El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

There's nothing quite as satisfying as pulling off a slick combo in a stylish third-person action game like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. Action games like these rely heavily on solid and precise combat mechanics and usually sports an anime story and visual style; a tried and tested formula that has proven successful in the past. When I heard that Takeyasu Sakewai - the designer of numerous characters in Devil May Cry - was the lead designer behind El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, I pretty much expected the same style-driven combos and spiky-haired characters delivering corny one-liners, but in a slightly more artistic setting. Twenty minutes into the game I realised this was not the case: El Shaddai is different. By this I don’t mean that it’s bad, but rather that El Shaddai is one of those games that strives to present you with a unique experience, and for the most part, delivers just that.

The game’s narrative is loosely based on the Book of Enoch, an apocryphal Judeo-Christian text that recounts the events that preceded the Great Flood. Ignition Entertainment’s version of this text casts Enoch the scribe in the spotlight, tasking him with ascending the surreal levels of the rebel-angel stronghold in order to purify them before God unleashes the Great Flood on humanity. The story in its bare form is definitely intriguing, and it’s refreshing to see a largely marginalised myth as source material, however, there are issues with the manner in which the story unfolds. No coherent introductions are provided to give direction in the initial scenes of the game, neither is Enoch’s quest clearly stated. Rather, the story haphazardly unfolds in various forms as you progress through the game. This random bombardment with scraps of information will undoubtedly confuse players who are unfamiliar with the source material. It’s a pity El Shaddai doesn’t contain a synopsis of the Book of Enoch as an extra feature, seeing as you do have a Library option in the pause menu.

Gameplay also has both its high and low moments, and seeing as it is an action game at its core, combat should be one of its key features. El Shaddai uses a one-button rhythm attack system instead of the usual combo system. Pressing the button rapidly will do a standard 3 – 4 hit combo attack, with slight pauses between each press resulting in a stronger break -attack, while holding the button for some time will release a powerful charge attack. There are only three usable weapons, which you steal from your enemies after stunning them, but each one feels distinctive: the Arch is a bow-like blade that has a good balance of speed and power; the Gale is a projectile weapon offering range and speed; and the Veil is a shield that doubles as powerful yet slow gauntlets. While using a weapon you have to continuously purify it, since using it on your enemies taints it, making it weaker in the process - there's no HUD in El Shaddai (although the option is unlocked after completing the game), so you're forced to monitor the state of Enoch’s equipment on-screen as damage taken will slowly destroy your angelic armour, and striking tainted enemies will progressively turn your weapon darker and darker. These visual cues add a measure of depth to the combat not normally seen in action games. The combination of weapons and the rhythm attack system takes a fair bit of time to master, however, as you progress into the later stages, the repetition of fighting the same four enemies (barring some interesting boss encounters) with the same three weapons does start to feel a bit stale.

Thankfully, El Shaddai isn't just a straight forward third-person action game, and breaking up the constant battle encounters are an assortment of 2D and 3D platforming sections. The 3D platforming sections don't fair so well, since the art and level design often create a distorted sense of space. This, along with a static camera, can make certain platform jumps quite frustrating. On the bright side, checkpoints are so regular that you rarely have to repeat stretches of platforming, and falling doesn’t mean it’s gameover but instead takes a small amount of health. The 2D platforming sections are a real blast though, and you should be able to fly through these at quite a frantic pace. During these sections battles are reduced to one-hit encounters, and numerous platform mechanics add to the fun. These are also some of the prettiest sections in the game and it often feels like you’re traversing the brushstrokes of an artist.

Boss fights are one of the highlights of the game, coming in a range of different shapes and sizes, each boss having its own unique attacks and method of defeat. One encounter will pit you against two giant armoured boars with deadly charge attacks, while another sees you take on a transformer-like mech which requires you to constantly switch weapon types in order to damage it in its different transformations. These battles, along with a few other surprise gameplay instances, keep you invested in the action throughout this 8 - 10 hour journey.

El Shaddai’s biggest strength is without a doubt the visual design. Each level of the rebel tower functions as a canvas for the creative minds of Ignition Entertainment, who employ various art forms in order to astound the eye with visual delights. Chapter 1 made use of expressionism - blue snow-capped mountain ranges that are constantly shifting shape and colour as the player moves forward - while another 2D platforming section vividly displayed Nephilim (giants born from the unity of angels and humans) floating across a multicoloured sky while attached to giant red balloons, or awkwardly hopping from platform to platform. My personal favourite was a 2D section of the game which was rendered in a Japanese art style known as ukiyo-e, in which enormous gusts of wind in the shape of waves carry Enoch forward, while the sky continuously shifts from day to night as you progress. The seemingly boundless landscapes create a dream-like sense of isolation that contributes more to understanding Enoch’s plight than the actual dialogue, and since a lot of the story is narrated as you traverse these wondrous landscapes, the visual design cleverly contributes to understanding the story. The sound in the game is also excellent, with the music completing the visual sensations, and voice acting is decent for the most part.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron achieved what it set out to do: create a unique third-person action game with a stunning visual backdrop. Although the combat is not as layered as it could have been, it holds up well enough thanks to the epic boss battles, stylish battle animations and the constant platforming sections. Visually, El Shaddai is a masterpiece, opting for artistic expression instead of run-of-the-mill anime design or the gritty-brown realism option. Whether it will appeal to all third-person action enthusiasts is not a certainty, but I strongly recommend it to most, especially those gamers seeking a fresh experience.

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