Guessed by @UnderwaterFunktown
Every year-end here on VGC, I end up making one of these Top 50 lists. And every year, when time comes to write about these games, there's one that makes me go "what the fuck happened here". This year, Astral Chain is the prized one.
This is a game I absolutely fucking love, and have recommended to so many people over the years. A game I've spent dozens of hours into and genuinely enjoyed every single one of them. A game I consider by no means perfect, yet will always be near and dear to me. A game I keep wishing for a sequel to, one that seems unlikely to ever come.
Since it came out in 2019, Astral Chain has made my Top 20 four times, with it going even as high as #14 when I replayed it during the pandemic. The simple reason as to why it's been going down since then is just... I haven't replayed it. And I'll be real, the main thing keeping me from replaying it is that framerate. PlatinumGames somehow made it work, but 30fps for a game like this is just sad. Come on Nintendo, give us the Switch 2 patch already.
Anyway, that's a lot of words I just wrote without saying a thing about the actual game. What do I have to say about the game, though? It's awesome. It has the most fun gameplay I've ever gotten my hands on. Everything about it feels raw, visceral, flashy and punchy. And it plays unlike anything else I've ever played. The world and setting is super cool, I wish we'd got to see more of it. The story is a bit cliché anime stuff, but still hits hard at times. I don't know man. Astral Chain rules, and it needs more love. I'm sorry for ranking it so "low" this year, but hey, I still love it.
