Axiom Verge is a metroidvania video game created by American independent developer Thomas Happ. The game was first released in March 2015 for PlayStation 4 in North America and in April 2015 for PlayStation 4 in Europe and Australia. It was also released in May 2015 for Linux, OS X, and Windows. A version for PlayStation Vita came out in April 2016. The Wii U and Xbox One versions were released in September 2016 in North America and Europe. A Nintendo Switch version was released in October 2017. A sequel called Axiom Verge 2 was released in 2021.

Gameplay

Axiom Verge is a side-scrolling action-adventure game. The player controls Trace, a scientist who wakes up in an ancient but highly advanced world after a serious injury. The game includes action and exploration. Players can collect over 60 items and power-ups. It uses ideas from classic games like Metroid, Contra, Blaster Master, and Bionic Commando.

Plot

A lab explosion knocks Trace Eschenbrenner unconscious. He wakes up on Sudra, an alien world. He hears a voice and finds a large mechanical head named Elsenova.

Trace uses a power filter to help Elsenova function again. Elsenova explains that the universe has many worlds separated by a storm called the Breach. Long ago, a man named Athetos traveled through the Breach to Sudra. He used a disease to kill its people. The only survivors were the Rusalki, a group of mechanical giants like Elsenova.

Trace uses drones to repair the Rusalki. On his way to meet a Rusalka named Ophelia, Trace sees strange things and collapses. While unconscious, he recalls that after the lab explosion, he stayed on Earth and shared theories that were laughed at by scientists. He was called "Athetos" by others. Ophelia tells Trace he is a younger version of himself. Trace distrusts the Rusalki and asks to speak to Athetos. Elsenova kills Trace from a distance.

Ophelia brings Trace back to life. She agrees to let Athetos live if Trace stops a device called the Breach attractor. Trace finds Athetos, who explains Sudra was once a gateway to a highly advanced alien world. When Athetos arrived, the Sudrans no longer understood their purpose and protected their technology like a religion. Athetos wanted to take the technology to Earth, so he killed the Sudrans to stop them. The Rusalki survived, which stopped Athetos’s plan. To keep the Rusalki from leaving Sudra, Athetos used the Breach to trap them.

Trace fights Athetos and destroys the Breach attractor with Elsenova’s help. Elsenova says Athetos is too dangerous and breaks her promise by killing him. The Rusalki take Trace back to Earth and put him to sleep.

Trace wakes up on Earth after the lab accident. History has changed so the explosion did not hurt him. He becomes obsessed with returning to Sudra and quits his job to study it. If the game ends with a high completion rate, just as Trace succeeds in his research, Athetos appears. He tells Trace, “It is time to wake up,” and shoots him.

Development and release

Axiom Verge is a game created by Tom Happ, an engineer from Petroglyph Games. He has worked on other games such as End of Nations, NFL Street, and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series. Tom also worked on a Game Boy Advance project called Orn, which is a small game inspired by Metroid. He is the only person who designed, drew, and made the music for Axiom Verge. He started working on the game in March 2010 as a side project.

An early version of the game was sent to the 2012 Dream Build Play challenge on May 15. The game was first planned to be released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2013, but the release was delayed. In 2014, Axiom Verge was listed in Indie Statik’s Top 100 Most Anticipated Indie Games of 2014. In April 2014, it was announced that the game would be released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in early 2015. On May 14, 2015, Axiom Verge was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X. The PlayStation Vita version was released in North America on April 19, 2016, and in Europe the next day.

In March 2015, it was reported that a Wii U version was considered but not possible at the time because the game’s software, MonoGame, did not support Nintendo’s platform. However, Nintendo expressed interest in bringing the game to Wii U. In March 2016, it was confirmed that the game would be released for Wii U, with a planned release date of September 1, 2016, in North America and Europe. Tom Happ originally planned to include an unlockable Samus Aran costume in the Wii U version, but Nintendo did not approve. At one point, a Nintendo 3DS version was also considered. After the Nintendo Switch was announced, Tom hoped Nintendo would provide a developer kit so he could create a version for the Switch. A port was later confirmed as part of the special Multiverse Edition.

In October 2015, Thomas Happ Games partnered with IndieBox, a subscription service, to create a custom physical release of Axiom Verge. The limited edition included a flash drive with a DRM-free copy of the game, an official soundtrack, instruction manual, Steam key, and collectible items. High demand for this version caused the IndieBox website to crash.

Six years after its initial release, Axiom Verge received a downloadable content update in 2021. This update added a new gameplay mode that randomly places items. The update was created through a collaboration between Tom Happ and the game’s speedrunning community, who had unofficially developed a mod for this mode and wanted it officially added.

In February 2017, Spanish game distributor BadLand Games announced a partnership with Tom Happ to publish Axiom Verge as a retail title. A standard version was planned for PlayStation 4, and a special limited edition called the Multiverse Edition was to be released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U in Q2 2017 in North America and Europe. The Multiverse Edition would include a physical copy of the game, a deluxe booklet with developer commentary and art, a double-sided poster, and a making-of documentary on Blu-ray (originally planned for DVD). BadLand Games planned to release the Multiverse Edition on other platforms later. In June 2017, it was confirmed that the Multiverse Edition would be released worldwide in August 2017 and would also be available for the Nintendo Switch with an exclusive soundtrack CD. However, the release was delayed to October 17, 2017, and then again to November 21, 2017, in North America. The European release happened on January 29, 2018. A physical edition of the Wii U version was later released by Limited Run Games on March 29, 2019.

Reception

The game received mostly positive reviews when it was released, with special praise for its setting, weapons, boss battles, controls, upgrades, and hidden features. Metacritic, a website that collects reviews, gave the PlayStation 4 version a score of 84 out of 100 based on 61 reviews.

Jeff Gerstmann from Giant Bomb gave the game a perfect score. He praised the wide variety of weapons and the useful upgrades players can earn. He also said the game encourages players to complete 100% of its content. He noted that the audio and visuals change in meaningful ways while still resembling those from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. About the game's difficulty, he said it "makes things challenging without making them overly frustrating." He concluded by saying, "If you've ever enjoyed this type of action-adventure game, Axiom Verge is very good."

Peter Brown from GameSpot gave the game an 8 out of 10. He praised its high replay value, the surprising and rewarding story, the beautiful scenery, and the setting, which he said "creates a strong feeling of curiosity and fear." He also praised the game's secrets, many weapons, and soundtrack. He specifically highlighted the Address Disruptor, calling it "one of the most interesting weapons or tools I've ever seen in a game." He summarized by saying, "Axiom Verge is a game that's easy to love because it hits so many high points. It uses the Metroidvania model and adds creative ideas that are unique. It's not a stretch to say Axiom Verge is better than the games that inspired it because it is so inventive and well-made."

Marty Sliva from IGN gave the game a 7.9 out of 10. He praised the satisfying character progression, challenging boss battles, responsive controls, and good movement and combat. However, he criticized the forgettable story, unrelatable characters, and map design, which does not change throughout the game and discourages exploration. He also said the game lacks distant and memorable areas and is too similar to the Metroid series, with no clear goal.

Entertainment Weekly magazine rated the game "A−" and included it on its "The 10 Best Games of 2015" list.

Thomas Ella from Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4 out of 5. He described it as "a 2D side-scrolling game with a large, open world divided into separate rooms, many weapons and power-ups, and a map screen arranged in a grid to help track progress."

In a review from Black Gate, Matt Drought said, "Axiom Verge is fun to play. It is a worthy successor to games from the past. Exploring the world of Sudra, fighting enemies, discovering new areas, and collecting weapons with unique abilities is enjoyable. The game challenges players to survive a world filled with enemies and traps, and leaves a sense of accomplishment, especially after defeating difficult bosses. As a single developer, Thomas Happ created a game with great gameplay, an interesting idea, and a great soundtrack."

Sequel

During the 2019 Indie World presentation, Happ announced that a sequel, Axiom Verge 2, is being made and was going to come out for Nintendo Switch in the fall of 2020. In October 2020, it was announced that the release date was pushed back to the first half of 2021. In May 2021, the release date was again pushed back to the third quarter of 2021. The game was released on August 11, 2021.