20:34 don't apologize. Taura has stated it is Platinum's destiny to show off good butts in Video Games, it'd be a shame to not show off their hard work.
There's nothing wrong with a nice ass. Remember it's a video game / anime, AKA FANTASY! It's meant to look like something you would never see or always wanted to see and over the top!
Hard disagree with you about the anime-esque songs. Saviour and Dark Hero are great songs and hearing them in the boss fights was so damn hype. Hearing saviour in the last boss in file 12 was such a good nod to how you'd hear the opening again towards the end of an anime.
This game is worth getting for the music alone, the soundtrack is so so good. Oh and also the gameplay and aesthetic are amazing too. Probably my favorite game on the Switch
@@ryanwood6754 did you not watch the video? one of the legions is literally blade wolf and the starter ones main function is blade mode. its not that the games are similar overall, but the gameplay is very similar, down to even the healing mechanic of finishing and absorbing enemies
Indeed. Though, to be fair, since it's my friend who owns the Switch and that damned C-Virus is making visiting him difficult, I'm not getting past chapter 3 anytime soon...
To be fair, Platinum's gameplay design goals has always been "easy to pick up, almost finish-able with poor skills" and "You will need to try everything to get it if you don't know how Platinum does things since Viewtiful Joe and God Hand to finish it on the hardest difficulty and on Platinum ratings".
I found this game to be the “Smash Bros” of character action games. The button inputs and combos are very simple to pull off. It’s one of the easier combat systems to get into. but there is a lot of depth when you start experimenting.
Honestly, I found this story to be amazing!! It really shows just how far Platinum has come since Bayonetta and it shows in their writing, it was a refreshing change of pace.
I started Astral Chain yesterday. Considering I'm only at the beginning, I can't say much about it but I would like to share one similarity I picked up right at the beginning. Monsters attacking humanity and only some people can "sync" with some of them that were caught reminds me of the premise to God Eater. In that series, some characters are able to wield weapons made from the cells of Aragami, monsters that are indestructible to conventional weapons and only these "God Eaters," essentially slaves to a mega-corporation that controls what's left of the world, are able to defeat, let alone damage, these creatures. It's an interesting competitor to Monster Hunter with a fascinating lore, although the story presentation can be a little cringey. I do like the comparison to Evangelion, and considering that, and Ghost in the Shell are two of my favorite anime, Astral Chain is definitely a game I plan on getting further into. I discovered your channel only recently, but you are quickly climbing my list of favorite reviewers.
This is my favorite game on the switch, and will be for years to come. I don’t feel bad for anyone who hasn’t gave this game a chance, it is pure art that that appeals to a certain kind of person. Anyone who feels like this game was made for them, you already know what im saying.
Playing as V in DMC5 also gave me flashbacks to that game. I was so happy to see parallel advances to the game mechanics from Capcom and Platinum Games!
This looks solid. That said, I am completely, and unapologetically impressed that they got the shorts to move the way they do when the character is moving. Like, I get that that's "kind of" a common thing now, but it ALWAYS blows my mind when I see a game's developers actually put the time and effort into doing that. I mean hell, I still remember the moment i saw the horses muscles in the first Red Dead Redemption actually tensing up and relaxing as they moved. It never ceases to amaze me that games have progressed from the first time I saw Solid Snake move around in MGS1, along with Jill and Chris in RE1 when my cousin brought his PS1 down when I was in 1st grade, to where we are now, WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY MODEL CLOTHES MOVING THE WAY THEY SHOULD. What a time to be alive lmao.
This game really is great! My only regret is not picking it up much sooner, and I'm glad the initial review bombs didn't bring it down. I really hope it does get picked up for a sequel. That was my fist thought once I finished it. Even with the post credit wrap up narration it still felt so open.
I'm both proud and annoyed that I beat the whole game without levelling, not because I was trying to, I just forgot. I'm coming back to the game realising how much I missed and it was easier by actually playing the game
Might get this seeing some of the Revengeance influences in the gameplay. I'm a massive fan of that game, and I was soooo happy seeing what was essentially my boy Blade Wolf being in there! But now I'm sad we'll probably never get another Rising game... 😭
Your channel is a love letter to games. Thanks for taking me on a guided tour through this game as a budding Platinum fan. Much more into ShiftUp, but Platinum has fun stuff and inspired ShiftUp a lot.
Good job reviewing the game. One thing about this video commentary greatly surprises me, especially knowing you're a DMC fan. The biggest exploration of combat mechanics stems from chaining abilities from one legion to another for a single combo. One example would be using Beast to electrify a chain then swapping to the next legion to auto bind for lots of extra damage. Legions can be mapped in any order for custom combos. This is very handy since the legion menu freezes combat. Once you got that pattern down it doesn't really have to be that way though. Could go on for a while about how great these legion combos can get.
Bayonetta and Astral Chain alone will keep you glued on new game plus binges for DAYS with their endless combo mechanics. Not to mention the first Bayonetta comes with 2.
I adore this game!! Played it a few times and go back to it every once in a while. In my opinion it’s one of the most beautiful well designed Switch exclusive games
I am really glad to see one of my favorite TH-cam channels cover what might well be my game of the year for 2019 - even in spite of this being easily the best year for video games I've had in quite some time. Sure, I felt like DMC5 and Sekiro might have been strictly better, but Astral Chain felt new and fresh. In spite of its flaws, it gave me that feeling of being a kid again, playing a game that I didn't feel like I had already played before. And that makes it my favorite game this year.
After finally beating the game a few hours ago, Spherehunter pretty much voiced everything I felt about the experience. I absolutely loved it right from loading the game up. I love all the anime tropes they wire in all over the place I think Sphere probably "got" the combat system earlier than I did, lol. But now that I understand all the mechanics, I'm super excited to play through the game again on a higher difficulty. I feel like I played boring, since I stuck to Sword legion and the default color schemes/costumes. Maybe next game I'll mix it up. Next game on the list is Daemon X Machina, so might be a bit. Great vid!
Just wanted to say I finally got a switch and I’m finally getting to play this game! thank you so much for this in depth video I’m excited to explore this world!
I can agree so hard with everything mentioned here. 4 years on in 2023, I'm still playing the heck out of this game. I've picked up every collectible, beat every mission with the highest rank, and did it all on all 3 difficulties just for fun. (We don't talk about unchained mode in this house.) When I first got the game I wasn't so sure about it because of its steep learning curve. But once I just embraced it and fully immersed myself in the game, WOW was it rewarding. Platinum were firing on all cylinders when this game was made. My favorite legions are sword, beast, and axe, as they're the most used for me. Arm and arrow are all fun too, but they don't get as much use out of me unless I'm really working with all of them. Poor Arm, a heavy hitter, but struggles with accuracy. The lock-on button's your best friend when using the Arm legion btw. As for everything after the story ends, it was decently challenging. Though, my scrubbiness was showing on a few missions the first time I went through it all. I actually had to give up and start the whole game again fresh, and once I did, it was SO worth it. I understood the importance of leveling up your legions to CX, giving them all good abilities, and really dove into the possibilities that skills presented and made crazy openings. A few of the last file 12 missions were borderline unfair due to the enemies presented. Mostly because of the black boss chimeras and throwing multiple of them at you alongside Kyle or Jena, sometimes at the same time. Then came the true final boss, Aether. The goddess of the astral plane and a being powerful, she makes Noah Prime himself look like chump change. And that's BEFORE she gets angry. lol This video really does sum up the best and worst parts of this game. The story is good for the most part, and I agree it was kinda sequel baiting. Which I would welcome, btw. The gameplay itself is the real star of the show here. You're given the tools you need to make stylish kills, and look good while doing it. This game really is a love letter to Platinum's history and wears its inspirations proudly on its Ark Police uniform sleeve. I only hope this game gets a sequel soon. We did get an Astral Chain reference in the Bayonetta 3 trailers before the it came out, so it gives me hope.
Man this game has a lot more going on than I thought it did at first, thanks for covering it! By the way, have you heard of a game called Crosscode? It's a great pixel art action RPG. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that if that's something you're into. I think it's an amazing game with a pretty good story.
Can we reflect on how wild the Switch's summer has been? Between its start on June 21st and its end on September 23rd, Nintendo published Super Mario Maker 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Astral Chain, Daemon X Machina, and Link's Awakening. Six exclusives in a three month span. And while the two minor ones - Marvel and DxM - came in with modest scores around the 7/10 range, the other four bigger ones came in at 88, 89, 87, and 88 respectively on Metacritic with lots of acclaim. That's just plain nuts.
Me, having just discovered the channel: Oh, Astral Chain, nice! Sphere Hunter: I'm not really a fan of the anime-style opening song. Me: So you're saying this just wont work between us. Still love the videos though.
Finished playing the game, hecking loved it, I had the game for a while and a couple of months ago started it but the pacing started to feel a little slow and stopped for a while, this week whoever I picked it up again and enjoyed it, there was a part where it took like 2 hours to actually continue the story (detective work takes a while) along but after that, it was smooth sailing and I really loved the story and how it started to pick up finally, the final boss kicked my butt so hard but all in all, hope to see a sequel for this franchise. Also don’t apologize, the butts literally pop out, it was very hard not to notice the rumbuttious of my avatar
God the title to this video sums up my thoughts about this game.Not only a love letter to those games, but also to the fans that recognize them. One nice thing I like is the multiple control set ups (no full custom control set is something I do knock off a few points for). Another nice thing about this game is the evolving title screen. I was getting Spec Ops The Line vibes from that. All in all. Not a bad title from Platinum Games
In addition to arms base combo, you can actually perform other moves like the spin attack and lunge attack while wearing it. My favorite is the latter because you can follow up with a sync attack that shoot dozens of lasers in a first person point of view
I love how you used Nier's soundtrack in the background sort of like a little nod. The subtle "I know, you know, we all know" when speaking of a Platinum game.
With all the advances made in stylish action over the years, whether human-sized melee or gigantic mech, it'd be oh so nice to see a new Zone of the Enders game on a next-gen console, maybe with lofty inspiration pulled from Astral Chain and similar titles.
I had thought initially that the first 2 chapters intentionally limit your capabilities to make you feel like the rookie officer with an incredibly daunting task (while also chained to a creature that could kill you at any moment), without necessarily needing a scripted sequence where you're simply forced to lose. I was actually really into that.
Haven't played the game so I don't want to get spoiled by watching the whole video, however, I watched a few minutes and noticed the use of the Nier automata soundtrack which was a nice touch!
@Kevin Esquenet I'm one of those that don't like to see anything (for some games) until I get to play it. This being one of those, it can be a screenshot and I'd rather not see it xD.
She didn't mention it, but you can also use sword's slash mode to stun attacking enemies by clipping the red strand things that show up when enemies are attacking. This is pretty important as it can be the most reliable way to stop some attacks that can be hard to avoid, like spinning attacks.
Fallout 4: Collect Garbage to make some stuff Astral Cop: Collect Garbage and dispose of it in proper way, because it is a right thing to do. You lost again Bethesda.
Dumb comparison. Platinum games are fun but I could never spend 70 hours in a platinum game while I put 70 in fallout 4 easily and I didn't even finish it. And I enjoyed my time more than I did in any platinum game.
Ok deffinetly I need a Nintendo Switch, this game looks really amazing, like platinum classic style, good luck with the RE videos coming up :), also thx for the 20:29 scene, wow that physics
That nier music around 5 minutes in made me super nostalgic for nier, that game was what put me onto platinum games, since then I've gotten both bayonettas and astral chain, I've yet to play vanquish tho
I was really intrigued when I first saw this game. It reminded of Chaos Legion on PS2. I remember renting that game for weeks lol. So when I saw Astral Chain it felt almost familiar. Great vid btw.
This game was such a joy to play and is definitely going to hold me over till Bayonetta 3 finally comes out. Like yourself i didn't know what to expect going in but was surprised and i thoroughly enjoyed it ! As always keep up the amazing work Sphere, loving all the content you produce and each new upload is always a treat to watch !
Its been a while since I last played this game. It was the closest game to feeling like my Switch was worth it. I think how I came across this this game was seeing it at a Walmart and my curiosity was peaked. I remember thinking this game was super shiny and I liked it. I've been thinking about playing it again lately.
The combat scores you for every different thing you do, but only once for each. This means the best way to get high scores is to use every one of your tools at least once (one multi chain bind, one chain jump, once chain jump attack, one charge move, etc.) and switch legions and batons. Just go into combat with the mindset, "what haven't I done yet?" and you'll get S+ ranks easy.
Definitely was pretty impressed with this title, not only did we get some nice hack n slash gameplay but also a dope ass world with fun level design and quests. A nice complete package that at least personally did not disappoint especially with those ending missions. Really would have liked to have a voiced protag but overall i'm looking forward to its future.
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
20:34 don't apologize. Taura has stated it is Platinum's destiny to show off good butts in Video Games, it'd be a shame to not show off their hard work.
To paraphrase Yoko Taro: "There's no real purpose behind 2B's design. I just really like sexy anime women."
@@SonnyFRST I appreciate his honesty. Also he has good taste.
There's nothing wrong with a nice ass. Remember it's a video game / anime, AKA FANTASY! It's meant to look like something you would never see or always wanted to see and over the top!
That's exactly Bayonetta's thesis
In that case, Bayonetta 2 must be their magnum opus
I jockingly called it cyberpunk may cry bizarre adventure
, which isn't as far fetched as it's sounds
lol for real!!
Cyberpunk May Cry Bizarre Adventure: Golden Butt (20:30)
Well, Platinum IS named after Star Platinum after all, Jojo references come with the territory.
@Critical Triangle Nope, Platinum really is named after Star Platinum the JOJO stand.
@Critical Triangle of course they will say that
Do you expect them to say "yeah, we named it after some punching ghost from an old manga series"
20:30 I appreciate the level of detail on the butt creases. Japan number 1.
A small butt but yeah
Japan (and Suzy) know what's up.
I think I'm straight again.
They did it in Neir as well.
I'd say it's more a Platinum thing. They do love their butts and unnecessary fanservice.
Know this: calling a boss Kyle and making him a likeable threat is one hell of a feat.
I could seriously listen to you talk about anything for any length of time and be 1000% interested.
fr bruv
She has a very good audiobook voice honestly.
Hard disagree with you about the anime-esque songs. Saviour and Dark Hero are great songs and hearing them in the boss fights was so damn hype. Hearing saviour in the last boss in file 12 was such a good nod to how you'd hear the opening again towards the end of an anime.
Glad I'm not the only one
When she said that I was like "WHAT"
Right
Facts. I loved Savior. Hell, I listen to it damn near daily.
Same. Especially the end credits song, 'The Answer' both me and my Joycons/Pro controller vibin' to that track.
Astral Chain is my absolute favourite Switch game. I really hope this game doesn’t get forgotten.
This game is worth getting for the music alone, the soundtrack is so so good. Oh and also the gameplay and aesthetic are amazing too. Probably my favorite game on the Switch
i hear that beautiful nier ost in the background. well played.
I was just about to ask - since it's the dev is the same, I wondered if Sawano was hired to do the ost again
they good game if you like Japanese action game... still better whatever shit they come out this year...
@@SpiceCh nope..not the same
@@mekhspace9746 Its a Square Enix game but Platinum did the combat/gameplay of Nier:Automata so yes it is some of the same devs.
@@natashasibley445 I know it's the same devs..I own both games..I meant it's not the same Audio composer
I would love a second Astral Chain, the Game was Awesome.
Khankra I am really invested into the world building for some reason
I want Akira in smash, male/female with the Raven outfit for my edgy goodness
@@joshuawalker3222 Have to Admit that would be Way to cool ^^
I want Akira in Smash with Raven outfit for the male and the hospital gear for the girl.
@@joshuawalker3222 Akira in Smash would basically just be Rosalina with Bayonetta levels of combo potential.
Nintendo suggested the cyber punk focus.
Look at Nintendo being all cool and all
That guest artist with more amazing work on the thumbnail 👌
So basically a cyberpunk character action game with jojo stands? YES.
It was supposed to be an Demon Hunter Game at first :E
fizzie and Eva
My favorite is Star Plat- oh sorry, I meant Arm Legion
You though you escaped me but it was I Dio
Essentially yes. With even more costumes and fun. And a secret toilet fairy you appease to get a cute outfit! 🧚♀️
That synced beat scene...
"I'm sorry"
No, you're not, and neither and I.
this may be my favorite speaking voice in the world.
I don't know man,valkyrie aurora's voice is pretty good
Check out Vanguard of Valor.
fr
@@CERYT almost too good of a voice....
@@zenzonerzz4789 truetrue
I got such a huge metal gear rising feeling from this game and now I know why
They look very similar
the story is just as wierd, you have to stop demons from storing humanity on a radioactive magic Solid State Drive using police stands
as a fan of MGR I dont see how. they basically share nothing in common
@@ryanwood6754 did you not watch the video? one of the legions is literally blade wolf and the starter ones main function is blade mode. its not that the games are similar overall, but the gameplay is very similar, down to even the healing mechanic of finishing and absorbing enemies
i'm getting some "Chaos Legion" vibes from this game, and i like it
Astral Chain is kinda a spiritual successor to Chaos Legion.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one
@@EbeeDeeby Chaos Legion is hidden gem on PS2 it's awesome game and Platinum Games pay tribute to Chaos Legion for Astral Chain
An awesome obscure game
I thought this too especially when they originally had a medieval setting before the cyberpunk. I glad they remembered that classic
Everybody on metacritic who called the combat shallow probably only played for like 20 minutes
Indeed.
Though, to be fair, since it's my friend who owns the Switch and that damned C-Virus is making visiting him difficult, I'm not getting past chapter 3 anytime soon...
To be fair, Platinum's gameplay design goals has always been "easy to pick up, almost finish-able with poor skills" and "You will need to try everything to get it if you don't know how Platinum does things since Viewtiful Joe and God Hand to finish it on the hardest difficulty and on Platinum ratings".
I found this game to be the “Smash Bros” of character action games. The button inputs and combos are very simple to pull off. It’s one of the easier combat systems to get into. but there is a lot of depth when you start experimenting.
It is shallow, though. There's no real strategy to it, it's just "can you pull off moves like a machine?"
@@frenchfriedbagel7035 What is deep about it?
I actually love Savior and Dark Hero
Who doesn't
Rho Nar sphere hunter
@@bigpenny8223 touche
@@bigpenny8223 Good thing Dark Hero isnt a Opening or Ending song like she said.
Sounds really good in english as well. Female version rocks it imo
FirPstl dark hero is the legion fusion song isn’t it?
Since I've finished the game, I"ve been looking for a video essay about it that is as much fun to watch than it was to play it. I finally found it!
“I’m sorry”
Nothing to be to sorry about Suzy 🤣
11:03 That's it, I'm buying this game.
16:54 Pick up that can.
Honestly, I found this story to be amazing!! It really shows just how far Platinum has come since Bayonetta and it shows in their writing, it was a refreshing change of pace.
I started Astral Chain yesterday. Considering I'm only at the beginning, I can't say much about it but I would like to share one similarity I picked up right at the beginning. Monsters attacking humanity and only some people can "sync" with some of them that were caught reminds me of the premise to God Eater. In that series, some characters are able to wield weapons made from the cells of Aragami, monsters that are indestructible to conventional weapons and only these "God Eaters," essentially slaves to a mega-corporation that controls what's left of the world, are able to defeat, let alone damage, these creatures. It's an interesting competitor to Monster Hunter with a fascinating lore, although the story presentation can be a little cringey. I do like the comparison to Evangelion, and considering that, and Ghost in the Shell are two of my favorite anime, Astral Chain is definitely a game I plan on getting further into. I discovered your channel only recently, but you are quickly climbing my list of favorite reviewers.
Fully agree
So how's the game
This is my favorite game on the switch, and will be for years to come. I don’t feel bad for anyone who hasn’t gave this game a chance, it is pure art that that appeals to a certain kind of person. Anyone who feels like this game was made for them, you already know what im saying.
"Videogames cause violence"
The Sphere Hunter
: 16:50
I got a new record of like 120
Edit: 99 default and like 31 in the city
Anybody remember Chaos Legion? This game is it's spiritual successor!!!
Plays very different
Playing as V in DMC5 also gave me flashbacks to that game. I was so happy to see parallel advances to the game mechanics from Capcom and Platinum Games!
Wrath Legion
Guilt Legion
On top of Ghost in the Shell and Evangelion, I kept getting feelings of Bubblegum Crisis as well. I absolutely loved this game
Been waiting for this one Suzi. Real in depth as always
Some would say this game is....off the chain.
Hell YES, this game is an easy GotY candidate for me thus far, great to see you cover it!
Shouldn't a game of the year be a really great game, not just a game you like?
The vibe of this game is like a mix of 90's anime and a classic PS2 game and I mean that in the best way.
This looks solid. That said, I am completely, and unapologetically impressed that they got the shorts to move the way they do when the character is moving. Like, I get that that's "kind of" a common thing now, but it ALWAYS blows my mind when I see a game's developers actually put the time and effort into doing that. I mean hell, I still remember the moment i saw the horses muscles in the first Red Dead Redemption actually tensing up and relaxing as they moved. It never ceases to amaze me that games have progressed from the first time I saw Solid Snake move around in MGS1, along with Jill and Chris in RE1 when my cousin brought his PS1 down when I was in 1st grade, to where we are now, WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY MODEL CLOTHES MOVING THE WAY THEY SHOULD. What a time to be alive lmao.
Absolutely love your voice. I could listen to it every day 💜
Greetings from Wales 🏴
Best Video Games with well done game mechanics:
-Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) (Gunplay, customization, Lean system, Peek System, Killstreak System, Vehicles System, Fast Paced)
-Need for Speed (2015) (Driving mechanics, Customization, Drifting Mechanics)
-DOOM Eternal (Gunplay, Creative Kills, Fast Paced)
-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X (Skating Mechanics, Creative Extensive combo moves, Handling System)
-Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Skating Mechanics, Creative Extensive combo moves, Handling System, Nail the Trick Mechanic)
-Rainbow Six Siege (Peaking and Leaning Mechanic, Paced Combat, Strategic Gameplay)
-Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain (Extensive Full body handling mechanic, Customization, Gun play, Creative Kills, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay)
-Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes (Extensive Full body handling mechanic, Customization, Gun play, Creative Kills, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay)
-Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots (Extensive Full body handling mechanic, Customization, Gun play, Creative Kills)
-Battlefield 4 (Paced Combat, Realistic Combat, Customization, Vehicle System, Environment Destruction System, Strategic/Tactical Gameplay)
-Mortal Kombat 11 (Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive Combos, Specials)
-Street Fighter V (Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Tekken 7 (Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Street Fighter III 3rd Strike (Fast Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-DragonBall FighterZ (Fast Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Killer Instinct (2013) (Fast Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Dead or Alive 6 (Fast Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Extensive Full body handling mechanic, Customization, Gun play, Creative Kills, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay)
-Assassin's Creed Unity (Parkour Mechanics, Creative Kills, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay)
-Red Dead Redemption 2 (Gunplay, Horse Riding Handling, Engaging interactive combat)
-Marvel's Spider-man (Extensive Swinging mechanics, Strategic/ tactical gameplay, Creative Kills, Fast Paced Fluid Combat)
-Far Cry 3 (Gunplay, Customization, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay, Intelligent A.I.)
-Ninja Gaiden Black (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Ninja Gaiden II (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Devil May Cry 5 (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Devil May Cry 3 (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Devil May Cry (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Vanquish (Gunplay, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Metal Gear Rising Revengeance (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (Customization, Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Sonic Mania Plus (Amazing well thought out levels, Fluid gameplay, Amazing Soundtrack, Amazing character models, Amazing in game cinematics)
-CupHead (Amazing well thought out levels, Fluid gameplay, Amazing Soundtrack, Amazing character models, Amazing in game cinematics, Paced Progression)
-Streets of Rage 4 (Amazing well thought out levels, Fluid gameplay, Amazing Soundtrack, Amazing character models, Challenging A.I., Amazing Multiplayer teamwork)
-Nioh (Customization, Fast Paced Fluid Combat, Strategic Gameplay, Amazing combo cinematics, Challenging A.I.)
-Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations (Fast Paced Combat, Balanced Strategic Combat System, Handling, Extensive combos, Specials)
-Jet Set Radio Future (Skating Mechanics, Creative Extensive combo moves, Handling System, Soundtrack)
-Lost Planet 2 (Amazing Multiplayer mechanics, Handling, Strategic/ Tactical Gameplay, Fluid gameplay)
-Titanfall 2 (Gunplay, customization, Parkour System, Jaeger Handling System, Killstreak System, Vehicles System, Fast Paced)
This game really is great! My only regret is not picking it up much sooner, and I'm glad the initial review bombs didn't bring it down.
I really hope it does get picked up for a sequel. That was my fist thought once I finished it. Even with the post credit wrap up narration it still felt so open.
I'm both proud and annoyed that I beat the whole game without levelling, not because I was trying to, I just forgot. I'm coming back to the game realising how much I missed and it was easier by actually playing the game
This game and it's gameplay is a truly a love letter to Platinum games older games meshed into 1 awesome game.
Might get this seeing some of the Revengeance influences in the gameplay. I'm a massive fan of that game, and I was soooo happy seeing what was essentially my boy Blade Wolf being in there! But now I'm sad we'll probably never get another Rising game... 😭
Your channel is a love letter to games. Thanks for taking me on a guided tour through this game as a budding Platinum fan. Much more into ShiftUp, but Platinum has fun stuff and inspired ShiftUp a lot.
Good job reviewing the game. One thing about this video commentary greatly surprises me, especially knowing you're a DMC fan. The biggest exploration of combat mechanics stems from chaining abilities from one legion to another for a single combo. One example would be using Beast to electrify a chain then swapping to the next legion to auto bind for lots of extra damage. Legions can be mapped in any order for custom combos. This is very handy since the legion menu freezes combat. Once you got that pattern down it doesn't really have to be that way though. Could go on for a while about how great these legion combos can get.
Bought this last Friday and still working through it. Freaking amazing!! Though I hope one day we get a sequel to Metal Gear Rising.
This game just might lead to me getting a switch .😁👌
Hi
Runs pretty damn well in handheld mode too! If the new Lite is more your flavor.
Same here, this might be one of the games i'd get for it if i ever decide on getting the switch,this game looks really awesome
Bayonetta and Astral Chain alone will keep you glued on new game plus binges for DAYS with their endless combo mechanics. Not to mention the first Bayonetta comes with 2.
Between this, Bayonetta, Daemon X Machina, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance I definitely will be getting the Switch soon
I was not expecting a full video on Astral Chain, let alone so soon. Happily surprised ^^
Legit just glad Tabletorgy was behind this thumbnail. I love their artwork!
That name
DESERVED
XD
Best and most balanced take on the game I’ve heard so far, thank you!
I adore this game!! Played it a few times and go back to it every once in a while. In my opinion it’s one of the most beautiful well designed Switch exclusive games
I am really glad to see one of my favorite TH-cam channels cover what might well be my game of the year for 2019 - even in spite of this being easily the best year for video games I've had in quite some time. Sure, I felt like DMC5 and Sekiro might have been strictly better, but Astral Chain felt new and fresh. In spite of its flaws, it gave me that feeling of being a kid again, playing a game that I didn't feel like I had already played before. And that makes it my favorite game this year.
I love to listen your videos because they're very well written and i love your voice because it's really relaxing
Always appreciate the time and effort and detail you talk about for any game you review. Great video as always!
This reminds me of the game Chaos Legion so much. I didn't know I had been waiting for something like that for so long. My god.
whooaaa....holy shit. Even the original idea for Astral Chain was basically a new Chaos Legion. Great callback!
After finally beating the game a few hours ago, Spherehunter pretty much voiced everything I felt about the experience. I absolutely loved it right from loading the game up. I love all the anime tropes they wire in all over the place
I think Sphere probably "got" the combat system earlier than I did, lol. But now that I understand all the mechanics, I'm super excited to play through the game again on a higher difficulty. I feel like I played boring, since I stuck to Sword legion and the default color schemes/costumes. Maybe next game I'll mix it up. Next game on the list is Daemon X Machina, so might be a bit.
Great vid!
Just wanted to say I finally got a switch and I’m finally getting to play this game! thank you so much for this in depth video I’m excited to explore this world!
I love this game but hearing the NieR music and having you mention 2B make me really want NieR on the switch so I can play on the go.
Brother I’m from the future and it’s a great really good port
Clicked as soon as I saw the notification, lol I love this game
I'm addicted to your voice, you sound like a Residen Evil female character!!!😍😍🙌🙌🌹🌹
I can agree so hard with everything mentioned here. 4 years on in 2023, I'm still playing the heck out of this game. I've picked up every collectible, beat every mission with the highest rank, and did it all on all 3 difficulties just for fun. (We don't talk about unchained mode in this house.) When I first got the game I wasn't so sure about it because of its steep learning curve. But once I just embraced it and fully immersed myself in the game, WOW was it rewarding. Platinum were firing on all cylinders when this game was made.
My favorite legions are sword, beast, and axe, as they're the most used for me. Arm and arrow are all fun too, but they don't get as much use out of me unless I'm really working with all of them. Poor Arm, a heavy hitter, but struggles with accuracy. The lock-on button's your best friend when using the Arm legion btw.
As for everything after the story ends, it was decently challenging. Though, my scrubbiness was showing on a few missions the first time I went through it all. I actually had to give up and start the whole game again fresh, and once I did, it was SO worth it. I understood the importance of leveling up your legions to CX, giving them all good abilities, and really dove into the possibilities that skills presented and made crazy openings. A few of the last file 12 missions were borderline unfair due to the enemies presented. Mostly because of the black boss chimeras and throwing multiple of them at you alongside Kyle or Jena, sometimes at the same time. Then came the true final boss, Aether. The goddess of the astral plane and a being powerful, she makes Noah Prime himself look like chump change. And that's BEFORE she gets angry. lol
This video really does sum up the best and worst parts of this game. The story is good for the most part, and I agree it was kinda sequel baiting. Which I would welcome, btw. The gameplay itself is the real star of the show here. You're given the tools you need to make stylish kills, and look good while doing it. This game really is a love letter to Platinum's history and wears its inspirations proudly on its Ark Police uniform sleeve. I only hope this game gets a sequel soon. We did get an Astral Chain reference in the Bayonetta 3 trailers before the it came out, so it gives me hope.
Thank you. I had a massive anxiety moment and your voice and knowledge soothed me completely. I also like your taste in games and anime!
I've been waiting for summoner action based games, and now we've got two of them.
Yes.
Platinum standard!
You have a very sultry voice that's great for narration. The review is very concise and honest and I love it. Subscribed!
Easily my favourite game of 2019. It’s soooo amazing! 😍
Man this game has a lot more going on than I thought it did at first, thanks for covering it! By the way, have you heard of a game called Crosscode? It's a great pixel art action RPG. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that if that's something you're into. I think it's an amazing game with a pretty good story.
Forget Bayo 4, give me Astral Chain 2
Can we reflect on how wild the Switch's summer has been? Between its start on June 21st and its end on September 23rd, Nintendo published Super Mario Maker 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Astral Chain, Daemon X Machina, and Link's Awakening. Six exclusives in a three month span. And while the two minor ones - Marvel and DxM - came in with modest scores around the 7/10 range, the other four bigger ones came in at 88, 89, 87, and 88 respectively on Metacritic with lots of acclaim. That's just plain nuts.
That Automata soundtrack subtlety in the background.
Me, having just discovered the channel: Oh, Astral Chain, nice!
Sphere Hunter: I'm not really a fan of the anime-style opening song.
Me: So you're saying this just wont work between us.
Still love the videos though.
Finished playing the game, hecking loved it, I had the game for a while and a couple of months ago started it but the pacing started to feel a little slow and stopped for a while, this week whoever I picked it up again and enjoyed it, there was a part where it took like 2 hours to actually continue the story (detective work takes a while) along but after that, it was smooth sailing and I really loved the story and how it started to pick up finally, the final boss kicked my butt so hard but all in all, hope to see a sequel for this franchise. Also don’t apologize, the butts literally pop out, it was very hard not to notice the rumbuttious of my avatar
God the title to this video sums up my thoughts about this game.Not only a love letter to those games, but also to the fans that recognize them.
One nice thing I like is the multiple control set ups (no full custom control set is something I do knock off a few points for).
Another nice thing about this game is the evolving title screen. I was getting Spec Ops The Line vibes from that.
All in all. Not a bad title from Platinum Games
Scalebound... Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time.
I’m just now watching this video and even more enjoying that Automata OST.
In addition to arms base combo, you can actually perform other moves like the spin attack and lunge attack while wearing it. My favorite is the latter because you can follow up with a sync attack that shoot dozens of lasers in a first person point of view
I love how you used Nier's soundtrack in the background sort of like a little nod. The subtle "I know, you know, we all know" when speaking of a Platinum game.
The thumbnail art of you in this video looks kind of like Mashiro Mai from Dead Tube... I like it.
With all the advances made in stylish action over the years, whether human-sized melee or gigantic mech, it'd be oh so nice to see a new Zone of the Enders game on a next-gen console, maybe with lofty inspiration pulled from Astral Chain and similar titles.
I had thought initially that the first 2 chapters intentionally limit your capabilities to make you feel like the rookie officer with an incredibly daunting task (while also chained to a creature that could kill you at any moment), without necessarily needing a scripted sequence where you're simply forced to lose. I was actually really into that.
It took awhile to get into the game but the boss fight toward the end is so anime I love it!
Man I was looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this game. Your videos are super comfy.
Haven't played the game so I don't want to get spoiled by watching the whole video, however, I watched a few minutes and noticed the use of the Nier automata soundtrack which was a nice touch!
@Kevin Esquenet I'm one of those that don't like to see anything (for some games) until I get to play it. This being one of those, it can be a screenshot and I'd rather not see it xD.
Great video! Incisive voice and perspective, and can relate to your trajectory with the game before launch.
She didn't mention it, but you can also use sword's slash mode to stun attacking enemies by clipping the red strand things that show up when enemies are attacking. This is pretty important as it can be the most reliable way to stop some attacks that can be hard to avoid, like spinning attacks.
I bought this on release. Its remarkable. Why are more people not talking about this !?
Fallout 4: Collect Garbage to make some stuff
Astral Cop: Collect Garbage and dispose of it in proper way, because it is a right thing to do.
You lost again Bethesda.
Dumb comparison. Platinum games are fun but I could never spend 70 hours in a platinum game while I put 70 in fallout 4 easily and I didn't even finish it. And I enjoyed my time more than I did in any platinum game.
Ok deffinetly I need a Nintendo Switch, this game looks really amazing, like platinum classic style, good luck with the RE videos coming up :), also thx for the 20:29 scene, wow that physics
That nier music around 5 minutes in made me super nostalgic for nier, that game was what put me onto platinum games, since then I've gotten both bayonettas and astral chain, I've yet to play vanquish tho
3:01 This motorcycle scene has no textures on the walls and ceiling, and the tunnel itself is a simple constant shape all the way through.
I'm about halfway through the game and loving it
I must say, the interjected dmc5 footage at 60fps really showed how action game like this needs that framerate.
I was really intrigued when I first saw this game. It reminded of Chaos Legion on PS2. I remember renting that game for weeks lol. So when I saw Astral Chain it felt almost familiar. Great vid btw.
i love bayonetta may stando power: revengeance, cant wait for the sequel soon
So according to the title of this video, Platinum Games gave a love letter to itself.
This game was such a joy to play and is definitely going to hold me over till Bayonetta 3 finally comes out. Like yourself i didn't know what to expect going in but was surprised and i thoroughly enjoyed it !
As always keep up the amazing work Sphere, loving all the content you produce and each new upload is always a treat to watch !
Just found this channel i you seem to know what you are talking about, and your voice is so soothing... you got a new subscriber!
Its been a while since I last played this game. It was the closest game to feeling like my Switch was worth it. I think how I came across this this game was seeing it at a Walmart and my curiosity was peaked. I remember thinking this game was super shiny and I liked it. I've been thinking about playing it again lately.
The combat scores you for every different thing you do, but only once for each. This means the best way to get high scores is to use every one of your tools at least once (one multi chain bind, one chain jump, once chain jump attack, one charge move, etc.) and switch legions and batons. Just go into combat with the mindset, "what haven't I done yet?" and you'll get S+ ranks easy.
THANKS
The best video I've seen about Astral Chain! Wonderful game!
Man, PlatinumGames is what other developers should strive to be. The best in their class. I am so glad they exist.
I might add this to my wish list down the line
Definitely was pretty impressed with this title, not only did we get some nice hack n slash gameplay but also a dope ass world with fun level design and quests. A nice complete package that at least personally did not disappoint especially with those ending missions. Really would have liked to have a voiced protag but overall i'm looking forward to its future.
I was on the fence about getting this but once again you've convinced me Suzi
I was on the fence for this one, but I'm sold for sure after your video.