Axe, Bow & Staff

About

Axe, Bow & Staff is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Clewcat Games and was released on September 29, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A fantasy battle scroller where in one moment you gracefully support your companions with magic and arrows, and the next you accidentally throw them into goblin mayhem.

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64%

Audience ScoreBased on 11 reviews

music4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a charming retro aesthetic with great pixel art and a fantastic 8-bit soundtrack.
It offers a unique gameplay experience with interesting mechanics that require players to swap between characters with different abilities.
When played with friends, the game provides a fun and engaging co-op experience that evokes classic retro games.

The online co-op functionality is severely lacking, making it frustrating for players who bought the game primarily for this feature.
The AI companions are often unhelpful and can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences when playing solo.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.

music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The game's music features a fantastic 8-bit soundtrack that captures a retro vibe, though some players experienced technical issues such as stutters and overmixed sound effects that detracted from the overall experience. While the soundtrack is generally praised, some early levels lack music, leading to a dull atmosphere. Players do have control over sound settings with a volume slider and the option to toggle music on or off.
- “The music is terrific too!”
- “Music is retro/old schoolish but nicely done.”
- “+ fantastic soundtrack”
- “I had some stutters and crashes, and many of the sound effects are overmixed, drowning out the music and clipping unexpectedly, which is particularly bad if you're wearing headphones.”
- “I'm not sure if this was a bug, but some of the early levels did not have any music, which felt very dull.”
- “The music volume slider is available, but it doesn't seem to fix the issues with sound mixing.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of opinions: while some find the central mechanic of lane-based attacks intriguing, it often leads to frustration. Others criticize the game for its lack of content and depth, contrasting with those who praise its engaging writing, humor, and unique blend of level-based running and light RPG elements. Overall, the gameplay experience appears to be polarizing, with both positive and negative aspects.
- “This is a retro blast of awesome writing and epic gameplay, funny story moments, and engaging characters.”
- “The gameplay is unique.”
- “A central mechanic, where only the person in front in any lane can attack, seemed interesting at first but in practice was woefully annoying.”
- “Kind of a cute and nice-looking game, but completely lacking in gameplay and content.”
- “The core mechanics are a combination of a level-based runner game and a light RPG.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its intentional glitches that add to the comedic experience, alongside clever writing and engaging characters. Players appreciate the funny story moments that enhance the overall enjoyment, making it a memorable and entertaining experience.
- “Frequently glitchy, however they never fail to be interesting or hilarious, almost as if they were left in intentionally.”
- “This is a retro blast of awesome writing and epic gameplay, funny story moments and engaging characters.”
- “The game is filled with humor.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a fantastic pixel art style complemented by a great 8-bit soundtrack, showcasing a retro aesthetic that is well-executed. While the graphics are generally praised for their charm and character design, some users have noted the presence of technical issues.
- “The graphics are terrific; I really liked the characters.”
- “Graphics are retro and old-school, and it is nicely done.”
- “It has a fantastic pixel art style and a great 8-bit soundtrack.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs and frustrating technical glitches, particularly in online mode. However, players remain hopeful that these problems can be resolved with future updates.
- “Very buggy, and the online mode is not very enjoyable.”
- “It also has frustrating technical glitches, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with small updates that I hope are coming.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is praised for its retro charm, featuring excellent writing, humorous moments, and engaging characters that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- “This is a retro blast of awesome writing and epic gameplay, with funny story moments and engaging characters.”