We are practically on the eve of PlatinumGames’ highly anticipated Astral Chain launching exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Technically it’s still a couple of days away, not actually coming out until August 30, but with reviews beginning to trickle out and the community fired up, we’re approaching critical mass. Spearheaded by first time director Takahisa Taura who was a designer on the groundbreaking NieR Automata, Astral Chain will probably have some new takes and additions to the Platinum formula which will make it a fresh experience. Continuing the partnership the studio’s developed with Nintendo during the Wii U days, this is the third Nintendo exclusive Platinum game to come out.
With August 30 looming, Nintendo and Platinum have dropped a launch trailer that I have to say packs quite a punch. I’m a very moderate, or rather cautious, PlatinumGames fan. I love the fact that they stick to making imaginative video games that are wild, silly, and a force to be reckoned with. Whether they’re doing their own thing like Bayonetta or working on an established property like Metal Gear Rising, they know how to make a video game feel like a video game. However, I’ve felt that sometimes the combat in their games gets too repetitive and, until Nier Automata anyway, the emotional pay-off was never quite there.
We do live in a post-Nier Automata world though, and with Astral Chain director Takahisa having played no small part in one of the most amazing games of the decade leaves me optimistic. Lots of preliminary reviews say that there’s much more to the game than the flashy cyber-themed surface and spectacle game-play, which also has me hopeful. This probably won’t quite be a day one purchase for me, because honestly, I keep putting hours into this Yu-Gi-Oh! game which dropped on the Switch recently, but I’ll grab it when I’m card gamed out.
PlatinumGames’ Astral Chain comes out on Nintendo Switch on August 30.