The whole retro games revival of the last few years has seen some tremendous highs (Shovel Knight, baby!) and the occasional lows (almost anything on Steam's early access list), but no game has gone as far as Axiom Verge when it comes to genuinely making you feel as though you're playing something from the 80's - albeit with a few technological innovations and graphical flourishes that freshen it up. A side-scrolling Metroid tribute, the really great thing about playing Axiom is the constant rollout of fancy new weapons and gadgets to use. All stemming from a bulky piece of kit called the Disruptor, you'll see it go from your standard 'pew pew'-style pellet-thrower to a hefty flame n' chain lightning-spewing behemoth - and that's without mentioning the huge amount of changes your character goes through across the game too. From double jumps to warping between surfaces and even acquiring a grappling hook to Spider-Man your way around some of the more vertically laid out levels - it's absolutely astounding this all came from the mind of one master designer in Thomas Happ. By the time the credits roll it'll all have combined into one of the most procedurally enjoyable experiences since Shadow Complex, all powered by a great sense of drive when it comes to exploring a character that has far more in common with the surrounding world that you might think - but above all it's just fun to scorch the alien hordes as a Tron-style soundtrack backs every blast.
