El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron review

 This year we were present at the E3 and it looked and we played the biggest titles, but there were also smaller games from smaller publishers, such as Ignition Entertainment. Deadly Premonition spent this last year and Blacklight: Tango Down to the PlayStation 3. The Tokyo-based studio of the publisher is now El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron. For E3 the game was frankly not on our radar, but after having played just as we were impressed by this abstract game. And after extensive playing the full version we can say that El Shaddai: Metatron Ascension or to anyone on the radar indicator.


The story of El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron is based on the ancient Jewish book of Enoch. You take in the game, the role of Enoch you. When you first see him is equal to how he looks, for he has distinctive wavy blond hair wearing jeans. He is in Heaven and will receive a special task assigned. Seven cases are in fact angels to Earth to forge their own plans. This is not the intention and you must retrieve them and that's a decent job. The angels on Earth a tower in order to protect what you have to climb and as if each of the fallen angels back to heaven to send. How are you doing this? Because they sell a lot of banging and show that they can not simply do what they want.

This is the basis of the story and from there begins this extraordinary adventure. And this beginning is vague and it takes as well as the game gets going. Everything is introduced because, as a player so that you know what to do. This is partly explained by Lucifel and sometimes the lip-sync, as it is called can be very nice addition. This is shown later in the game is also back and this is still a waste. Fortunately, everything else is good and especially the gameplay. El Shaddai: Ascension or Metatron is a game with many facets. You play out the third-person perspective with a camera that moves with you. Rarely is this rather stubborn, but are not as disturbing. So you see everything from that perspective, but in addition to the gameplay in 3D you also have moments where you play the game in 2D, but more about that later.



If Enoch, you fight pretty often and this is an important part of the game. At the start, you fight with your bare fists, but soon you get weapons at your disposal. It's not like you so it takes a moment. No, you must first what to do and that is an enemy weaken. By kicking and hitting some after a while creates a blue glow to the injured opponent. In the short time you can be a 'Purification' run. This means that you have a nice motion animation as well take away the weapon and takes over. During this time the weapon will change from red to white. The weapon is clean and after a while you'll have to repeat this action because it will gradually turn red. The force will thus also reduced.

The arsenal which the protagonist becomes available to it is not very large. You get a total of three weapons with which you most of the game it plays. These are the Arch, the Veil and Gale. Each weapon has its strengths and weaknesses puntne. The former is an arch which has logical when you look at the name, but no arrows you shoot them down. This lets you quickly blows up close and has a moderate protection against attacks. Then you have the Veil and this is the slowest weapon, but what has been strongest weapon or give it back the most coverage. Finally there is the Gale and thus a kind of arrows you shoot away and thus very convenient for a distance from your opponent to strike. Downside to this weapon is the limited protection.


Each weapon, you would first take over by the 'Purification'. During fights with multiple opponents may be that you need therefore a Gale, and use the opportunity to grab a Veil. The weapon you have recently taken over as keep with you when you go so you can not choose all the time what weapon you use. This may appear as though you are limited in your choice in this. Luckily we can tell you that we are not totally affected by it. And at some points you get the option to change weapons. Fighting with weapons is also quite simple, but not monotonous. This is because of the variety that you have by taking over the weapons, but also by the combinations you can perform.

You control the weapons triangle, square and through combinations with the buttons and jump execute various actions. For example, by the Arch to jump and beat you and the enemy flying into the sky to him a few times to hit. Or by a short time to press there will be a powerful attack. A counter can do. For this you need to block an attack with R1 and then out of it. Actions also vary per weapon. The fight boils down to combining a number of buttons and gradually learn more and more. You can also go bashing the buttons and you'll find that you do not close it is. Enemies attack you from all sides and easy to dodge your attacks if they are monotonous. So it pays to try and too fast to perform attacks.


Enoch is an important task given and that the fallen angels back to heaven. Therefore he will fight with them. So you get such as against "Watcher Azazel '. This can be a single encounter or multiple. You simply can not equal defeat some bosses, because you're not strong enough. You have much to learn, such as which weapons are effective, and more. Once you sit in the final battle and you defeat him is not the same over. 'Watcher' Azazel Azazel is transformed in 'Nether' and therefore you should adjust your tactics again which again adds some variety to the game. These battles can also quite tough and strenuous, but it provides or be a beautiful challenge.

Fighting with all the enemies and the bosses above and in several different shapes come along, but fractions of the game. It is a mix of combat, platforming and 3D 2D platforming. The latter two mentioned items showing the best of puzzle and understand where some patience is needed. The difficulty is quite varied, just like the legion of puzzles you encounter. Here you do not so much objects move, but you have to jump a lot. Moving pieces of land sometimes make it damn tough as rotating objects. The platform itself is pretty easy as a draft. It is the style that makes him the experience and figuring out the puzzle that makes it so great. In the 3D platforms is quite a bit of variation though the 2D puzzles it really the best. It's just a funny moment you step out of the rhythm and get in a non disruptive way.


The particular areas of El Shaddai: Ascenscion or Metratron certainly deserve the same attention, because this is very cool together. You see all the many styles and colors that the makers and a very special conceptual world would drop. And she certainly succeeded, because at some point you look really forward to the next chapter. This acts as a motivation and despite some annoying puzzles all the time we wanted to go. Also is the alternation between the platforms and fight well together and this really helps the motivation to continue playing. El Shaddai: Ascension or Metatron looks so very special, but we have not come across a level where we have something to complain about. Each time it was something new and we looked our eyes out. Then everything was purple and other times it seemed like a disco around.

Although the levels are so fantastic to see the game graphics just some rough edges. You see this especially in the back characters, keeping the familiar jagged edges that looks back. It is something that is striking, but actually it is not original at all levels with many puzzles and challenges. Some cutscenes are a bit simple though there are very nice from where we again have great appreciation for watching. During these scenes, we heard music and often it is just as special as the rest of the game. And we mean anything negative separately, because the variety is very present here. Further noted that even in perfectly with the game. It appears that your hard organs in the background and later hears something that seems too African music. Again, very stylish and simply cool.


At E3 we were El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron in sight and we have now certainly not regretted. The story is not exhaustive and is sometimes quite blurry told, but it is mainly the overall experience that makes this title so well. The combat system is accessible and could perhaps have done a bit deeper, but it works. And the game is designed so that there are many incredible variety and that is primarily due to the artistic way the creators have set the levels. You see the strangest things pass and environments, but it's all very colorful and beautiful. Gameplay beats it by the various puzzles in 3D and 2D. We are also more than ten hours spent playing and so beautiful. We can say that this game does in terms of the most surprising of this year. El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron is pretty much Rivella: little strange, but nice!

Pros
- Style.
- Original.
- Fighting.
- Each level a surprise.
- 2D and 3D platform elements.
- Puzzles.
- Soundtrack.
- Lighting effects.

Cons
- Sometimes very blurred in terms of story.
- Lip-sync.
- Unnecessary items running.