El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron which will be available in North America on July 26th and in Europe on September 9th 2011 – the game was launched in Japan this April. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a 3rd person fantasy action title inspired by events in the Old Testament, in particular the apocryphal ‘Book of Enoch’. Enoch, a brave and just human, is caught up in a pivotal battle raging between Heaven and the Fallen Angels.
GenreAction
Platforms xbox360
DEVELOPER Ignition Tokyo | PUBLISHER Codemasters | RELEASE DATE
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron Reviews xbox360
gamepro.com review
A game like El Shaddai is something that comes along only a few times in each console generation. The beautiful visuals, fantastic environments, solid (though slightly flawed) gameplay, and rich mythology combine to make a game quite unlike anything you’ve ever played. It has its occasional frustrations, but when the overall experience is this fantastic, you will be more than willing to put up with a few little annoyances. Above all, El Shaddai is a gaming experience you won’t soon forget, and one that’s worth every penny of its price of admission.
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planetxbox360.com review
The 3-D stages have a lot of combat and platforming to get through, and some great 2-D stages have also been thrown in for good measure, with levitating platforms, obstacles and changes in each stage (like balloons and breakable gates) that keep things interesting. Though we prefer the inventive gun-and-sword combat of the Devil May Cry games, El Shaddai is no slouch on its own part. What will keep you digging through El Shaddai to the conclusion of its journey – and perhaps even repeated tries past that – are the luscious visuals. Seriously, if you’ve played Okami or any of the previous Devil May Cry games before, you still won’t be able to fathom entirely what you’re in for. Some of these stages are artfully provocative, really drawing on the power of the Xbox 360 with a decadent art style that’s unlike anything on the market. One minute you’re running through a plain black and white stage with a 60-frames per second Technicolor sky overhead, and the next, a painted face swoops over the stage and turns everything on its head, turning day to night and back again without any need for additional loading time. Sawaki and his team are to be commended in not only making a beautiful game, but one that runs around the 30 to 60 frames per second speed, even when enemies are loaded up on the screen.
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gamespot.com review
El Shaddai is such a gorgeous game that it would have been worth playing even if the combat was merely average. But developer Ignition Entertainment gave reasons to play beyond its outstanding visual design. The combat system makes excellent use of its narrow moveset to create an enticing experience that demands focus and determination to prevail. And when you finish the game the first time, you unlock score attack missions that give you leaderboard challenges to strive for. There are some rough patches–camera troubles, repetitive enemies, and occasional framerate hitches among them–but nothing glaring enough to distract you from this wonderful journey. El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a delight to play, engaging your thumbs and your senses in one tidy package.
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gamesradar.com review
Conversely, the platforming isn’t as well formed or as interestingly specialized as the combat, most of those sections are pretty straightforward. Simply double jump to the next thing until you run out of things to jump on. It’s all fine, but occasionally the floaty nature of the movement makes landing a pain. It’s not so bad in the many 2D sections, but 3D jumping gets bothersome, especially when your movements may be off thanks to a slightly askew camera angle or level coloring. When you miss a jump the level at least drops you back at the start quickly, basically admitting that the game isn’t all it could be when it comes to the agility-based action.
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cheatcc.com review
Then there is the sound design, which is on par with the visual design. The music changes from Latin chants to pieces composed of violins and bells to jazz to tribal chants and more. There are even pieces with elements of techno and electronica in them. The sound effects also fit the game perfectly. Reality breaks apart with the sound of glass breaking. Some enemies die with a wail, while others are purified in a strange combination of laser sounds and crackling electricity. Frankly, the sights and sounds of this game are just magnificent.
xbox360.ign.com review
I never developed a cadence while playing El Shaddai. The game has absolutely no rhythm. And most importantly, even after beating it, I never felt like I really got anywhere. I never felt like I excelled at the game even though I saw it through to the end. I never felt that I was getting better. I was simply going through the motions. And the motions were terribly boring and tested my patience more often than I’d like to admit.
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