Playing as a mask wearing sentient robot, the narrative begins innocently. While casually venturing through some ancient ruins, a legendary sword claims you as its wielder, tasking you with being the savior of the land. Astor: Blade of the Monolith doesn’t waste any time and almost immediately throws the player into the quest, which is welcomed and appreciated.
While the lore gets heavier towards the end of the campaign, the action remains at the forefront. Regarding gameplay, think Zelda-ish but without heavier set puzzles mixed with Devil May Cry-lite button-mashy combat. The sweeping landscapes are beautiful and easily a highlight of this $30 digital download. However, as vibrant as it may be, the environment can be disappointingly restrictive. What seems like a path that could lead to a secret area is almost always blocked by invisible walls, so much so that I stopped looking for secrets off the beaten path within a short time. For a world that is so pretty, it is a shame that the player cannot fully engage with it.
Combat has also been designed with care as it remains approachable throughout. To be very clear, this is not a Soulslike and I very happy for this decision. Although it is possible to steamroll most enemies with the basic three hit combo, the lower difficulty is actually refreshing in 2024. There are also numerous ways to upgrade attacks and passive abilities so there is plenty of incentive to keep fighting the mindless enemies.
Not to be confused with low quality, but the casual and easy-going pace of play is respected. The overall gameplay loop follows a paint-by-numbers approach of upgrading weapons, solving a puzzle or two, defeating a bunch of enemy fodder, besting a boss, then repeating until the world is saved. Even though the tried by true gameplay formula doesn’t attempt anything new, there is one feature that is most welcomed. By tapping a button, the game tells the player exactly where to go by highlighting a trail on the ground. As a busy, working adult, I wish all games had this “I haven’t played this game in a week and forgot where I was supposed to go and do, please remind me” feature.
Even with basic combat and an overuse of invisible barriers, Astor: Blade of the Monolith still offers some straightforward action RPG entertainment. In a time when every game is either a simulator, a roguelike, or a Soulslike, it is actually fun to play a straightforward, more linear action game even if it will ultimately fly under the radar and be forgotten to time.
SCORE: 6.5/10
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By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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