Axiom Verge, the tailored Metroid-as developed exclusively by indie designer Thomas Happ, it is still receiving new content long after it was originally released. A new update will make the game look new every time you play, randomly in the order in which you obtain new weapons and unlock new areas.
Currently available in the Steam and Epic Games Store versions of the game as a beta version, the randomizer originally came out thanks to the work of Axiom Vergefrom the speedrunning community and, in particular, the creator of the mod that serves for Pozzum.
“[T]hey came up with an unofficial version that required a legal copy of the game to be used and has since worked with me to incorporate it into the game as an official mode of the game, ”writes Happ in a new developer update. “They spent years working on it and refused any compensation that I offered. It was a labor of love, and I am immensely grateful to them all. “
Like a side-scroller that is inspired by Metroid, Axiom Verge revolves around exploring levels, finding new upgrades and power-ups and then using them to go back and reach new areas that were previously blocked by obstacles. The challenging part for any randomizer is making sure that things are randomized so that players are not trapped in an area without access to the necessary powers to move on to the next.
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Happ provided the example of an initial area whose requirement to progress is simply to be able to shoot things, so any updates that meet these criteria can be included in the set of possibilities. Likewise, there is a part later where you get the Kilver weapon that allows you to shoot through the barriers. There are other weapons that can also do this, so they can also be replaced in this specific part of the progression path.
The new mode includes three different options:
- “Beginner” for players who have already won the game several times, but want to play it normally.
- “Advanced” for speedrunners familiar with how to overcome certain obstacles and sections.
- “Masochist” for Axiom Verge specialists who are intimately familiar with all its peculiarities, flaws and secrets.
“At the moment, there are exactly 4 people in the world capable of playing in this mode,” writes Happ. “If you don’t know that you’re one of them, you probably aren’t. This mode of progression is included mainly because the people mentioned who developed this mode include the masochists in question. “
If you want to get an idea of what Happ is talking about, watch this game speedrun in Awesome Games Done Quick 2021:
It’s cool to see a 2015 indie game have a new life blowing through it so many years later, but especially as a collaborative effort between the game’s developer and his passionate speedrunners. And although the randomizer is currently only in beta on the PC, it will come free for console versions in the future.
It’s also making me excited to Axiom Verge 2. Originally launched last year, it was late in the fall until sometime in the first half of 2021. Fortunately, it seems that is still the case. Happ wrote: “I’m putting the finishing touches on this and I will talk more about it soon”.