Axiom Verge Will Be Free on the Epic Games Store in February

3.5

Continuing the Epic Games Store feature of providing free games, Metroidvania title Axiom Verge is next up in line, from February 7 to 21.

The Epic Games Store is throwing back to a throwback game. Thomas Happ’s unpredictable homage to Metroidvania titles, Axiom Verge, is next in line as a free title for the digital storefront. This will come two weeks The Jackbox Party Pack, which is offered for free on the store as of today.

Players take control of a character named Trace, who takes advantage of several weapons and power-ups to navigate a massive world that houses a mix of ancient and futuristic technology. Originally released on the PS4 in 2015, Axiom Verge went on to the PC, Mac, and Linux later in the year, with Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One releases in 2016. The game then arrived to Switch in late 2017, where it surpassed launch sales of the PS4 version.

Happ’s game came in early before a wider craze of Metroidvania titles in the past couple of years. Since then, games such as Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Iconoclasts, and probably more we’re missing have filled up the market, all while offering their own takes on the genre.

Out of the aforementioned titles, Axiom Verge felt like the most “retro” inspired of these games. It has a 16-bit look and feel to it, wearing the Metroid inspirations more explicitly. Personally, I got into Axiom Verge quite late, not picking it up until sometime after its Nintendo Switch release.