Have to admit, Im not the biggest anime fan but enjoying Astral Chain… its taken a little while to get used to. I went in trying to play it like Bayonetta and kept getting my arse kicked, not to mention playing it like that makes it feel like a brainless button masher given the fewer attack options. But once I got used to is quirks I was well on board. Its a much slower more measured experience for sure, without the over the top ballet.
The world is really compelling, just hanging out at the police station between missions is a joy in the little details and sublime soundtrack. It does annoy me a little the way Platinum switch up the controls though, moving attack from a face button to a shoulder button and having weapon select on the D-Pad left me pawing the controller a few times… I find it nowhere near as intuitive as Bayonetta.
Weve standardised first and third person shooter controls for years, and even with beat em-ups to some extent, so surely with this and Devil May Cry 5 doing well were due to do the same for the side-scrolling brawler (agree with GC these are the true evolution of the Streets Of Rage formula)?
Its not perfect however, the camera is pretty terrible (though some extensive options in the settings can help) and while the art style is terrific the tech does look dated, more PlayStation 3 than 4 with a lot of jaggies in handheld mode. The whole thing does feel slightly less responsive than Bayonetta too (especially the second game, which might possibly be the lower frame rate?) and the main character just doesnt react as fast as Id like. Ut might be a deliberate attempt at a slower style but last second dodging in particular can feel sluggish. Theres a little lack of polish in some areas, like lip syncing and animation during story segments and characters/Legions getting stuck on the scenery.
Ive probably made those sound like bigger gripes than they are though, overall its easily the best Switch game and best exclusive on any console this year to date. Itll probably end up as best Switch game too. Luigis Mansion 3 and Zelda: Links Awakening look fun but fairly low key and. like a previous reader, IRead More – Source
