Awakened Astral Blade Demo Review: An Exciting Start with Potential for Greatness

After playing the demo of Awakened Astral Blade, I can say that this game has a lot of potential, especially for fans of the Metroidvania genre. Visually, it's a treat, and the gameplay is reminiscent of Symphony of the Night, which is always a plus in my book. While there are a few areas that could use some improvement, the overall experience left me excited to see what the full release will bring.
Visuals and Art Style
The static art in Awakened Astral Blade is absolutely stunning. The environments are beautifully crafted, and the character designs are striking, with a lot of attention to detail. It's clear that the developers put a lot of love into the visual presentation of the game, and it shows in every screen. That said, while the backgrounds and static elements are gorgeous, some of the enemy animations could use a bit more detail to match the visual quality of the rest of the game. The main character's idle animation, in particular, feels a bit underwhelming. It has a somewhat "flash animation" look that feels out of place compared to the rest of the game's polished visuals. Adding more fluidity and detail to these animations would help elevate the overall presentation.
Gameplay: A Nod to Symphony of the Night
Gameplay-wise, Awakened Astral Blade nails the Metroidvania formula that fans of the genre love. The combat system and exploration are engaging, with mechanics that feel both familiar and satisfying. The progression system, map layout, and exploration are reminiscent of Symphony of the Night, which is a huge compliment. If you enjoy that classic blend of combat and exploration, this game is definitely going to hit the right notes for you.
Music and Sound
The music in the demo is decent, though it didn't blow me away. It does a good job of setting the tone, but there's room for more variety and impact. It's the kind of soundtrack that works well enough in the background but doesn't stand out as much as it could. That said, it doesn't detract from the experience, and I'm hopeful that the full game might bring a bit more musical depth.
Story: Not the Main Attraction
From what I've seen of the story so far, it's a bit lacking. But honestly, in games like this, where the gameplay takes center stage, the story isn't always the main draw. If the gameplay continues to deliver as it does in the demo, then the story being a bit weaker isn't too much of an issue for me. I think most players will be happy to focus on the action, exploration, and character progression.
Technical Aspects and Performance
One technical aspect I'd like to see improved is the ability to cap the frame rate. Currently, there's no option to limit the FPS, which led to my GPU running at 98% constantly while playing. It would be great to have an option to limit the game to 60 or 120 FPS to optimize performance and avoid unnecessarily stressing hardware. This would be a helpful addition for those looking to balance performance and GPU load. Also, I noticed that there hasn't been a price mentioned yet, which makes it hard to gauge the value proposition. Hopefully, the developers will provide more information on this closer to release.
Final Thoughts
Awakened Astral Blade shows a lot of promise. The visuals are striking, the gameplay is reminiscent of one of the best Metroidvania titles, and the combat is engaging. While there are areas that could use more polish-such as character animations and a more robust frame rate control-these are things that can be improved before launch. The music and story are solid enough, and with some tweaks, this game could become a must-play for fans of the genre.
I'm looking forward to seeing more and am excited for the full release. Keep up the great work!