Awaken Astral Blade (Steam)

Hailing from Sony's China Hero initiative, wherein the company funds Chinese games projects, Awaken Astral Blade is a new Metroidvania game which is a format that has proven insanely popular over the last few years, the side-scrolling combat taking place through winding maps on multiple levels has worked for new franchises (Sword of the Stranger, Astalibra, Afterimage) anime licenses (Lodoss, Overlord) and even existing game franchises that use the same characters across  multiple gaming formats like Touhou. 

It's easy to see why - it's a relatively simple format that only requires a 2D playing field and a good imagination. Using upgrades and equipment can make older parts of the map worth visiting again to reach places you couldn't before, and if the combat is slick enough, it's an enjoyable way to spend your time. 

Awaken - Astral Blade is a new IP set in a future where you play as Tania, a combat bionic (basically a cyborg) that can be augmented by power ups, new skills and equipment found lying around the map. You'll explore the mysterious Horace islands and discover the secrets of a long-dead civilisation, battling local horrors along the way. Combos are accessed by using normal attack 3 times and then topping off with a special attack button, so it's relatively simple to get to grips with. You can also dash and block attacks, the timing of which can unleash further benefits once you have your rhythm down. 

The maps offer plenty of hard to reach ledges, hidden areas and lore-enriching logs to find, though having played so many games in this genre I was able to navigate the ledges and find the hidden areas just by virtue of instinctively knowing where they were likely to be based on the map layouts and graphical cues. 

It's very familiar to anyone who has played the genre, with upgrades and moves obtained by using points earned from kills to upgrade your skillset. As such it's a touch more linear in terms of overall scope than other Metroidvania games, but it still offers enough upgrade paths to experiment with and determine your own play style. You'll be able to parry, create new combos and jump further, meanwhile your upgrades will add valuable percentage points to your attack and defense.

Tania is an alluring design, though her dialogue doesn't make her particularly memorable

Tania is an attractive figure to follow on screen, and the environments and backgrounds (especially the giant statues) lend the game an eerie sense of place. Bosses are tough but fair, requiring a modicum of skill and good timing to defeat - there's no easy wins through button mashing here.

In all, I found the game enjoyable but never exceptional. It doesn't bring anything new to the genre and it lacks the cunning puzzles of games like Deedlit's Labyrinth. Having a physical edition for PS5 that comes with some extra goodies (sleeve, stickers, digital soundtrack) for just £29.99 makes it better value for the system than most games, but doesn't push the PS5 very hard, and I played our review copy on my Steam Deck far more - it's better as a game to dip in and out of, and I certainly appreciated having it to play on the go.

I'd like to see the development team take a few more chances should they return to Tania's adventures. I'm hard pressed to find anything to mark it out from other (better) examples of the Metroidvania crowd. You'll certainly enjoy your time with the game, but I think you'll struggle to feel much attachment to it when the credits roll.