{"id":158223,"date":"2019-08-26T21:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/featured\/-1801375\/"},"modified":"2019-08-26T21:00:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T13:00:10","slug":"review-astral-chain-is-the-anti-bayonetta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/2019\/08\/26\/review-astral-chain-is-the-anti-bayonetta\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: \u2018Astral Chain\u2019 Is the Anti-\u2018Bayonetta\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.geek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/astral-chain-top-650x366.png?resize=640%2C360&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<p>ACAB. That\u2019s my one word review of <em>Astral Chain<\/em>, the new cop action game on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-nintendo-switch-1685280\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">Nintendo Switch<\/a>. It\u2019s an acronym that stands for \u201c<em>Astral Chain<\/em> is the Anti-<em>Bayonetta<\/em>.\u201d I don\u2019t mean that in terms of quality (although, spoilers, I do think <em>Bayonetta<\/em> is a better game). Rather both of these Platinum Games titles start at the same source and then diverge in opposing philosophical directions.<\/p>\n<p>I praised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/bayonetta-2-is-still-a-perfect-game-on-nintendo-switch-1731004\/\"  rel=\"noopener\"><em>Bayonetta 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0as a perfect flawless shining diamond of a video game. And it pulled that achievement off by stripping away everything that got in the way of its exquisite raw combat mechanics and ludicrous violent camp aesthetic. But <em>Astral Chain<\/em> is overflowing with gameplay ideas and chains them all together into a single package. Most of these ideas are good, great even, but the kitchen sink approach results in more awkwardness than I would\u2019ve expected from a developer this famous for polish.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video widescreen embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ckAZepoche4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>In <em>Astral Chain<\/em> you play as a police officer who fights alongside monsters chained to your arm called Legions. Everything in the game comes down to exploring these conceits to their logical conclusion, obsessing over them with very Nintendo-like passion. Even the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/fire-emblem-three-houses-and-other-dumb-nintendo-songs-1778681\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">anime theme song<\/a>\u00a0story, which mostly just made me glad I finally watched <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/television\/neon-genesis-evangelion-completes-netflixs-anime-ambitions-in-2019-1762960\/\"  rel=\"noopener\"><em>Neon Genesis Evangelion<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and could understand the references, does little more than provide justification and set up an effectively moody urban noir cyberpunk atmosphere. The bump down to 30 FPS lets the game pile even more vibrant visuals effects with its slick cel-shaded art style.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the Legions. The combat here is still recognizably Platinum. You do a lot of dodging and quickly switch between different weapons like guns and batons. But your Legion changes your entire approach to fights. They act semi-autonomously, lashing out at nearby foes. But you can also manually guide them. Already the strategic options open up exponentially. Team up against one big foe. Split your attention to control crowds. The chain binding you two together is also a weapon. Clothes-lining or physically wrapping up a monster by spinning the analog stick is the most fun virtual lassoing I\u2019ve done since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/red-dead-redemption-2-isnt-boring-1758468\/\"  rel=\"noopener\"><em>Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em><\/a>. It also has shades of Platinum\u2019s underrated Wii U game <em>The Wonderful 101<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video widescreen embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Yz68nNTtOdQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The specifics of each Legion matter, too. Over the course of the campaign you\u2019ll unlock five different varieties to switch between: all-purpose Sword, projectile-based Arrow, strong Arm, wily Beast, and defensive Axe. Along with their own innate strengths and weaknesses you can upgrade legions with accrued currency and teach them new cooldown skills. They\u2019re like action game versions of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/xenoblade-chronicles-2-is-endless-epic-annoying-anime-1724346\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">Xenoblade Chronicles 2\u2019s<\/a><\/em> Blade companions. You can even change their colors and clean them off in your little <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/resident-evil-2-is-the-best-remake-of-all-time-1771919\/\"  rel=\"noopener\"><em>Resident Evil 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0police HQ. It would be cute if they weren\u2019t so creepy looking.<\/p>\n<p>But wait there\u2019s more! Legions come in handy even when you aren\u2019t fighting, and you spend a surprising amount of time in <em>Astral Chain<\/em> not fighting. The game fully commits to the idea that you\u2019re a cop, drawing influences from the <em>Batman: Arkham<\/em> games or <em>Ace Attorney<\/em> or <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/hands-on-segas-judgment-is-yakuza-meets-phoenix-wright-1773723\/\"  rel=\"noopener\">Yakuza<\/a><\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/nier-automata-is-a-game-of-the-year-and-here-are-tons-of-spoilers-why-1695029\/\"  rel=\"noopener\"><em>Nier: Automata<\/em><\/a> may also provide some context for this greater shift towards action-adventure RPG from Platinum. However, while the gameplay variety is admirable, it\u2019s in these exploratory phases where the game gets much more inconsistent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video widescreen embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5XjClGadspM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>A lot of it is fun. Legions have various powers you\u2019ll need to solve various environmental puzzles. Detect and slice through invisible energy currents to sever connections with the Sword legion or have the Beast legion sniff objects to track targets. And again the chain is a useful tool in and of itself. Send your Legion to a faraway platform and pull yourself towards it like a 3D version of <em>Ice Climbers<\/em>. A lot of the game takes place in an Astral Plane dimension that\u2019s trippy and beautiful but also graphically repetitive. Fortunately, the different ways you\u2019re asked to navigate this realm help it feel fresh.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, evenly mixed in throughout the clever ideas are bits that just feel like padding. Investigating the hub levels is weird in a cool way. They\u2019re nifty to look at. You have to obey traffic and can use the toilet. The side quests are also a fine diversion, <a href=\"http:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/index.php\" title=\"\u672c\u7db1\u9801\u63d0\u4f9b\u4e00\u500b\u65b9\u4fbf\u7684\u5e73\u53f0, \u70ba\u5927\u5bb6\u914d\u5c0d\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2,IT freelance, \u79c1\u4eba\u8001\u5e2b , PHP\u88dc\u7fd2, HTML\u88dc\u7fd2, CSS\u88dc\u7fd2, JavaScript\u88dc\u7fd2, XML, Java\u88dc\u7fd2,Server\u88dc\u7fd2, MySQL\u88dc\u7fd2, \u4e2d\u5b78\u96fb\u8166\u79d1\u79c1\u4eba\u88dc\u7fd2, \u5728\u8077\u4eba\u58eb\u96fb\u8166\u63d0\u5347\u88dc\u7fd2,\u5c08\u696d\u8003\u8a66\u96fb\u8166 \u88dc\u7fd2,\u96fb\u8166\u5716\u50cf\u8a2d\u8a08\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2, gra\">class<\/a>ic cop tasks like finding lost cats or eavesdropping on perps. But I don\u2019t want to track down and talk to literally every NPC to hear enough clues to solve a logic puzzle that doesn\u2019t actually matter. It kills the pacing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video widescreen embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/soS3kyJ13gw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Worse are the sections where the game&#8217;s complicated dual-character controls, while fine for combat, just can\u2019t keep up with whatever new thing it wants you to do. After a fantastic boss battle that felt like the end of the game, I suffered through a fiddly precision platforming sequence and a forced stealth section that were among the worst things I\u2019ve played all year. I can\u2019t imagine playing the optional two Joy-Con co-op mode even with highly forgiving adjustable difficulty.<\/p>\n<p>It feels like Platinum is trying to address the complaint that their games are too short. But the purity and speed of <em>Bayonetta<\/em> makes its fun to replay over and over. There are parts though from my 15-hour\u00a0<em>Astral Chain<\/em> play session I never want to slog through again.<\/p>\n<p>Still, <em>Astral Plane\u2019s<\/em> failures in a way make it feel like an even more fascinating essential part of the Platinum Games canon. You can\u2019t grow without pain. And I\u2019ll still take anime cops over real cops every time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Astral-Chain-Nintendo-Switch\/dp\/B07NQF74M3\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1705462 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.geek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SEE_IT_HERE_GEEK-1.jpg?resize=178%2C51&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"178\" height=\"51\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/astral-chain-top-650x366.png\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\"><\/figure>\n<p>ACAB. That&rsquo;s my one word review of Astral Chain, the new cop action game on Nintendo Switch. It&rsquo;s an acronym that stands for &ldquo;Astral Chain is the Anti-Bayonetta.&rdquo; I don&rsquo;t mean that in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/games\/review-astral-chain-is-the-anti-bayonetta-1801375\/\">Review: &lsquo;Astral Chain&rsquo; Is the Anti-&lsquo;Bayonetta&rsquo;<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/\">Geek.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/2019\/08\/26\/review-astral-chain-is-the-anti-bayonetta\/\">\u95b1\u8b80\u5168\u6587 <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"slim_seo":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6541,4208,5758,5759,2054,2,2047,2206,4204,16,7],"tags":[398,402,397,414,413,410,409,407,478,481,482,480,479,408,406,399,400,394,10,401,396,403,412,411,395,405,404,477],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7prtj-F9Z","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158223"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158223"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158292,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158223\/revisions\/158292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}