Digital Shorts: ‘Soul Axiom Rebooted’ Review (Nintendo Switch)

In DIGITAL SHORTS we review some of the latest video games that are only available digitally (at least in the UK), in a short-form review format. In this edition we take a look at Soul Axiom Rebooted, a Wii U port available now on the Nintendo Switch.

Soul Axiom Rebooted comes to the Nintendo Switch, after initially appearing (without the rebooting) on the Nintendo Wii U. A first-person cyber-puzzler, Soul Axiom Rebooted offers a few changes (apparently, I hadn’t actually played the previous Wii U title) to the original game which offer some little improvements to a game that was already greeted fondly.

I was very intrigued by this title, a sci-fi puzzle adventure game with a bizarre and mind-bending narrative that follows you, the player, as you wander the digital afterlife, entangled in a blur of realities in the cyber-world of Elysia. It’s trippy, weird and bloody cool. Visually it’s a real treat on the Switch, both bringing a real dark edge with colourful blasts and peculiar ideas to the table. I was hooked on the story and the gameplay immediately, it’s unlike anything else I’ve yet played on the system and as a sci-fi fan who enjoyed story-driven games, it was a big bloody tick.

There’s a lot of game here too, and challenging at various times. Soul Axiom Rebooted is easy to get into, and the puzzles are ingenious, original and intriguing. It keeps you guessing, keeps you interested and makes you want to see it through to the end. There are collectables to be found too, an addition I always enjoy, which stretch the story out further and give you more to do. The puzzles though, that’s the bread and butter of Soul Axion Rebooted, and I can’t say enough about them. The game, in some ways, reminded me of Portal. You use your hands and gain new abilities as the game progresses, and you need to use these abilities to get through various stages. Some puzzles are simple enough, and others are completely obscure. I found myself thinking… “I have no idea what to do now”, until it hit me and I managed to move onward.

It’s a game that really took me by surprise and one I’ll play again for sure. Visually I thought it was a delight, regardless of some simplistic renderings. The sound, music and voices worked well with the while deliberately strange tone. The gameplay, the most important element, nails it too, and the puzzles are a treat. It’s well worth spending £9.99 on and playing, even if, I’d imagine, you played the original title when it was released. Good stuff.

**** 4/5

Soul Axiom Rebooted is available on the Nintendo eShop now.