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Battle Axe
Released On: Apr 29, 2021
76
User Score
Mixed or average
5.8
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Generally favorable
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
76
67% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
33% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally favorable
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
76
67% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
33% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Battle Axe might be an excellent arcade game, but that’s a flaw as well as a feature. Extended play sessions, like those you find in Infinite Mode, can quickly wear out their welcome. You can only blow apart so many orcs before you start yearning for more. Maybe the gameplay loop doesn’t escape that cabinets and coins territory, but it doesn’t need to. The action that’s available is nothing short of exemplary. Fluid pixel art animation, tight controls, retro music and audio, and an intense challenge all elevate this game beyond ordinary nostalgia. If you’re looking for your next arcade game, you absolutely can’t miss Battle Axe.
It often leans harder into its retro
inspirations than is perhaps
completely necessary, but Battle
Axe is still a fitting tribute
to the golden era of
coin-operated arcade
romps. [Issue#2, p.73]
As old-school as it can get in every frame and fibre of its being, Battle Axe faithfully transports you back to the classic Capcom and Neo Geo arcade era with its exquisite pixel art animation and punchy, challenging gameplay.
Battle Axe offers a nostalgic arcade hack & slash experience with it's beautifully created sprites, levels, and bosses. Beating your high scores in Battle Axe's arcade mode and infinite mode will keep you busy for hours. The levels offer a diverse variety in enemy types and obstacles, but the game can get somewhat repetitive after a few playthroughs. Where the game ultimately falls short is in the controls and camera, which further adds to the game's challenging difficulty. Also, the absence of online multiplayer is a shame.
There's replay value to be found in the Hard difficulty setting, or chasing 29 Trophies for a Platinum, as well as an unlockable New Game+ challenge. Yet, even the inclusion of an extra Infinite Mode highlights how the core gameplay becomes repetitive, plus the four main areas of Arcade Mode can be beaten in less than an hour. If the idea of exploring to save villagers reminds you fondly of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, or perhaps you remember isometric arcade brawlers like Dungeon Magic and Wizard Fire, then the nostalgia conjured up from Battle Axe mixing together two formidable old genres may still hack-and-slash its way into your heart.
Battle Axe packs in a lot of personality thanks to its trio of colourful protagonists and its wonderful art style. But its gameplay likely won’t keep your attention for much longer than an hour or two. It’s a great flashback to games of yesteryear, but outside of a nostalgia hit, there’s no real reason to keep going back.
User Reviews
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Summary Battle Axe is an arcade top-down hack & slash featuring high-quality visuals created by veteran pixel artist Henk Nieborg, true to form game mechanics, and music from the legendary VGM composer Manami Matsumae.
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 5
Initial Release Date: Apr 29, 2021
Developer:
- Henk Nieborg
Publisher: Numskull Games
Genres:
