|
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
is a weird game that pays homage to a simpler time of gaming, however
the universe of this title features a rich and diverse sensory
experience that looks quite stunning and stylised on the PS3. The story
revolves around Enoch, the protagonist of this game who has been given
the task of capturing the renegade angels called the Grigori... seven to
be precise. Don't let the 80's hero of this game persuade you not to
play El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
because even though he looks like a himbo, he is actually quite a cool
character.
According to the rather convoluted story,
the Grigori became fascinated with humanity and left heaven for Earth.
Fearing the influence of the Grigori on humanity, the Heavenly Council
were about to decimate Earth by a great flood in order rid the planet of
these 7 fallen angels, however Enoch agreed to step in which is where
the player takes over. With some help from a rather familiar yet
fiendish Angel who is always talking, Enoch is given the powers and the
weapons to hunt down these creatures in this action adventure orientated
game.
The biblical aspect of El Shaddai:
Ascension of the Metatron is a little strange and sometimes the
cutscenes seem to go on forever and a day but if you can push this
aside, the gameplay of this title is actually quite cool and addictive.
As you explore this world, the places that you visit are quite stylised
and simplistic but where the game does shine is through combat. Combat
has been streamlined with block,
dodge, jump and attack which may sound simplistic but there's something quite endearing about this
action adventure as you kick unholy butt.
As you engage in a variety of missions to
find these angels, you will soon discover a number of rather cool
weapons in your arsenal that includes the Arch, the Gale and the Veil. The Veil really
kicks some serious heavenly butt as not only does it serve as a pair of
gauntlets but also a shield. I don't want to spoil these weapons because
they have some really interesting abilities. With that said, your weapons range from melee to ranged
attacks and you can even steal weapons from your enemies. Boss fights sometimes to provide
a challenge to the player but if you look for their weakness, you can
generally work out a solution to defeating them. Generally, you will be
required to use a particular weapon to defeat a certain boss.
As with most games, players will discover a
favourite a weapon and when matched with your combo attacks, you will
create some very fluid attacks as you take on the various enemies in the
game. However, what sets this game apart from others is the inclusion of 2D
levels that look visually amazing but more importantly, play quite well. Best of all, your character still has
access to his weapons as it combines with puzzle solving and traditional
platforming levels. I actually found the 2D aspect of the game more
entertaining then the 3D version.
The only issues that I found with the game
is that sometimes it is difficult to time or judge your jumps, especially over
ledges and I found myself dead on more than one occasion. It does take a
little time in mastering the jump system and generally more often than
not, you need to compensate your jumps to safely make that landing. This
is probably the biggest issue with the game but thankfully the flawless
nature of the combat system more than makes up for this. Curse you
developers for making this game so addictively fun!
In terms of replay
value, once you have completed the game, it does open up additional
difficulty levels and because the world is so diverse and original, you
could easily play this title again. After playing a healthy amount of
games in 2011, I found El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron a very
original game that offers something different to what is currently
available in the marketplace.
Graphically El Shaddai: Ascension of the
Metatron is a beautiful looking game on the PS3 with a very minimalistic
approach. The most surreal aspect of the game are the 2D levels that
look like they have been taken directly from a PSN online game. Some of
the level design here is truly inspirational. In terms of 3D, the 3D
worlds are fun and the character designs of all the characters looks
brilliant.
Add in some great special effects and El
Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron comes together perfectly on the PS3
with its engaging soundtrack of "holy" rock and orchestral themes. The
downside to the game is the sometimes cheesy voice acting. I also loved
how the music changed with the various worlds that you visit or when the
action heats up.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed El Shaddai: Ascension of
the Metatron as it provides gamers with something a little left out of
centre with some gorgeous graphics, simplistic yet challenging
gameplay and a world that is so different that you will be craving to
come back. The amalgam of 2D meets 3D is used well and I for one enjoyed
this game from start to finish, even with the sometimes annoying
automatic camera angles which caused judging distance, especially for
jumps a holy pain in the
rear. Nonetheless, this is an engaging game in a classic world of good
versus evil... just don't let the story get to you.
Review courtesy of
www.mindscape.com.au |
