You know what they say, if there is one thing you should ever do is touch another persons food. Because if you do there will be hell to pay. That’s exactly what happens in Ak-Xolotol and there is much to get revenge for. Here in my Ak-Xolotl review, I show you if the quest for vengeance is worth it, or does ak-solutely nothing.
Thanks to the team from 2Awesome and Playstack for providing us with a key for the game.
Warning: We will talk about some story bits so do be aware of spoilers ahead.
Story:
The story of Ak-Xolotl is a simple one but an enjoyable one. Our happy little salamander and their children are enjoying a nice meal by a campfire. Loving their carefree lifestyle of quiet bliss. However, after they fall asleep from eating their fill, things go horribly wrong. As the adult axolotl awakes they notice that something is amiss. The children have gone missing but that’s ok as long as they have their food.
Only to open their chest of snackies to find their supply gone. Messing with the kids is forgivable, but touching the food is a major no-no as the Axolotl gets pissed. It is here that things get going as they grab their gun and lock and load.
Traveling across different lands, fighting bosses all in pursuit of getting their food back! I find this setup to why a tiny salamander that always looks like they are smiling would suddenly have an AK was hilarious. At first, I was upset that the babies were stolen, but when the snacks were gone I lost it.
The story plays out across multiple runs, as you slowly get better and better progressing through each area. While there isn’t a lot maybe story-wise, how it all plays out is lighthearted and hilarious, and that was more than enough for me.
Graphics:
The art style of Ak-xolotl is simply put a chaotic colorful cacophony of insane cuteness. Yes its so great I had to use alliteration. the designs of all the enemies are adorable and cute, in the most cartoony way possible. Despite it being a pixelated-style game, the details are beyond amazing. Everything simply pops out at you and looks just amazing.
That’s just the creature designs, that is not even including the backgrounds. Each area has a certain feel and aesthetic that it’s hard to not love and appreciate. From the lush green forests to the dirty trashy scrapyard, to the elegant pink sakura trees. Not to mention how absolutely cute the Axolittles look, the baby axolotls you save. Everything is just wonderfully crafted you sometimes forget about the horde of evil animals wanting to kill you.
Sound:
I LOVE THE SOUND OF AK-XOLOTL! Ok, the music is simply, awesome from the second you start the game. The music on the main screen simply just rocks with the heavy guitar riffs and drums. With a chorus of axolotls just going “La la la,” its hard to not get amped up. This little bit reminds of the turtle races from Chained Echoes.
Once the game loads you hear the lovely voice of the narrator who tells of our tale of revenge as we mess up those who stole our delicious nom noms! The sounds of the guns are super fun and rewarding with each sounding loud and powerful. And the sounds of the enemies are simply cute and evil. Not to mention that each area has its own unique sound. Giving each area a unique identity and feeling that no matter the run, you will always have some awesome music to jam in each area.
Gameplay:
Now for me, I’m not a major roguelike player as I don’t have much experience with them. Knowing how some of them can be quite hard and unforgiving like Hades or Dead Cells, Ak-Xolotl takes a different approach. They offer two modes one being the traditional hard mode difficulty most associated with those styles of games.
However, they also offer a mode being an easier style, similar to how the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order or Survivor offered an easier mode for those not used to soul games. This was a more generous mode giving more heals. However while it may have turned down some aspects of difficulty, it still required some skill and time. And I certainly enjoyed the thrill of the challenge.
The simple twin-stick formula works wonders with this genre of games. Along with the fact that they offered other things to help out. Such as mentioned saving the axolittles. When you return to your main hub, you can show them love and attention. Growing them up to join you as your own little army.
The game has so much simplicity and depth it’s hard to not enjoy it as someone who is not well-versed in this genre.
Closing thoughts:
Overall my time with my Ak-xolotl review was such a blast. From the sheer absurdity and humor of the game to the adorable art style. Ak-xolotl offers so much in a small and cute package. It’s without a doubt a game I highly recommend.
Thank you again to 2Awesome and Playstack for providing us with a key to the game for my Ak-Xolotl review. If you want to play the game for yourself it will be launching on September 14th. It will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and on PC through Steam. Make sure to check our other reviews. And make sure to follow our YouTube channel for video reviews and more.
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AK-Xolotl
