great metroidvania

The game is great. The soundtrack is amazing. Play this

Metroid with no hype or aura

Just trying this out here in 2025.

Perfect steam deck game. Works like a champ. I did remap the button controls for myself, so that is something this game offers which is great. I primarily wanted to play Axiom Verge 2, but since there was a package deal and this one was really cheap, I decided why not start from the beginning.

This is a fun little Metroidvania. Not super complicated, and as of yet not super challenging. I have 2 bosses down, both were fairly simple to figure out. There are some tougher enemies that jump around quite a bit, so you do have to be on your toes. The map is decent enough, if perhaps a bit small on the screen but you can see the doors and such if you look closely. Map markers are pretty limited... you can only drop them on the spot you are standing, and you can also only drop two types. A numeral 1 or a numeral 2. So you kinda have to figure out your own scheme for that.
And make no mistake, this is a Metroidvania in the sense that you will backtrack quite a bit, and you have to find the specific pathway that takes you to the next spot you need to go. There are no quest markers or anything, so it's up to you to explore and map the region out. I haven't had any problems so far with that, but sometimes the backtracking does cost you time, so be aware. But if you play Metroidvania's regularly, this should be a familiar concept.

My only gripe is that this is one of those games where they have tuned some of the platforming to be right at the limit of your jump, which means you have to really focus on your jump timing sometimes. Not all the time, but it does come up. And if you miss the jump, usually you fall down where an enemy is so you can take damage that way. But I mean to be fair, that's a small gripe.

Overall, this is one of the simpler examples (so far) of the genre, but that isn't to say there's anything negative. Everything about it is super retro, including the 8-bit synth music that changes depending on the biome you are in.

I don't have a full grip on the story yet, but it is definitely intriguing. I've unlocked 3 weapons (or really 3 styles of attack from one weapon.. details), and each of them is quite different, though they do analogue to familiar concepts. You have the fast firing, low damage one (rifle?), the slow firing, high damage one that can also be triggered to explode (rocket launcher), and the short range burst one (shotgun). There's probably lots more. There also appear to be a bunch of different unlocks and things for the character that you get.

Definitely seems very cool, and from what I can tell from the videos on the steam page, it should ramp up the difficulty a bit in general so maybe it's just taking it easy on me as I'm starting out? Dunno, have to keep playing.

Anyway don't shy away from this one just because it's older, it's actually pretty fun. And from what I understand, it is also backstory to Axiom Verge 2 which is a more functionally appealing game.

I initially disliked playing a Metroid clone, but I found the game more intriguing with progression. I found playing with analog obnoxious, due to accidental stick clicks and dashing (acquired late game). Luckily I had a retro controller and the game plays much better with a D-pad. Like any good Metroidvania, it's vague and mysterious and left me wanting to learn more of this world.

Not as good as Super Metroid but its the most similar clone I know. Nice inferior game. Music is awful though...

This is basically a Metroid game under another name. Most Metroidvanias are more Vania then Metroid, so this was a welcome change!

There are a ton of different weapons and upgrades and secrets to find, and just exploring the world is a bunch of fun.

However, I do think it's difficult to know where to go next often at all and the map doesn't really help. I would often think that an area of the map that I hadn't fully explored yet would be unlocked with something I just picked up, then go across the whole map to it, only to realize it was a different barrier in place. I ended up restoring to guides at times just not to waste time on traversal.

A lot of the boss fights are inventive and fun, but I also felt like I had to cheese many of them to win by finding a strategy that seemed to trick the way they moved or attacked. This was kind of interesting, but felt a bit bad at times.

Overall had a great time though and will play the sequel soon.

Nice indie metroidvania, loved how the game progressed with each upgrade, gaining access to areas that where "locked" because of missing tools. Good job.

Good game.

pretty good. i like the drill and hack mechanics. bosses are a bit more difficult than they need to be.

Fantastic control. Good story. Great metroidvania.

Enemies are too bullet spongy which makes guns feel weak and makes backtracking tedious. Map is boring. Music is just okay. Overrated game.

Great Metroidvania!

goog dame

metroid fans play this

This has become one of my favorite video games ever. It is a masterpice of a metroidvania game. 10/10

Full of heart and soul and an excellent presentation of the 'metroid' half of 'metroidvania'. Charming and fascinating as it is unsettling and alien. It's no replacement for the titans of the genre but it stands on its own proudly and is absolutely worth the time it asks for.

Why would I play this over Super Metroid?

Fun little game for Metroid and Mr. Driller fans alike

oh my god im on the verge of axioming right now

Pros
+Interesting world, story, characters
+Huge variety of enemies that all engage differently
+Vast catalog of weapons - rewards you for using the right tool for the right enemy
+Traversal tools unlocked are very unique
+Beautiful pixel art
+Great soundtrack
+Tons of secrets and rewards to be found

Cons
-Not much replayability (does support speedrun and randomizer modes, however)
-No fast travel (there is a tram, however)

I had heard Axiom Verge was good, but I have sometimes heard good things about games that were a letdown. This one knocks it out of the park. It oozes style, rewards exploration, and has so much creativity to offer. This is a must-play for modern Metroidvanias.

A very loving homage to Metroid, and a fantastic Metroidvania in its own right.

Good game held back by a few nitpicks that could have made it excellent. The good… the game itself is fun. Nice nostalgic look with a hint if new age tech. Great exploration/rank system to upgrade self and weapons. Bosses can be a challenge but nothing too bad that takes only a few tries. The bad… played on the steam deck and the pesky phase through mechanic later in game was constantly triggered via joystick. And probably the worst aspect of game that really made it a chore the last 1/4 of the game for me was the map and having zero idea where to go next. The amount of time back tracking and wondering what the heck do I do next was a total drag. Very little to no direction. If that one aspect of the game was changed I would give this an A tier rating. But because of it I would lean closer to B.

This game rules. buy it.

Amazing Storytelling. The gameplay might be slow at first, but as you get the movement upgrades, zipping around the map will be a lot easier. Boss fights are meh, but that was to be expected from this sort of retro emulating game imo.

Overall, would play again just for the story.

yes

Really solid.

Who liked the metroid-like games but always struggled with the speed-booster puzzles, this is for you!

Although the lore and visuals of this game are amazing, I really think this game, as a metroidvania, sucks.

It's got the basics down, it's got a huge map, upgrades that allow you to have more movement option, stronger weapons and bigger healthbar as you go, but the movement isn't fun, controlling the drone isn't fun, using the grappling hook SURE AS FUCK isn't fun, the map feels like its trying to copy metroid more so than improve upon it, as such the map exploration and movement around it just feels like a chore.

If there's a good reason to suggest why castlevania SOTN improved the genre is by adding teleporters around the map. This map is HUGE and the game is NOT short at all and you will be backtracking constantlyto get the upgrades, there's a "vehicle" to move you around the entrances of the sections of the map but really having a teleporter is exactly what would have fixed the game for me.

The enemies do a surprisingly large amount of damage to you to the point of making some areas a bitch (Yes, i do mean those fuckwit golden flying enemies specially) so its always a good idea to go around grabbing as much health upgrades as you can (not that it helps that much), which makes more time spent backtracking and trying to find them and get them all around the map.

If there's one area of the game to give it praise to is the story. I was fighting the desire to put the game down and give the sequel a short try or not even that up until I found "the plot twist" which frankly made the game a lot more appealing. I didn't expect it to actually be a good twist.

Really there's so many games that do metroidvania better on steam... I had more fun playing gato roboto than this.

I don't know how to recommend this game
Just play it

Hard to review this with any objectivity; I've played this game numerous times on my Switch (about once every 1 - 1.5 years since 2018), but for the first time on Steam in 2025. I love how strange this game is, and I mean strange in the truest sense. Tom Happ has created a world so alien it's at times disgusting, other times serene, but most of the time completely foreign and incredibly hostile. As the tag line for this game notes, it's a thin line between dream and nightmare.
The story works for me, but I understand doesn't for some folks. There's a TON of misdirection going on, and it suffers from the feeling that the full story isn't realized just yet (Axiom Verge 2 fills in some holes, but produces more questions than answers), but I really enjoy what's shared AV 1. It gives one the feeling of being ensnared in someone's conspiracy, but no one is really sure who the true puppet-master is.
Wonderfully realized world, I hope we get to see more of it. Easy recommendation if you like Metroidvanias.

A wonderful example of the Metroidvania genre, Axiom Verge offers its own unique mechanics and a very original, well-written story to propel the player through a labyrinthine game world. Special mention goes to its music and detailed graphics that give each region its own ambience and feel. If you're a fan of Super Metroid or Castlevania SotN or any of their derivatives, you'll be right at home with Axiom Verge.

Boss 1 80% complete
Boss 2 70% complete
Boss 3 50% complete
This game basically, is good until the 2 hour mark then it sucks. 'Thx you can't refund now have fun metroidvania experts OR look up a guide'
Idek if metroidvania experts would like this game unless they have a photographic memory. I cannot backtrack to certain areas, all other roads are dead ends, and trying to drill random walls I find a secret only 40% of players found. People giving this game lip service then think they're just bad? Idk, but this much lost player count is kinda bad. Is it possible I missed an item and got soft locked or I overlooked a second room in the 3rd boss chamber? Idk. And the secret area doesn't mean shit that I found because I need to jump ever-so-slightly higher to reach the end of it. Maybe I have post-covid brainrot or underslept, but I cannot think of a prior area to route to with my new items. And when I backtrack theres limits on how far back I can go. So either I'm softlocked from missing an item, or, theres a random wall somewhere I accidentally neglected. In either case, bad pacing after the first few hours.

10 years later, Axiom Verge remains one of if not THE best retro-Metroidvania experience around. The graphics, the music, the challenges... everything is perfect.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have a more extensive world to explore. It's over a bit quickly, and that's my only regret.

I feel like Axiom Verge has been totally forgotten in the modern day. I really do wonder why. It feels like it was a pretty big deal back when it released.... roughly ten years ago, jesus. I could be biased since I have such good memories of it from back then, but personally I think it deserves more love. Its inspiration from Metroid couldn't be any clearer, yet it has more than enough unique ideas to set it apart. Despite its flaws, it's just really damn fun and immersive. Maybe there are more people who have the same feelings.

Spent over an hour playing only to get softlocked in Zil because the game allowed me to enter the area without the required upgrades to advance or return. Googled quite a bit, couldn't find any solution. Time wasted.

One of the good metroidvanias I've played and only made by 1 dude. Awesome music and gameplay.

amazing game

It's an okay metroidvania, mostly I enjoyed the vibe and the looks, it's like playing a retro game, but my main complain it's about the mobility at the latest levels, I didn't liked the platforms and the dash mechanics. Still good tho.

It's excellent!

Neat.

honestly a bit of a mess at times, but pretty fun
the glith gun is a intersting idea, and the pixel art is fantastic. some of the secret area entrance locations being random kinda sucks amd makes it hard to tell if you are doing the right thing but its alright

A competent metroidvania with some cool ideas for upgrades. Though it suffers from having a boring early game and dull boss fights. But if you can put up with those, you'll have fun for the vast majority of the time.

Good game. Good OST. Good ending.

I've played countless Metroidvania style games. Hell, I've played and beat the original Metroid, which this game is heavily inspired by. The game IS fun, the setting is eerie and the soundtrack just the right amount of weird to be memorable. But when I tell you that this game has the most infuriatingly large map, and that the game seems to delight in cock-blocking you trying to just, I dunno, PROGRESS? It actively feels like the developers just don't want you to play the game at some points. Yes, finding dead ends and back tracking is part and parcel of the metroidvania experience, but this game pushes that concept to the point of frustration and redundancy. I *wanted* so badly to like this game, it's a legend in the indie space. But unless I want to play with a goddamn strategy guide on my second screen telling me EXACTLY where to go, well, I won't be beating this one. A shame, honestly. It does so many things right, but you can only spend so many hours wandering around the same 3 areas before you just get bored with it.

Decent. But in hindsight I'd rather spend my time playing through Super Metroid for the 10th time than had given this a shot.

Fun metroidvania with interesting twists on the formula

Awesome Metroidvania, impressively created by a single dev!
Amongst the best stories I've ever seen on a Metroidvania.

It is a masterpiece, but has its quirks:
- The WORST Grapling Hook of all games, hard to use
- Dash, oh god, Dash should be a button, and not tap twice a direction...

Probably will have to deal with these quirks to replay the game on Randomizer sometime in the future...

SPOILER: If you see Scanlines, there's a secret near!