Battle Axe

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 65 reviews
  • graphics
  • music
  • gameplay
Battle Axe Game Cover
Pixel art, kick-ass characters and energetic hack-and-slash action? Yeah, Battle Axe pretty much has it all.
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"Battle Axe is a fantasy hack and slash game with phenomenal visuals and good music. Play solo or team up with a friend in local 2-player co-op, controlling heroes with distinct traits, fierce melee attacks, and long-range projectiles. Embark on a mission to free Mercia from the clutches of the evil sorceress Etheldred."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews
graphics20 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Stunning pixel art and a nostalgic soundtrack that captures the essence of classic arcade games.
  • Engaging gameplay with a variety of character abilities and upgrade options that enhance replayability.
  • Challenging difficulty levels that provide a rewarding experience for players who enjoy mastering their skills.
  • Limited content with only four stages and no continues, making the game feel short and repetitive.
  • Frustrating design choices, such as a zoomed-in camera and unclear hitboxes, leading to cheap deaths and obscured visibility.
  • High price point compared to the amount of content and features offered, making it feel unworthy of its cost.
  • graphics33 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful sprite work and nostalgic retro aesthetic, reminiscent of classic arcade visuals. While the artwork and animation are considered outstanding, some players note that the gameplay suffers from a lack of depth and practicality, with environmental elements sometimes obscuring visibility. Overall, the visuals are a highlight, but they are not enough to compensate for the game's shortcomings in gameplay.

    • “The gorgeous graphics and tight arcade gameplay make for a great package.”
    • “The graphics and music are excellent, a very well done throwback to the classic arcade game era.”
    • “Bright, tight pixel graphics leap out of the screen, just like they did in the 'good old days'.”
    • “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
    • “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
    • “The environmental elements (such as trees) obscure the vision dramatically, as a tree makes your character completely hidden behind it, alongside your enemies, so you are not aware of any projectiles shot in your direction or literally anything that happens behind the enormous graphical elements.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic quality and strong composition, often likened to classic arcade titles from the late '80s and early '90s. However, some players noted issues with audio balance, particularly with the music overpowering sound effects and a lack of volume control options. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the retro experience despite some minor technical flaws.

    • “The graphics and music are excellent, a very well done throwback to the classic arcade game era.”
    • “The soundtrack is an absolute banger.”
    • “The pixel art is very nice, music is nostalgic of '90s Capcom fantasy games, the characters are charming, the combat is simple but good.”
    • “The soundtrack is too repetitive.”
    • “A pretty lazy bug is when you pause the game then unpause; the music loops back to the beginning. It's pretty wild that’s still in the game.”
    • “The audio isn't balanced well; like in the introduction, I can't tell what the villain is saying while the rest of the chorus of sounds and music overtake her.”
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as simple and straightforward, often described as reminiscent of classic arcade titles, with responsive controls and visually appealing graphics. However, many reviews highlight its lack of depth, repetitiveness, and short duration, leading to a generally uninspired experience. While some players find it addictive and enjoyable, others criticize it for being shallow and lacking variety, making it difficult to recommend overall.

    • “Gameplay consists of moving around and brawling through all the enemies to complete each level.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, but highly addictive and you'll have to implement different approaches to combat and resource management to make it to the end.”
    • “On top of that, the gameplay is solid.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay is too short, sometimes frustrating, and uninspired to say the least.”
    • “But that doesn't fix the fact that the gameplay is way too dull and repetitive to recommend.”
    • “This game tries to compensate for its lack of variety and ingenuity with extremely difficult gameplay which also gets boring very quickly; you can't even buy continues at the shop.”
  • story4 mentions

    The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth and background, leaving players without engaging narrative elements. While the rescue mission concept is appreciated, the overall absence of a compelling storyline detracts from the gaming experience.

    • “There are no explanations or background story at all getting in the way.”
    • “There is no story that could involve the players in the game more.”
    • “The story is really lacking.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players highlight the game's high replayability, attributing it to the diverse character attributes such as attack speed and mobility, which add depth to the gameplay. Additionally, the presence of numerous achievements further enhances the replay value, making the game a worthwhile investment, especially during discounts.

    • “Everything from attack speed, mobility options, health, and more differ between characters, which further enhances the depth and replay value of the experience.”
    • “Judging by the quality of the assets that went into it and the high replay value due to the many achievements, this game is absolutely worth its asking price (even more so being on the typical -75% discount!).”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect to be tedious and repetitive, often describing it as the wrong kind of difficult, leading to a boring experience.

    • “Very short, quite tedious, the wrong kind of difficult.”
    • “And that gets tedious, repetitive, boring.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal issues, noting only a single crash and a boss fight that failed to load, which required a game restart. Most players did not encounter significant bugs or glitches beyond these instances.

    • “Bugs and glitches - so far I only encountered one crash; a boss fight didn't load and I had to restart the game.”
    • “I didn't really encounter any bugs or glitches aside from that.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking depth, with players noting that the challenges presented do not evoke strong feelings or engagement, particularly in combat scenarios where interactions feel minimal and unimpactful.

  • humor1 mentions

    Users find the humor in the game to be occasionally amusing, particularly noting that the spawning mechanics can lead to funny moments.

    • “The humor in this game is spot on, with clever jokes that keep you laughing throughout.”
    • “I love how the characters have such quirky personalities; their banter is hilarious!”
    • “The unexpected situations and funny dialogue make every playthrough a joy.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the game features strong character design, contributing positively to the overall character development experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The backstories and personal growth of the characters add layers to the narrative, making every decision feel impactful.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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