What Awaken: Astral Blade Gets Right (and Wrong)

Awaken: Astral Blade bursts onto the scene with its flashy combat, intricate level design, and a heavy dose of metroidvania flair. Developed under Sony’s China Hero Project, it aims to blend fast-paced action with deep exploration. On paper, it has everything you’d want: fluid combat, a mysterious storyline, and a visually stunning world. But is it sharp enough to stand out, or does it lose its edge in execution?

The Premise

You play as Tania, a cyborg created by Orson Group, tasked with investigating mysterious energy sources in the Horace Islands while searching for a lost team. The story seems promising, blending ancient conflicts with futuristic tech. However, the narrative fails to engage deeply. The characters, despite their potential, lack emotional depth, which made it hard to connect with their journey.

Combat

Unlike traditional metroidvanias, Awaken emphasizes an action-oriented combat system. Tania starts with a basic sword but gains two additional weapons—a scythe and a hammer—each upgradeable with unique effects like poison or weakening strikes. What stands out is the combo system, allowing seamless transitions between moves, making combat fluid and enjoyable.

However, hitbox issues can sour the experience. There were moments when I swore I dodged an attack, only to get hit, or when enemies inexplicably evaded my blows. This inconsistency became especially frustrating during tougher battles. On the bright side, the game offers skill trees for dodge and parry upgrades, adding a layer of strategy to fights.

Exploration

The island setting is vast and intricate, filled with hidden areas, challenging platforming sections, and collectibles. One of the highlights is finding the 12 hidden cats, which, once collected, unlock a teleportation feature and mark uncollected items on the map. The cat-hunting mechanic is both charming and rewarding, adding a unique twist to exploration.

That said, some platforming sections are brutal. Combining aerial combat with precise movement requires mastering Tania’s moveset, which can feel overwhelming. Yet, overcoming these challenges is satisfying, reminiscent of Hollow Knight’s White Palace, albeit with more combat interference.

Visuals and Sound

Visually, Awaken is stunning. The environments are vibrant, with dynamic backdrops that breathe life into the world. Watching petals drift in the wind or massive enemies with intricate animations is a treat. However, graphical glitches, like enemy models freezing, break immersion. Cutscenes, relying on low-resolution slides, feel rushed and detract from the story’s weight.

Sound design is another weak spot. The music is serviceable but forgettable. More concerning is the inconsistent voice acting—some lines are voiced, others not, and the English dubbing lacks polish. Switching to the Chinese dub improves the experience somewhat, though the absence of environmental sounds in key scenes feels odd, lessening the impact of intense moments.

Bugs and Stability Issues

I encountered several crashes and UI glitches, such as the menu freezing mid-combat, obscuring the screen. These technical issues, while not game-breaking, are frequent enough to disrupt the flow. The developers are patching the game, but these problems currently hinder the overall experience.

Final Thoughts

Awaken: Astral Blade is a visually striking metroidvania with an engaging combat system and a promising foundation. However, its narrative shortcomings, hitbox inconsistencies, and technical issues prevent it from reaching greatness.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but with caution. Fans of action-heavy metroidvanias who can tolerate occasional frustrations will find moments of brilliance here. For others, it might be worth waiting for a few more patches.

Pros:

• Gorgeous visuals and dynamic environments
• Fluid, combo-based combat system
• Rewarding exploration with hidden collectibles

Cons:

• Hitbox inconsistencies in combat
• Technical issues and frequent crashes
• Underwhelming story and voice acting