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Topic: Astral Chain

Posts 321 to 337 of 337

Matt_Barber

So far as a sequel goes, I'd like to see one. Well, maybe not as much as I'd be keen to see more of Bayonetta and Nier: Automata, but I'd think that Astral Chain would probably be my favourite Platinum game after those two.

Realistically though, they are spread pretty thin already making games for other publishers as well as Nintendo, and Bayonetta 2 (and 3 when that eventually comes out) is the only time they've ever made a sequel to one of their own games.

I don't think it's a franchise where they could just hand it off to some other studio either as, without their trademark combat system, it's just a sci-fi detective RPG and a pretty generic one at that.

Matt_Barber

kkslider5552000

Yeah, I can't imagine people being that invested in the world of Astral Chain, despite some cool ideas in it. Compare that to Nier, where the new remake is not made by Platinum, but I'm not sure most people even know.

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jump

@Snaplocket Bayonetta has a lot cheesy fun with it’s writing which I enjoyed. It was like a b-movie whilst Astral Chain is too straight even with its setting and premise for my liking. Too many of the NPC were blank slates with only Kyle standing out.

Nicolai wrote:

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kkslider5552000

One of the character highlights of Astral Chain were literally vending machines tbh.

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Bolt_Strike

@Matt_Barber Actually, I feel like Astral Chain is the least generic of Platinum's IPs, certainly gameplay wise. Platinum's games tend to consist of little more than beating up the baddies, which is why I've usually stayed away from their games, but Astral Chain has so much more going on with it. You're exploring the levels looking for clues, completing side quests, cleaning up Red Matter, finding portals to and exploring the Astral Plane, using Legion abilities to navigate the levels and find secrets. Astral Chain's gameplay is so varied that it doesn't feel like "just" anything, there's so much going on that it feels like there's something for everyone. That's why I want to see it continue.

Bolt_Strike

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Matt_Barber

@Snaplocket I'd also think of Bayonetta as a franchise that wouldn't really make sense if Platinum weren't making the games, if that's any help. It just happens to be the one where they actually made a sequel out of a catalogue of otherwise one-offs.

Also, although the story is downright silly, it does a good job of leaning into and subverting the tropes it employs, so the characters end up feeling way more fleshed out. Astral Chain does rather feel like a bit of a mishmash of popular shonen anime series in comparison, and that's what most people would mean when they say it's lacking in identity. I also like the art style of Bayonetta more, but that's pretty subjective and both games are among the most attractive on the Switch.

@Bolt_Strike Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot and enjoyed that they'd tried a few things differently. I just don't think that all of them came off. Let's face it, the Astral Plane gets very samey after the first couple of visits and cleaning up red matter is just a case of holding a button down and waggling the stick a bit. The detective work is mostly fun, but they'd need a much stronger story and characters to carry it purely upon that, so it's a good job they didn't have to.

The legion combat is absolutely the best bit, and why I don't think anyone but Platinum should make a sequel, even though Nintendo could potentially hire a different studio to take it forward. (Astral Chain Warriors, anyone?)

So yes, I'd like to see more of it and most of the other shortcoming could be tightened up with a second go. I just don't see Platinum as being a position where they can keep making two ongoing series for Nintendo with any kind of regularity though, especially when they're also getting so much work from other publishers. Just count the time between the announcement of Bayonetta 3 and now, and bear in mind that Astral Chain 2 hasn't even been announced.

Matt_Barber

jump

@Snaplocket I never said the story, I said the writing which are different things.

The various characters in Astral Chain feel flat, like the mission where you have to be Lappy and talk to people, the people you talk to are very dull in what they are saying and how they are saying it. It would be fine if they are just forgettable NPC but their was an intro at the start of the game where you have to meet various characters but it does pay off.

Nicolai wrote:

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Grumblevolcano

@Matt_Barber I think Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4 and BotW 2 may have taught Nintendo a lesson about announcing games way too early.

Grumblevolcano

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jump

@Grumblevolcano They were doing that way before those 3. No sign of Pikmin 4, Mother 3 was meant to be a N64 launch title, BOTW seemed like forever etc.

Nicolai wrote:

Alright, I gotta stop getting into arguments with jump. Someone remind me next time.

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Solaine

@Snaplocket It got some fun over the top moments and well the fights are epic enough. But yeah, it is nothing special, generally the writing is nothing special in platinum games. Their core principle is fluid gameplay and good fights (excluding Nier Automata here, the story got good cause Yoko Taro, not platinum)

"on a scale of 1 to 10, she's an 11, and she'd give herself a 12" ~The Burst, Furi

RR529

I dunno, I think this was probably my favorite Switch exclusive of 2019.

It certainly stands out on the platform too, as I can't think of many big future sci-fi games on the system outside of it (especially at the time it released). I mean there's Daemon X Machina, a growing number of Star Wars games, & the Borderlands games, but it's a genre that's definitely underserved on the platform in comparison to fantasy fare.

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

jump

@RR529 Anime/sci-fi games aren't that rare that it makes it stand out imo, it's far more represented than say superhero or steampunk games. There's a proper short supply of Westeners with only Call of Juarez coming to my mind as being note worthy on the Switch.

Nicolai wrote:

Alright, I gotta stop getting into arguments with jump. Someone remind me next time.

Switch Friend Code: SW-8051-9575-2812 | 3DS Friend Code: 1762-3772-0251

Jrpglover

I'd love an astral chains 2 it was/ is one of my fave switch games

Jrpglover

nitrolink

Am I the only person who prefers Wonderful 101 over Astral Chain? I find the combat in this game too confusing: changing legions, timing sync attacks, and moving the chain around. 2-3 attack buttons is enough for me.

nitrolink

kkslider5552000

nitrolink wrote:

Am I the only person who prefers Wonderful 101 over Astral Chain? I find the combat in this game too confusing

Yes...but I think both games are comparably confusing tbh.

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iLikeUrAttitude

Got this game as a birthday present, it arrives March 3rd and I can't wait!

Good... good
Now play Dragon Quest

sisodinr

I was looking at Astral Chain for a long time, and with Nier Automata in the recent mini direct, I had to pick it up. Just started Astral Chain, and it's been fun so far!

sisodinr

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