Immortals of Aveum: Deluxe Edition (2023)

I can't help but feel the vast array of opinions on this game simply boils down to the fact this is something completely different. You're either going to enjoy it or not, really. Personally, I love it, and I want more. Whether that's DLC, a sequel...more.

This is a rich world filled with lore, a good story, and great characters. This is a a semi open world with unique locations to explore. Besides the main quest, there are plenty of hidden areas to find, puzzles to solve, and new gear and spells to acquire. There's a crafting system and an extensive skill tree to really build out how to best balance your play style.

Combat is awesome. It's something completely unique to anything else I've played. I've seen people say it's an FPS with magic guns and that's...not quite right. There are 3 different types of magic available to you and each have a few special abilities tied to them. You will use all 3 types of magic since they have their own uses, particularly when needing to break shields, stop health regening enemies, or breaking armor. It can seem intimidating to read on paper, but the game does a great job at slowly building on all these systems. The prologue walks you through each step of the basics, and whenever you acquire a new spell or piece of gear, it gives you a chance to learn and play with it. It's a game that encourages experimentation. By the end, I felt like an unstoppable badass, switching magic types on the fly and slinging special abilities, mowing down a field of enemies in seemingly moments. It might take a bit to get the feel of the combat, but once you do it is so much fun!

End of the day, if it's a game that caught your eye, download the demo. You play through a good chunk of game and will be able to see for yourself. It is 100% worth giving a try, because those that it hits with are going to really love it.

It’s hard to make a splash in the games industry to stand with the big names and hold your own. If you are going to attempt that, it doesn’t hurt to have industry experience behind you and your team, that’s just what Ascendant Studios has. With an impressive team behind it, Immortals of Aveum was setup about as well as could be and I think it stands quite proudly among the big leagues.

Gameplay is arguably shooter mechanics with a magic skin but that magic skin also allows for some puzzle solving using the magic. Overall it allows for some fun frenetic battles and a nice visual change from pistol, machine gun etc. Along with the engaging story, a big commendation should go to the acting talent and motion capture team as the performances really shine through here. Facial animations have really come a long way and help the main character, Jak, be just the right amount of cocky/smug. This really is close to the idea of an interactive film where there are certainly some epic scenes and flashy special effects.

If you like the general style of first person shooters but feel they need a bit of a fresh change, this will likely be just what you are looking for. A lot of fun and a beautiful spectacle to take in.