Golden Axe: Beast Rider returns the classic Sega franchise to the modern world in the form of a modern day, Ninja Gaiden/God of War-style hack-and-slasher.
The game has you playing as a scantily clad heroine named Tyris Flare who is on a mission to gain back control of “The Last Titan” from an evil beast and his minions, who are now one step closer to dominating the world. That entiles seeking out the stolen titan and finding the scattered pieces of the fabled Golden Axe in order to destroy the ones responsible for the plight of Tyris Flare and her people.
Golden Axe: Beast Rider plays like a hack-and-slash action fest and has little in common with the previous beat-em’ up games. The most lacking aspect is the fact that the game contains no multiplayer whatsoever, being solely a single-player affair.
Probably the coolest thing going for it is your ability to ride one of five different beasts, all of which have varying abilities and attacks. These allow you to plow through enemies a lot easier than on foot. The combat system is very unbalanced though, with slow-combos and a parry and counter system that relies on a certain glow given off by your opponent before they strike. However you can only do this to one enemy at a time, which makes for immense frustration when you are surrounded by enemies.
But the biggest issue with the game comes from it’s extremely punishing difficulty and the fact that the game’s environments are full of invisible walls and confusing paths. Combine that with a lack of a map and major slowdown, and you have a game that is destined for the bargain bin.
Find out all the bloody details; quite literally, this game is over-the-top violent, which seems a bit bewildering in this video review.
Key Features of Golden Axe: Beast Rider include:
* Mounted combat: Unleash a barrage of bites, claws and special attacks, as well as furious swings from the Hero’s own weapon
* On-foot combat: In line with the series’ lineage, on-foot combat plays a key role in this game, allowing players to alternate between light attacks, heavy attacks, blocks, ripostes, magic, and grappling
* Realistic dismemberment: Not only will limbs and heads fly off in sword combat, the beasts in Golden Axe Beast Rider will be able to tear enemies apart as well
* Fidelity to the classic games: Environments, magic, enemies, and beasts are designed to evoke fond memories of the original games
* Robust single-player campaign: Single player adventure offers more than 12 hours of critical-path gameplay; the option to choose from one of three heroes to play as increases replay value
To quote the video review: “We encountered major slowdown and framerate issues during particularly heated battles, and the endless cries Tyris and enemies make during battle get especially annoying. Tyris is likeable enough, but generic and uninspired gameplay manage to reduce everything in Golden Axe: Beast Rider to the lowest common denominator. It’s simply not fun; offering very little incentive to keep playing. The frustrating difficulty doesn’t help, either. The absence of multiplayer really hurts, since the series was founded on teaming up with a friend. We can’t recommend it to anyone other than the diehard hack-and-slash fans looking for the cheapest of thrills.”
Story: 7.2
Design: 6.5
Gameplay: 4.1
Presentation: 5.5
Overall: 5.5