Astral Chain is the next big Nintendo Switch exclusive from PlatinumGames. Mastered it yet? It’s been a little over a week now so we thought we would check in to see how everyone was doing.
That is to say, if one is struggling, or hasn’t even started yet, these ten tips should help get the ball rolling as it were. The last of which is a very strange offering, but it was fun to share. Just to be clear these are spoiler-free as well so get to it!
10 Talk To Everyone
The game is broken down into three segments. Before a mission players start off at HQ where they can prepare themselves for the next job. After every mission, people will have something new to say. This might include giving players items, or quests. It is important to talk to EVERYONE at the station, which may seem daunting, but there aren’t that many cops around. Starting a mission will play out slowly, involving an investigation in a small hub. It is important to talk to people here too and to also explore. There are items and quests everywhere.
9 Complete Quests
Conjoined by that last entry, it is important to understand how quests work. Unlike most games where quests are automatically completed and rewarded, it is up to the player to turn them in. This doesn’t mean retracing their steps and talking to the actual quest giver. All of the quests are logged in the menu system. Completed quests are marked with red exclamation points and can thus be redeemed at any time. We aren’t ashamed to say that we didn’t figure this out until halfway through the game.
8 The Voiceless One
This is something to note before actually starting the game. Players can choose to be either the male or female twin along with gaining the ability to customize their look. Cool. What the game doesn’t specify is that the other twin will be voiced in the game, but for some reason the chosen avatar is silent.
Both characters have dialogue in the game. If one wants to hear a female Akira, choose the male, and vice versa.
7 Don’t Forget To Bind
It can admittedly get pretty hectic out there on the battlefield and the only thing going through one’s mind in said heat is to attack. It is important to not forget the bind ability though. Chimera can either be stunned by being tossed, or paralyzed in place with this feature. The Sword Legion even has a great ability to automatically bind Chimera within a certain radius. Go for that skill as soon as possible and don’t let this neat mechanic go to waste. It helps out a lot!
6 Co-Op For The Win
Another battle tool that we don’t recall being advertised broadly is that this game is local co-op. Normally the Legion is controlled automatically by the AI and does a decent job. That said, nothing can compete with a friend on the couch. Co-op is drop in and drop out so there is no need to worry about losing progress if a loved one has had enough. Players can use the Joy-con on its side, but it gets a little cramped for this action so we recommend having another full controller setup.
5 Don’t Buy Items
Money, whatever they call it in this universe, is a valuable asset. Don’t go wasting it on potions and grenades. For one thing, each mission provides plenty of health items in general. Secondly, disposable attack items, like grenades, are pretty much useless. The main factor here is that they are a waste of cash. Spend that dough wisely by investing heavily into upgrading the gear. It gets expensive fast so every penny, or whatever, is going to count.
4 Timing Is Everything
It should come as no surprise for those familiar with PlatinumGames’ repertoire, but timing is the key to victory. Thankfully everything that will count as a counter both rumbles on the controller and emits a blue light. When dodging this will happen. It will also trigger after certain combos and capturing the genes from a Chimera. Hitting the Legion button will prompt a combo counter. It takes some getting used to since one has to keep an eye out for said blue flashes while fighting enemies, but practice makes perfect.
3 A Difficulty For Every Player
Astral Chain is very forgiving in terms of difficulty levels. Unchained mode basically plays the combat sections out so that those invested in the story don’t have to become combo masters. Casual is also easy as the name suggests, but it too has a big forgiveness factor in the form of hearts.
Upon death, these hearts will revive the player on the spot and they start out with six. The more upgrades made, the bigger their retainer becomes. So if one wants any challenge from the get-go at all, crank it up. And if the game proves to be too easy, or hard, it can be adjusted on the fly via the options menu.
2 Replay Missions With New Abilities
There are twelve missions in total and each of them is broken down into mini sections. This is because there are places players can’t go from the beginning without certain abilities. Abilities acquired after new Legion partnerships are formed. The Beast type Legion, for example, can dig holes. It is not required to go back, but if one wants to level up, or be a completionist, this is the best way to do it. At least story stuff can be skipped the second time around. That is unless one wants to replay it again in its entirety.
1 Create Parasite Eve 4?
This last “tip” is admittedly a weird one, but hear is out. Aya Brea is the name of the main character in the Parasite Eve franchise. She is also a cop that fights off weird mutations created from humans. Because Square Enix seems so against making a fourth game, Astral Chain is the next best game to play out fantasies in. Look at this blonde configuration of the female Akira. Doesn’t she look like Aya? Well, we told you this was a strange piece of advice, but it was one we were compelled to share.