Unraveling the Epic Sagas of Aveum: An Unforgettable Immortals Review

Ascendant Studios’ Immortals of Aveum is a highly promising game, led by a development team comprised of former Sledgehammer Games and Telltale talent. The game has even earned the attention of EA, who now holds the publishing rights for it under their EA Originals banner. Immortals of Aveum stands out for its cinematic, story-focused, single-player shooter experience, complete with an array of spells, magic, and fantasy elements. While it may not captivate every player, the game successfully brings its fantasy shooter vision to life.

In all honesty, Immortals of Aveum doesn't introduce anything particularly groundbreaking or innovative. However, this doesn't diminish the fact that it remains an enjoyable experience overall. The game boasts a very Hollywood-like story with its own unique charm, and the combat and exploration mechanics are solid, offering just the right level of depth to keep players engaged. Yet, the biggest issue with Immortals of Aveum is its unwillingness to take risks and push boundaries, resulting in a familiar and breezy rollercoaster ride of magic and cinematics. Despite this, it remains an entertaining experience.

The world of Immortals of Aveum, created by Ascendant Studios, is filled with captivating world-building and lore. Aveum, the planet itself, treats magic as a valuable resource rather than a mystical element, referred to as "Magitech" in the game.

While Immortals of Aveum initially presents itself as an allegory for climate change, the writing and allegorical elements lose their coherence towards the end. As is common in fantasy, the world's problems are primarily caused by a few antagonists, allowing the main character to confront and defeat them to ultimately save the day.

The protagonist of our story is Jak, a former street urchin who survived by resorting to petty theft. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he discovers his extraordinary ability as a battlemage. Jak possesses the rare capability of harnessing all three colors of magic - red, green, and blue. These distinct powers play a vital role in the ongoing conflict known as the Everwar, which revolves around controlling the world's entire magic supply. Due to the immense potential danger lurking within his unbridled powers, it becomes clear that Jak's involvement in the Everwar carries great significance. Despite his importance, Jak portrays characteristics common in a younger sibling, such as naivety, overconfidence, and an insatiable curiosity that his companions, the Immortals, are not always keen to satisfy. Although Jak's behavior can sometimes be irksome, it is hard not to develop a certain fondness for him as the story unfolds.

When it comes to the Immortals, Jak is joined by General Kirkan, Devyn, and Zendara - an elite special forces unit representing the Lucium faction in the Everwar conflict. The story and characters of Immortals of Aveum give off an Avengers-meets-war-movie vibe, drawing inspiration from popular Hollywood trends while striving to create a close-knit group that interacts with one another. Many gamers will find the writing style quite familiar. In Immortals of Aveum, the characters are known for their witty comebacks, clever remarks, and a coolness that sets them apart from others, much like the way superheroes in blockbuster movies are written. The game even includes a moment where a character blurts out "he's right behind me, isn't he?" with complete sincerity.

Given the recent surge in games adopting this quirky Hollywood style, one's opinion and tolerance for this type of writing will depend on personal preferences. We found that, although the writing could become annoying at times, the characters in Immortals of Aveum were compelling enough to hold our interest until the very end. Kirkan, Devyn, and Zendara each possess unique personalities, goals, and ambitions that kept us engaged and overshadowed some of the more predictable and cliché aspects of their character development.

While not the most profound or thought-provoking storyline in the realm of video games, the overarching narrative of Immortals of Aveum still manages to deliver an exhilarating experience. Packed with unexpected twists, turns, and betrayals, it keeps players engaged and entertained until the very end. It's worth noting that the plot, although enjoyable, may feel somewhat familiar, with discerning players likely to predict upcoming events well in advance. Fans of early MCU movies and select Marvel shows are sure to find something to appreciate here.

The developmental background of Immortals of Aveum has attracted considerable interest since its announcement. The game is the brainchild of Bret Robbins, who previously served as the director of Call of Duty: WWII at Sledgehammer Games. While playing Immortals of Aveum, players cannot help but notice the occasional linear set-piece moments reminiscent of the Call of Duty single-player experience. However, Aveum proves itself to be much more than a mere imitation. Taking inspiration from critically acclaimed games such as DOOM and 2018’s God of War, Immortals of Aveum successfully incorporates their successful elements into its own gameplay mechanics.

The combat in Immortals of Aveum feels polished, responsive, and impactful. It strikes a balance between delivering the power fantasy of a battlemage and providing players with flashy combat mechanics. Similar to DOOM, the game places emphasis on intense combat scenarios within confined arenas. Players are required to switch weapons on the fly depending on the situation, leading to adrenaline-fueled shooting gallery missions that maintain a fast-paced and engaging combat experience.

In the game’s narrative, Jak assumes the role of a Triarch Magnus, an exceptionally talented battlemage proficient in red, green, and blue magic. This grants Jak the ability to utilize red magic, akin to a shotgun; green magic, functioning as an assault rifle; and blue magic, essentially a single-shot marksman rifle. Depending on the adversary displayed on the screen, players must adeptly alternate between all three magical hues to optimize their offensive capabilities, all while simultaneously managing their surroundings and whatever challenges the game presents.

What Immortals of Aveum achieves with this system is a highly engaging combat experience that demands players to constantly strategize and utilize a diverse range of magic abilities. Merely relying on a single color of magic or mindlessly spamming spells is not only ineffective but can also lead to trouble since enemies possess resistance to certain magic colors. Initially, the combat may appear overly simplistic, but as players progress and unlock new abilities and buffs through skill tree progression, the combat system truly blossoms, offering a multitude of exciting build options and possibilities.

During non-combat scenarios, Aveum transitions into a puzzle and exploration-driven adventure, akin to the style employed by God of War in alternating the pacing of its action gameplay. However, these segments lack originality, following established formulas without introducing anything new. Furthermore, it feels as though the game treats these sections as an afterthought, prioritizing the progression of the main storyline. Immortals of Aveum often gives the impression of being divided into two distinct parts, with exploration and loot gathering primarily reserved for endgame content for players seeking additional gameplay.

In Immortals of Aveum, the gear system plays a significant role in driving exploration. However, unlike many games with similar systems, this game does not overwhelm players with an excessive amount of gear. We completed the game with a reasonable amount of gear in our inventory and primarily relied on a small selection of spells, Sigils, and accessories that we obtained early on. Occasionally, we experimented with new options as they became available, ultimately settling on a final build. The game does not rely on a repetitive grind for loot or employ level gating, at least not on the medium difficulty.

While players can discover rare and powerful loot by thoroughly exploring Aveum, it never feels like a central requirement to progress in the game. The true depth of Immortals of Aveum's combat lies in the introduction of new spells and gear pieces that alter how players utilize each magical color. The game gradually introduces these elements, ensuring that the gameplay remains engaging and captivating until the very end.

While Immortals of Aveum draws inspiration from popular games like DOOM and God of War - and generally succeeds in executing their elements effectively - there are some areas where it falls short. The game's shooting mechanics aren't the smoothest, resulting in challenging combat scenarios to navigate. Though many combat encounters are well-designed and thought-out, controlling Jak feels stiff and makes it difficult to maneuver through them.

The cooldowns for crucial movement abilities, such as the dash or whip, always felt a bit too long, even with end-game upgrades. The grappling hook ability, in particular, could have been a more integral part of combat movement, but its potential was limited to prioritize ground-based gameplay. At times, Immortals of Aveum captured the thrilling sense of speed that makes shooters exciting, but it wasn't consistently maintained. Hopefully, a future game will focus more on achieving this.

There are also some issues with the control scheme in Immortals of Aveum. Switching between main magic spells is not as quick as one would hope. Players have to cycle through red, green, and blue spells one by one using the top face button, which becomes tedious. It would have made more sense to have a weapon wheel to keep combat flowing smoothly, rather than a start-and-stop system. The same goes for the various abilities and magical items players acquire. In a game that can get hectic, the slow switching between weapons and items often disrupted the pace and was not as user-friendly as other similar games.

Built on the Unreal Engine 5, Immortals of Aveum is an exceptionally stunning game that fully utilizes the capabilities of the latest generation of consoles. With Unreal 5's Nanite technology and Lumen lighting system at its core, the game boasts impressive graphics, featuring intricate details and realistic visuals, particularly in its cinematics. However, the abundance of particle effects and post-processing can become overwhelming, hindering gameplay.

In the midst of intense combat, players may feel disoriented as a result of various elements occurring simultaneously. The constant barrage of power beams, spells being cast, and incoming attacks can obstruct the narrow field of view. While the vibrant Sigils, spells, shields, and splash effects enhance the game's aesthetics, they can also cause players to miss crucial opportunities to strike back. Furthermore, during end-game boss battles, the intensified particle effects and vivid colors may lead players to inadvertently suffer damage from attacks they were unaware of.

Ascendant's debut game, Immortals of Aveum, deserves recognition for its impressive combat mechanics and engaging storyline. The developers clearly invested time and effort into refining every aspect of the game, including its shooting mechanics and puzzles. However, while the overall execution is commendable, it lacks innovation and fails to offer a captivating enough experience for replayability. Despite this, Immortals of Aveum has the potential to pleasantly surprise shooter enthusiasts and is likely to cultivate a dedicated fan base.

Immortals of Aveum is a revolutionary first-person fantasy shooter developed by Ascendant Studios. With magic spells at its core, this captivating game seamlessly combines the power of Unreal Engine 5 with immersive storytelling. Offering a unique gameplay experience, it artfully intertwines linear levels with expansive Metroidvania-style areas that invite players to embark on thrilling exploration adventures.

Immortals of Aveum is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for the purposes of this review.