I recently got a chance to play around an hour of Axel Quest, thanks to a review copy provided by Ratalaika Games.
You can watch my gameplay video below:
Pros:
- Excellent 8-bit presentation.
- Tight and responsive controls.
Cons:
- Checkpoints are few and far between.
- Soft locks when changing equipment.
Overall:
Axel Quest is a 2D action platformer that features an excellent 8-bit inspired pixel art and chiptune soundtrack.
In order to defeat a dragon, you explore various locales in the world. Along the way, you will find new power-ups that help with combat as well as open new pathways.
The controls for Axel Quest feel tight and responsive, which is crucial as every jump and enemy encounter could go awry quickly.
While the game is fun, it can also be very frustrating. This is because checkpoints are few and far between. If you end up dying, then you often will have to replay large sections of the map to get back to where you die. This can be extremely frustrating when you considered that there are plenty of instant death pits.
At launch, there is also a nasty glitch where the game apparently soft locks when you try to change equipment. During my playthrough, I never got to equip any of the more powerful equipment as the game will lock me in the equipment menu every time no matter what buttons I pressed. Restarting the game did not help either.
Overall, Axel Quest can be a fun retro-inspired 2D platformer. However, the lack of checkpoints and equipment glitch keep may be too frustrating for some to overlook.