El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Xbox 360

Having finished this a while ago here is my personal opinion.The main draw for this game is definitely the presentational aspects (visuals, music, effects), as well as its story.Hands down this has some of THE BEST visuals I have ever seen in any game. That's speaking aesthetically of course; in terms of graphical power this is actually not too impressive, but the art design is amazing and definitely inspired. I had no problem with lower polygon counts as I was too blown away by the different This game's visuals really make the case of being able to have a great visual aesthetic without the need for high graphical power.The music is exceptionally sublime, having the orchestral flair of something like Final Fantasy but still feeling wholly unique and all it's own.The story is a really interesting take on the book of Enoch, a set of stories found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This type of interpretation is something that doesn't come along often in video games, It can be hard to follow if you're the kind of person who just has to nitpick a plot or needs a full, concrete explanation of a story, but if you sit back and try to go at the game's pace it really will unfold for you.The combat I personally enjoyed, but it is not for everyone. It's something that requires agile thumbs and quick reflexes in order to defeat enemies, and it can seem confusing on how the weapon system works but once you get it down it can feel like another reflex to switch weapons to fight the right enemy. The boss battles are pretty challenging too, and I liked how at random parts, some of the fallen angels would swoop down and fight you as a show of their power. That really drove home the point that these guys were nothing to mess with and really tough.One thing I didn't like as much was the platforming. With how the camera stays in the same place for a number of things and is really hard to control, it can make some of the 3d platforming tricky at it's best and maddening at it's worst. There are sections where I lost a full checkpoint because I wasn't pixel perfect and kept missing the same jump.Another drawback of this game is the fact that it has a $50 price tag but as a result seems bare bones for content. I've played this game on and off for about 2 weeks (how I usually play games) and finished the main story with about 12 hours on the timer. I know for some that would be a huge drawback, but I liked that this game didn't try to pad out it's story with needless sidequesting or elongated levels. One thing that I could have used though were some extra features, possibly a challenge mode or even a look at the game's development(cause I know I was interested in how this game came about). It has art and writings that you unlock through playing, but it still didn't seem like enough to warrant the price tag.In all though, I definitely enjoyed my time playing El Shaddai. This is truly a work of art and even for it's flaws I definitely recommend it.

We often see the debate rage on about whether games are truly art or not, but rarely do we ask the question: what sort of game would an artist make? El Shaddai would be that answer. You see, the game's director, Sawaki Takeyasu, who was in charge of the game's overall development, has only worked as an artist and even art director for past games he has worked on. Two of them,  Okami  and  Viewtiful Joe , are considered some of the most beautiful and stylistic games ever made. He was also art director for  Devil May Cry . His artistic focus, as well as the entire creative teams' purposefully artful approach, is evident throughout the entire game. This game has had a somewhat polarizing effect in the press (Game Informer: 9/10, Gamepro: 4.5/5, IGN: 5/10), with reviews being either universal praise or lots of (undue) criticism. Yes, you need to know what you're getting into when you pop in El Shaddai, a masterfully crafted experience that is meant to immerse and move you.For me personally, I can already tell you after a bit of time with the game, this game should be bought and bought new to encourage the market to make more products as breathtaking and refreshing as this. It is an exceptional masterpiece that you will never forget, a truly amazing experience. Games this unique and beautiful are extremely rare and El Shaddai ranks among the very best of artistic games. Games like  Okami , Viewtiful Joe , Muramasa: The Demon Blade , Odin Sphere , and a few others come to mind. The publishers and developers of El Shaddai need to be rewarded for taking such a huge business risk by putting out a piece of art very different from the 1,001 desaturated shooters that flood the market each year. Also, by buying these sorts of games new, we can show the publishers that we do love beautiful, artistic games, and maybe they'll start making games of this caliber more often than every couple of years or so. With that out of the way, here's some information to help you know what you're getting into with the game. I will keep it all spoiler free. This game is full of amazing surprises that need to be experienced first-hand.El Shaddai is based on the ancient Hebrew text, the  Book of Enoch , found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Anyone who knows a bit about their Biblical history knows that Enoch was a prophet that was active some time before the fabled flood of Noah. The story of his book, and this game, is that he is sent to "cleanse" the souls of fallen angels, called "Watchers," whose job had been to watch over mankind. They however, grew obsessed with humanity, took women as their own wives, birthed monsters called Nephilim, and now lived among people, corrupting God's divine purpose. It's a fascinating story subject for a game, and the fact that it is a traditionally western scriptural text being interpreted by distinctly Eastern, Japanese sensibilities makes it even more interesting. The characters are fascinating and while the distinct quirkiness of Japanese game design are here (although I wouldn't really go as far as to call it "anime style" per say), it's all a very refreshing experience. As Enoch, you will ascend a massive tower, each floor of which is an entire world devoted to each angel, and that's where the art comes in.You see, each Watcher became obsessed with a different aspect of mankind, and offered their own unique "gift" to mankind as well. This translates to each Watcher's floor being completely unique in its art design. They're all striking and totally unique. In this game, you will transverse entire worlds that range from ever-shifting water color paintings, a world seemingly pulled from a minimalists' abstract painting in a modern art gallery, an organically rendered world, and even a hi-tech city very reminiscent of  Tron: Legacy  (Cycle sequence and all). I'll stop there because I really don't want to give anything away, as this game is spectacular when you discover for the first time what it has to offer. The enemy designs all fit their respective environments, and are pretty bizarre and interesting. Actually, all of the character designs are very striking, and some are very strange. Enoch himself is shirtless prophet in designer jeans, with white armor pieces that look like porcelain attached to him to indicate his health level. Archangels wearing black skinny jeans, while talking nonsense (at first anyway) on a cell phone? Yeeeeah, El Shaddai is kind of out there on its own in the world, but that is partly what makes it so spectacular. I really cannot praise the art direction in this game enough. It is one of the most varied, unique, and downright beautifully designed games in terms of art that I have seen since  Okami , and I sincerely mean that.The music cannot go unmentioned either. Composed by Masato Koda, who also wrote the music for the Devil May Cry series, this soundtrack is awesome. This game features music from all over the spectrum, ranging from levitical choirs, to Japanese garden zen-like music with harps and other traditional Japanese instruments, to 1970's jazzy-disco, to majestic Post-Rock. It's all here, and it's all quite excellent. I love it.The gameplay is probably the most polarizing aspect of El Shaddai, and I can understand why (rhyme unintentional). At its core, El Shaddai is a 3rd person action adventure platformer with lots of beat-em-up moments. This is very well executed. However, this game takes another artistic school of thought and applies it straight to the gameplay. That concept is minimalism. You see, there is no HUD at all in the game. The combat is much more oriented on having encounters with only a couple enemies, with a focus on flow and elegance. Even the non-combat gameplay mechanics are very simple that use few buttons, but are executed elegantly. In fact, "elegance" is the word I would use to describe the gameplay in El Shaddai. This is intentional, and it is done with a purpose. Some in the gaming press have missed that and therefore given the review some poor ratings. Some will hate the gameplay, it's to be expected when it is so deliberately focused on being artistic in its execution and flow. You need to know that going in. Personally, I found it refreshing and very enjoyable, all of it.Really, whether you enjoy the game or not will really boil down to whether you are in the right mindset to play the game. If you understand that this game, in every single possible way conceivable, is meant to actually stand as an immersive, beautiful work of art, you will absolutely love El Shaddai with your whole soul. Chances are, if you're looking at this obscure game at all, then you will be the type to love it. It is a niche title, that will probably grow to having a very devoted underground following (I truly hope it transcends an underground, cult status though). Personally, I fall in that category, and I am so refreshed after playing El Shaddai. It is a beautiful work of art, poignant and affecting, and I really hope that we get either a direct sequel, or at least a spiritual successor, soon. I said this earlier, but I must reiterate: BUY THIS GAME AND BUY IT NEW! Buy it, immerse yourself into it, and be transported to a magical world where games truly can be masterful works of art!*As I continue my way through the game, I'll post updates to my review if I feel there is anything important to add to what is here in this review. For now, though, I think this review pretty much sums up the game in a spoiler-free yet informative fashion. I hope it was helpful. Thank you and good day! :)

This game is beat unique grab your copy if you can. Switch will be carring this game in the futur if u cant the xbox 360 at a decent price. Unfortunately prices are going up on this gem!

Another j-RPG for my collection that I will one day sit down and play, though I am unsure if I can enjoy them as much as I used to when I was younger and had more time to dedicate to them.