The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Axiom Verge is a single-player, retro-styled 2D action-adventure in the Metroidvania tradition. Its appeal is the combination of a sprawling alien world to explore, a broad arsenal of weapons and upgrades, and a glitch ability that can alter enemies and environments. It is a natural fit for players who enjoy piecing together routes and secrets; it is less suited to someone looking mainly for a linear action game. The game is available across several platforms, with the Wii U edition offering a distinctive second-screen map and inventory.
What kind of game is Axiom Verge?
You play a scientist who wakes in a mysterious alien world after a laboratory accident. The game is a side-scrolling action-adventure built around exploring an interconnected, labyrinthine setting, finding equipment and abilities, and fighting biomechanoid creatures. Thomas Happ Games describes it as a retro-styled 2D “metroidvania” action-adventure.
Exploration is the central loop: new weapons, items, and abilities give you more ways to deal with threats and reach parts of the world that were previously inaccessible. The developer says the game’s inspirations include Metroid, Contra, Blaster Master, Rygar, and Bionic Commando; those are the developer’s stated influences, not a claim that the games play identically.
What makes its mechanics distinctive?
Weapons and upgrades
The world rewards searching beyond the most obvious route. You find weapons, tools, items, and upgrades as you explore, giving the adventure more variety than a simple sequence of combat rooms. In a 2016 press release, Thomas Happ Games advertised more than 40 weapons and tools, almost 100 upgrades, and over 80 creatures. Those are developer-published counts rather than independently audited totals.
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The glitch ability
Axiom Verge’s signature mechanic lets you “glitch” parts of the world. Official materials describe using it to scramble enemies, corrupt environments, solve puzzles, and reveal hidden areas. It makes the world itself part of the problem-solving: progress may come from changing what you are looking at, not only from defeating an enemy or finding a key.
Is Axiom Verge worth playing?
It is worth considering if you like exploration-led action games, retro presentation, and the pleasure of gradually understanding how a large map fits together. Its weapons and glitch mechanic give the premise a clear identity, while its maze-like world asks you to pay attention to branches and discoveries rather than simply follow a straight path.
Rank #2
- Officially licensed Atari titles. Titles include Asteroids, Centipede, Millipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Crystal Castles and many more. Game save options.
- Packed with over 200 built-in Atari games + bonus titles. Pac-Man & Galaga not included. Full Game list listed below.
- Includes Atari console, games instructions, 2 wireless joysticks, USB power cable, HDMI cable, and user manual. System connects directly to TV.
- Includes two 2.4 GHz wireless joysticks, inspired by the original Atari joysticks, include paddles for paddle games like Breakout, Warlords and many more.
- User Guide Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Japanese and Arabic. Dynamic RGB LED lights.
If you want a tightly linear campaign, a modern visual style, or a game chosen for a verified difficulty or performance profile, the available official descriptions and store listings do not establish those qualities. The strongest case for the game is its mix of interconnected exploration, combat, and world manipulation—not an independently verified claim about how it feels to play.
What do players and reviewers say?
Steam displayed a “Very Positive” rating, with 90% of 4,133 English-language user reviews positive when accessed on October 7, 2026. This is a changing Steam user-rating snapshot, not a critic score or a comprehensive review consensus.
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Thomas Happ Games’ 2016 press release said the game had received more than 24 independent review scores of 9/10 or higher. That is a historical figure reported by the developer, not a current, independently reconstructed critic aggregate. The same release reproduced selected praise, including Giant Bomb’s “Axiom Verge is positively terrific.” These are selected excerpts, so they should be read as individual reactions rather than a substitute for a full review.
Which version should you choose?
| Version | What is established | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Wii U | The official site says this is the only version with a second screen that keeps the map and inventory visible. | You want that specific map-and-inventory display. |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo’s US listing gives an October 5, 2017 release date, digital availability, single-system single-player support, and TV, tabletop, and handheld modes. The listing also reports supported behavior on Switch 2. | You want to play in TV, tabletop, or handheld mode. |
| PC (Steam) | Steam lists May 14, 2015 as the release date. | You prefer the Steam version; the cited listing establishes its release date and review snapshot, not comparative performance. |
| PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One | The official Axiom Verge site lists these platforms. It also states that PS4 and Vita releases support cross-buy. | You want one of the listed platform editions; the sources cited here do not establish broader performance or control differences. |
The developer says physical editions existed for Switch, PS4, Vita, and Wii U, but reports that most were sold out or gone when its site was accessed. Availability and condition can change, so confirm the platform, edition, region, condition, and seller in any current listing before buying. Do not assume a physical copy is in stock simply because an edition was released.
Rank #4
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Release dates and source details
Steam dates the PC release to May 14, 2015; Nintendo’s US Switch page dates that edition to October 5, 2017. The official site lists Switch, Wii U, Xbox One, Steam, PS Vita, and PS4. The different dates refer to platform releases, not separate games.
Content counts vary between developer materials published at different times. A May 2015 release described over 900 unique rooms and nearly 70 creatures, while Thomas Happ Games’ 2016 materials gave later figures of almost 1,000 rooms and over 80 creatures. These are dated promotional figures, so they should not be combined or treated as exact audited totals.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
