The Game Awards left us with several exciting announcements from well-known franchises and studios in December, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the short cinematic teaser for Immortals of Aveum fell into oblivion within minutes of its presentation. That’s a problem, because former Ascendant Studios developers Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Dead Space, and The Walking Dead (and so many other amazing games) are creating a one-of-a-kind first-person shooter. which I can safely say will end up being one of the best games of 2023.
I say this after spending a day at Ascendant Studios talking to the talented team, learning more about their philosophy, and most importantly, playing Immortals of Aveum for an hour. Quite an achievement, considering how few first-person shooters manage to impress me these days. Most feel and do the same. Not here.
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The first thing that surprised me was its great visual quality. Being an EA Originals game, I was expecting a fantastic title with characters we’ve seen many times before due to its indie label and low budget. What I got was a wondrous world, full of fascinating details that drew me into the universe and made me want to explore and learn more about it. And it’s not just in terms of pixel count, near-perfect 60 FPS and so on, but also in terms of design. It’s not one of those over-designed, over-the-top places that end up looking “gamey” and contrived. Giant statues, ancient ruins, reclaimed temples, and other mysterious structures tell a story and make sense while being suited for combat and exploration.
Because it’s not a walking simulator. Nor is it a Call of Duty passed through a magic filter. Of course, the three types of magic in Immortals of Aveum (each with their own ability/upgrade tree) can easily be compared to the classics, as blue is the long-range rifle that does the most damage if you hit the dots. weak. , green is the automatic rifle with targeted shots and red takes on the role of a shotgun with its huge damage and short range. My fears vanished as soon as I picked up the controller. Even the initial variants are striking and distinguished, and the smooth passage from one to the other creates an astonishing fluidity, further enhanced by the visual and auditory spectacle to which these encounters give rise. Not to mention ultimate or super magic abilities called Furies that can annihilate enemies around you, create a black hole that sucks them in, and other cool effects that are useful in different scenarios and suit different playstyles. not enough? You also get a satisfying dash, a magic shield you can shoot through, a whiplash to pull enemies towards you, and orbs that slow them down. Basically, this world is your playground, and everything you do is so good.
To some extent, this is also true outside of combat, as some abilities are useful for exploring and solving puzzles. The whip can be used as a grappling hook to get closer to certain objects, you can slow things down and cast magic at similarly colored crystals to open doors to side areas with optional bosses, new abilities, gear specials or gold to buy better things, plus story, collectibles and more. All of the ones I encountered in the early areas were extremely easy to spot and solve, but the promise of more difficult ones later gives me hope that there will be more challenging and satisfying puzzles.
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However, I have some doubts. Although the story and the world seem fantastic so far, I can’t stand watching one scene for several minutes before having ten seconds of gameplay and then another scene. It ruins the flow of the game, even if it’s just a minor annoyance. One aspect that will annoy more people is that the rewards for exploring seem very poor: there are too many chests in the world that give you gold and resources that you can use to buy or upgrade your gear. A little disappointing when the Sigils (in layman’s terms, the various weapons in the game), Rings and the like that I found could swing the tables significantly. It’s a little more understandable in a game like Destiny, where quests can be replayed over and over again, but Immortals of Aveum is a more linear single-player metroidvania with no random loot. On the other hand, every item and spell I found had a unique look and feel, so there’s plenty for that.
Not all are successes. The developers must have snatched the controller from me in an hour, because the blending of Call of Duty, Destiny, and Final Fantasy into an intriguing new universe that I understand Ascendant hopes to turn into a multimedia franchise, scarred me I’m going to look like to a cliche, but the controls are so smooth and intuitive, the variety of enemies is already superb, the combat is really fun and engaging, and the world is interesting to explore, even if a little restrictive and simple in these first days. Needless to say, I can’t wait to find Immortals of Aveum and its approximately 25 hour campaign (much longer if you want to find all the side areas and kill the optional bosses) on July 20.
