Astral Chain
A 2019 action-adventure game with dual-character combat and Legions.
Astral Chain is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Directed by Takahisa Taura, with supervision by Hideki Kamiya and character designs by Masakazu Katsura, the game is set in a dystopian future Earth where a special police task force protects humanity from interdimensional creatures. The story centers on two twin recruits who use the titular Astral Chain to restrain and tether creatures called Legions in combat and investigation.
- Developer
- PlatinumGames
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Platform
- Nintendo Switch
- Release Year
- 2019
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Director
- Takahisa Taura
- Sales
- Over 1.3 million copies as of December 2022
Lore & Background
Astral Chain is set in the year 2078, where humanity has retreated to a megacity called the Ark after interdimensional creatures called chimeras invade Earth. The chimeras reside in the Astral Plane, an alternate dimension, and cause destruction by dragging civilians into it and corrupting humans into aberrations. The Neuron task force, a division of the Ark's police, uses Legions—subservient chimeras tethered via a psychic chain—to combat the threat. The player assumes the role of one of two twin police officers, the Legionis, who joins Neuron early in the game alongside their opposite-gender twin, Akira Howard. The twins were adopted by Neuron captain Maximilian Howard after their mother died during a corruption outbreak.
Reader's Guide
Astral Chain received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised its dual-character gameplay, world building, presentation, customization, and soundtrack, though some criticized its silent protagonist. The game's development cycle was estimated at five years, following previous collaborations between PlatinumGames and Nintendo on titles such as The Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2. The gameplay combines hack and slash combat with role-playing elements and investigative open-world adventure sections, heavily revolving around simultaneous control of two characters. The player can summon five different Legion forms—Sword, Arrow, Arm, Axe, and Beast—each with unique abilities for combat and puzzle-solving. The game features four difficulty settings, with ranking on the two highest. As of December 2022, it sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide, cementing its place as a notable entry in PlatinumGames' catalog and a successful collaboration with Nintendo.
Did You Know?
- The game was announced in February 2019 as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.
- Director Takahisa Taura was previously lead game designer for Nier: Automata.
- The setting draws heavy inspiration from various cyberpunk manga and anime.
- The game features five Legion types: Sword, Arrow, Arm, Axe, and Beast.
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