The year is 2078, koalas and tigers are said to be extinct, and the same fate could befall the human race. An alien threat called "Chimera" drove people to Ark - the megalopolis that represents the last refuge of humanity. The Neuron Police Unit is the only hope for survival. The members of that unit use the Legions - captured and laboratory-tamed Chimeras, which they hold on to the chain and give them orders nervously.
Relax your mind, bite your donut and prepare your baton, Astral Chain arrives.
Astral Chain is an action adventure exclusive to the Switch platform, eager to jump out of the standard PlatinumGames action game. The chaotic and utterly spectacular system of combat is certainly a major asset of this PlatinumGames piece, but this is not nearly all that Astral Chain has to offer.
Shortly after you dress the blue uniform with your twin sister or brother, the whole story revolves around, you get on a motorcycle and embark on your first mission. Most missions begin with a crime scene investigation. After talking with witnesses and using the so-called IRIS technology that can replicate holograms from security cameras needs to agree on the theory and follow the clues accordingly. That part is done in the form of a mini-quiz and just like a fight - it gives a rating, from the worst "D" to the best "S +".
Then there is a bit of patrolling the street where you are free to help citizens who have all kinds of pleas and requests. During the first missions, it is easy to get the impression that this is an open world, but in fact it is only apparently so. With the exception of optional tasks, progress is linear and often not possible to return to a previous location.
The game slowly and cleverly doses explanations of all possibilities, both in combat and beyond. The Legion has a total of five and each of them has special abilities both in and out of combat. In the exploration stages, for example, a loyal Beast Legion can track missing persons and dig useful objects out of rubble, while a powerful Arm Legion can lift heavy objects and open jammed doors.
Really, there is everything in Astral Chain, even the platform sequences and the unnoticed sneaking in Metal Gear Solid style. Not bad, but what bothered me was that none of those elements were particularly interesting. Only combat is fantastic, using Legion specials outside of combat is interesting, exploring is fun only in the beginning, and everything else can often be tiring for the first time, not to mention re-moving to more weight or trying to collect "S +" grades in to each of the missions.
Fortunately, the RPG element is rationally moderate, so it comes down to just upgrading weapons and upgrading the Legion, and everything related to that part is easy to follow.
To collect "S +" ratings, you also need to play some mini games, among which there are games that operate on the principle of motion control. These mini-games are not great and are found in some of the longest missions. Perfectionists, good luck to you.
You can take pictures of all characters and alien monsters with your camera, which is one of the "commands". The commands are an alternative to the PlayStation trophies in this Nintendo game. They range from challenging tasks to interesting and fun memos, and all of them bring some rewards: additional uniform colors, new outfits, hair styles and Legion colors.
Outside of the fight, the Astral Chain looks really nice, with a specific visual style to it. It also looks very good in combat, and the animation and effects are great, but it's a shame it doesn't spin at 60 frames per second, but at 30. An odd choice given the emphasis on action, but understandable given the amount of enemies and screen effects in later missions. In addition, the only objection I make is the design of certain enemies that sometimes seem unimaginative.
In terms of sound effects and music, it is difficult to find a resentment; while voice acting is about the same level as the story - it serves a purpose, but it could have been much better. The theme is good, the characters have potential and Astral Chain in the mix of a bunch of different styles really has room to tell a quality story. But, as things stand - we will have to leave this task to a very likely sequel. Personally, I also hope for some better humor, though that segment is somewhat repaired by Lappy, the police station's official mascot.
But let's go back to the most important part. It seems that I, just like the game, persistently skip the fight. Believe me, despite the aforementioned flaws and imbalances, the fight somehow manages to make up for all these shortcomings. Your law enforcer handles a futuristic police baton that has three modes: a faster bat with less power but longer batches, a slower but larger bat that acts more like a sword, and a gun.
And so the cop goes down the street and runs into an evil alien. Outcome? Just like you expected, the cop gets blue under the eye. But that is why he has his own Legion who can savagely beat anyone who violates the law or endangers humanity. I did not mention that the Legions capture the Pokemon method, and were then stored in the so-called. Legatus device. The downside is that a functional Legion can be out of Legatus only for a certain amount of time, which is further shortened if it receives damage.
Pulling a Legion will restore his energy, and then you will rely on the skills he learned at the Police Academy in the 2070s. Joke aside, this part is exciting because without Legion you feel fragile and very often you have to "buy time" and somehow survive in a bunch of awkward opponents, each one stronger and more durable than you.
The baton has been modified in such a way that the risk is rewarded and with each successful impact you add additional energy to the Legion's energy and then choose the right moment to bring him back to the field. Stick attacks are assigned to the RZ key, while Legion attacks are assigned to the LZ key. By holding the LZ button, it is possible to control the Legion and the Chain, which also has several functions in combat, the most important being tying an opponent after which he has no choice but to suffer an upcoming series of blows.
During certain actions and series of strokes, a visual indication occurs which, by timely pressing the LZ button, activates a synchronized attack. Synchronized attacks are simultaneous attacks by your character and Legion, and they do enormous damage. Also, there is the ability to perform finishing strokes that are equally visually attractive and, in addition to removing the rest of the energy from the enemy, they recharge your energy.
You can alternate Legions during combat, you can add extra skills to each Legion, and certain attacks depend on the combination of Legion and the bat mode selected.
Overall, the fight is innovative, and it contains that kind of balance that is sometimes lacking in the rest of the game. Normal weight is slightly lighter than in other PlatinumGames titles, and z transitioning through the base campaign takes over 20 hours of gameplay. Much more is needed for a complete transition involving extra weight, collecting "S +" grades and solving "commands".
Certain parts between fights can sometimes be tiring and give the impression that the durability of the Astral Chain has been extended in a somewhat artificial way. However, it is worth it to endure the parts that Dante and Bayonetta certainly have reason to be jealous of.
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