Astral Chain: Video Game Overview

Strangely that Astral Chain, who before the exit was all signs of another superhit PlatinumGames, Expected with minimal “Haip”. Perhaps the fact is that it is an exclusive for one console. Or case in low marketing Nintendo, which even to the release of Switch Lite did not fit the atmosphere. Or maybe the problem is that the announcement took place too late. But in any case, here we have a slasher from the creators Bayonetta And Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Yes, also a new franchise in a very unusual setting – and this is already interesting.

Petrovka, 2078

If in 2019, the Russian police are engaged in overclocking peaceful demonstrations, then the police officers of the multicultural city of the ark from 2078 task a little more difficult. On the last refuge of humanity from parallel measurement attack Monsters, called chimerers. They know how to inflict people and drag them into their astral reality, and ordinary weapons against these creatures powerless. As you know, the wedge wedge is embroodble, so to stop the invasion, the police learned to subjugate Himer. The monster is put on the astral chain thanks to the special instrument of “Leg”, performs all the instructions of a specially trained corop and is already referred to as a chimera, but a legion.

Naturally, the main character is one of the few who can control the Legion. Also, our character (the floor and appearance can be chosen) – the orphan and the receiver of the officer, which leads the squad to combat chimeras.

Such a tie by itself does not promise anything terrible, but the plot Astral Chain clearly wrote a person chained by the astral chain to the battery. One half of the events and turns are predictable, the second is obvious or banal, and from some ultrapatosny moments I want to jump into the air of meters to 50 and throw in Switch “FaerBol”.Jena is not lying – despite all the “cringeness”, there is fun.

However, it all does not concern common style and peace. In terms of pictures, design and music, everything is so good that if on GamesRead.com was a separate award for audiovisual aesthetics, she would have got the game almost immediately. The end of our century turned out PlatinumGames Not too depressive, but here the mood of society is caught here, which unconsciously feels what is doomed, and therefore lives on the principle of “after us at least a flood”. True, with a parallel dimension, it was a little worse, but when you learn what it is in fact, all the decisions will be clear and logical.

There are two worlds ..

The difference in the design of two worlds emphasizes the gameplay. Between the ark and the astral there is almost nothing in common. In our measurement, it is necessary to investigate the place of crime in the style of Batman, carry out instructions of the inhabitants at the level of “buy a crying ice cream girl” or “find a lost credit card with a bunch of money” (and not pick up – you are a good cop!), periodically fight with enemies or save the civilian invasion. In the Universe, Himer are waiting for a puzzle with switches and platforms, many battles and giant bosses. Almost every of the listed classes needs Legion.

It turned out to be particularly cute quests in the spirit of “Returning Mukhtara” – those where it is necessary to give blood items.

Or even legions, because the player will control five tamed monsters at once. Each of them has its own, conventionally, the class – there is a standard swordsman’s fighter, there is a quick shooter, and there is a police dog that can still work as a horse. You can call only one, and the style of the battle and the possibility of interaction with those or other items will change. So, only a dog can look for hidden items, and it is quite logical that the remote switches will deliver only the arrow.

At all, Astral Chain – game with very torn rhythm. Dynamic situations of a la “We have a corpse, crime is possible” intelligence in leisure stages with the collection of evidence and communication. Such a tempo is very interesting – here the authors go along the way Rocksteady Studios and turn the game from the usual slasher on the manner Bayonetta And Transformers: Devastation In a very harmonious adventure, where you want to spend time, studying the catches and finding something interesting and useful in them.

Dog work

Place a local combat system in several paragraphs – is ungrateful. By itself, the policeman can attack one of the three types of weapons – medium-sized battle, powerful and slow sword or fast, but weak gun. On old good tradition Platinum In time, perfect evasion will allow you to counterattack. In addition, the Legion is called upon by pressing the left “smoke”, after which it is necessary to manage actions and a hero, and a partner. Folded chimera hits automatically, but during combo and evasion you can combine the attacks of the team. And the astral chain allows you to bind and catch opponents while running. In addition, Legion has a special attack and a set of skills that open, as it should be, for special glasses, genecodes, and make up a whole tree.Trev skills are not too big, but it is necessary to develop them – many abilities are critical.
All this is a bit vague and confusing, so even after five or six hours at some moments I recalled that and how it was done, and opponents that acted in a similar bundle led to rabies. Adds negative camera – she likes to press you overlooking the corner and beautiful Sky Postapocalypse.

Understanding that “Boing” is non-standard, creators Astral Chain Enter the player in the course of the case gradually – the first couple of missions you will not get all the opportunities, and you will choose the legions at the middle of the campaign. Complete all the battles by holding the automatic attack button and using your favorite healthy, will not work even at the low level of complexity. And high becomes available only after the first passage.

Even though the game consists of a linear list of affairs, but the incentive to return to it is. At each stage there are or zones where you can get only with the help of a specific legion, or items, to interact with which only one can only have in the plot. So, already in early matters you will find a piece of garbage, rummage in which only the beast can. If you do not return, you can finish the story of 15 hours, but the disclosure of all cases will take at least 40.The theme of the tentacles is also disclosed.

Fantswear straightened his shoulders

Yes, the content here is a lot here, and it can be seen that the game was done for a long time and worked carefully. Only the police station, the local hub, where heroes return after each task, holds attention for several hours. Gradually, you understand that the dialogues with partners are always new and sometimes after them you can get a useful item or find out some detail. And it is in the plot that fanstrovis flourishes – you can customize not only the appearance of the character, but also the coloring of the legion and even interface elements. Somewhere in the depths of the locker rooms and shady blocks, a mini-game dedicated to the police talisman – LAPPI dog.

The depth of study also speaks the cooperative regime for one console: one controls the cop, and the second – Legion. Online, unfortunately, no.And here there is a whole “toilet quest”!
And, of course, everything works fine from a technical point of view. In my opinion, there are no incredible beauties, moreover, there are games on Switch. But in general, everything looks and moves so smoothly, as far as possible in such a fast genre at 30 frames per second. And finally, I note separately that in portable mode (in it I spent the bulk of the time) the resolution and frequency of frames remain almost the same as in the desktop. Instead of reducing these indicators PlatinumGames Simplified the effects of the type of smoothing – the emerging “ladents” are difficult to notice on a small Switch screen, so it turned out well.***
For someone it will be blasphemy, but, in my opinion, very in vain Astral Chain appeared only on Switch. Because, with all the shortcomings, this is exactly what gamers are waiting for Platinum, – Powerful fighter who needs to make you a studio fan. Yes, bar dilogy Bayonetta And Nier: Automata I failed to take: a little inconvenient combat system, mows the camera, and the events do not pull on the real drama. But I was in step from to deliver “amazingly”, and lovers of slash wheels, as well as science fiction and postpocalypsis can safely add one point to the final estimate.

Pros: Original setting in a very stylish embodiment;Unusual, but working combat system;Elegant customization of the character and interface;Ripped rhythm turns the game into something more than Slacher.

Minuses: Driving two fighters is not easy, and even the camera interferes;The plot and heroes decided to collect all the anime stamps in one place.