Immortals of Aveum is one of the best surprises of 2023

More than in recent years, 2023 has been extremely busy for video games. That even lasted until the summer, when giants like Final Fantasy XVI and Street Fighter 6 took over a season that was often dry in terms of large release numbers. Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 dominated most of August—and will likely do the same for most of September, given it’s new to PlayStation 5—but towards the end of the month, I decided to put that aside. a side to try out a final title that is more interesting than expected.

Ascendant Studios’ recently released Immortals of Aveum was revealed in April, and it’s been a fascinating anomaly over the past few months. Its marketing promised a fantasy version of Call of Duty, and while that brand’s DNA is fully present here, that doesn’t quite stay true to the game’s true nature. . What we have here is a fun, oddly engaging shooter that has the feel of an original series on Syfy in the 2010s that you might find yourself convinced if you can. catch up to its wavelength.

That comparison isn’t easy for Syfy, as evidenced by the setting, in which genuine Aveum is in the midst of a years-long war between the battle mages of two kingdoms, Lucium and Rasharn. In this world, magic users can only use one specific type, coded in red, green, and blue. Our protagonist is Jak, a street hedgehog with relatively little magical powers — aka “the one without light,” one of many—who suddenly becomes a Triarch, placed so named because he can use all three types at the same time. Forced to fight for Lucium by Gina Torres, Jak eventually becomes part of the Immortals, a group of specialists tasked specifically with fighting the emperor Sandrakk of Rasharn and his group of lieutenants. .

Fantasy is a solid foundation for video games, but Immortals of Aveum offers an interesting take on things that feel novel when done. You’ve seen giant dragons and evil armies in many other games, but not really like this one. This is most evident with the Sigils, which are color-coded to reflect different types of magic and act like different guns. The Red Sigils act as pistols and rocket launchers, Blue acts as pistols and sniper rifles, and Green effectively acts as a machine gun. Each type of Sigil has a distinctly different feel, which is further reflected in their individual designs. So normally in games, magic can often feel like someone is waving a stick of different lengths around (or maybe even their own hand), but the spontaneity The Immortal’s gun-like magic gives everything a different weight, making Jak feel like a magical power that stands out from Doctor Strange.

You can feel the genre conventions of Immortals from start to finish, all of which the game is so eager to adopt in its campaign. The visual design of each location feels magical and alive, with some impressive sky boxes to admire; and when it comes time for a big action scene, the scenes are done pretty well. When everything comes together, the game becomes the best version of it, and the magic and military package comes together into something that feels refreshing, such as an ability in the middle of the game. The game allows Jak to ride colorful ley lines—the conduit of magical powers often a joke in fantasy settings—all over Aveum. Even the reload animations have the effect of showing that these three spells are distinct from each other.

And while the movie’s characters start off a little too cheerful for their own good, they all end up being lovable in the way that genres often are with these casts. Sometimes you just want to relax for an hour or two and watch some talented actors go all out to sell you something silly but just can’t help and get your attention, which the Unconventional One does. Death seems to recognize. All of the featured players have had enough time and opportunity to breathe and grow from the archetypes they originally seemed. There are interesting changes made throughout and overall, Ascendant is happy to present the magic and the rules that come with it (because there is always a cost!).

Immortals of Aveum feels like a game from a decade ago, possibly a perfect starter game for a new console, or as a B game in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era. Based on price On its own, it’s surprisingly captivating and an impressive debut title from a new studio. It’s a pity that the movie’s release at such a crowded time means that most audiences may not fully enjoy the film until next year.

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