In a world where military first-person shooter titles such as Call of Duty and Battlefield dominate much of the video game market, Immortals of Aveum seems like a bit of fresh air when looking at it from the surface. As a fantasy-themed shooter, Immortals of Aveum replaces bullets with spells and ordnances with even more spells. It’s an ambitious take on the genre, especially being developer Ascendant Studios’ first title, but does it manage to carve its own niche within an already saturated space in gaming?

Enter Aveum

Aveum is a world ravaged by a battle known as the Everwar, a struggle for control over the realm’s three types of magic. Jak, our main protagonist, is taken under the Lucian military following his discovery as a Triarch, a gifted magician who can cast all three magic types. With the goal of finally putting a stop to the Everwar, Jak takes on the opposing kingdom of Rasharn to take down its ruler, Sandrakk.

Immortals of Aveum isn’t an open-world FPS game, but it does have its fair share of exploration, similar to what you get in games such as God of War and God of War: Ragnarok. They’re semi-open areas that are more-or-less streamlined, but a little bit of exploration will reward you with buffs, gear, and more. There are even optional bosses to take down, if you’re up for them. Each point of interest is marked on your map, a convenient feature for completionists who want to collect all of the game’s achievements. 

For a game that’s considered AAA, Immortals of Aveum fits the bill as it boasts pretty impressive graphics and environments. Character animations during cutscenes are smooth and lifelike, and some of the places you visit across Aveum are straight-up eye candy. 

A Not-So-Riveting Story

Most FPS titles aren’t exactly lauded for their stellar plots, but Immortals of Aveum excels at being particularly…bland. As soon as you start playing, lines upon lines of exposition start filling your eardrums. I’m the type of person who usually puts up with sudden lore dumps in video games, but with unfamiliar names casually being thrown about, and it being an entirely new franchise, I had little interest in the exposition being my first few minutes of the game. Of course, it’s difficult to establish a new IP’s lore without it feeling too forced, but for a game that’s meant to be a high-octane spell-slinging shooter, it’s definitely a bit of a slow start.

The plot itself also suffers from what many would describe as “Marvel-esque” writing. Conversations between Jak and the game’s supporting characters are full of quips and jokes that don’t really land well on players who probably moved on from that sort of dialogue back in Endgame. At the end of the day, there will definitely be people who enjoy how the characters are written, but it’s also safe to say that it won’t be for everyone. 

For some, an FPS game’s story may only be secondary to its plot, which is a sentiment I’d sort of agree with, but for a game to truly leave its mark in a genre full of competing titles, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have one that doesn’t sound like it was written back in 2017.

Who Needs Guns?

Immortals of Aveum’s “gunplay” revolves around three types of magic, which are distinguished by color. Blue magic offers precise, long-distance shots, with a feeling similar to pistols and rifles. Red magic provides up-close and personal area-of-effect damage, serving as the game’s version of a shotgun. Finally, you have green magic, which excels at raining small, but numerous spell orbs at enemies, much like a submachine gun. 

There are different types of spells within a specific color, too. For example, green magic lets you choose between a standard submachine gun-type spray and a “smart” bullet mode that shoots enemy-seeking bullets at a slower rate. You also have Fury and Control spells; Furies give you powerful damage-dealing spells for various situations, whereas Control spells offer utility against certain types of enemies. Some enemies will be easier to deal with when using specific types of spells or magic, which often results in the player swapping between magic types, Control spells, and Furies to clear out an area.

This sort of micromanagement can feel both overwhelming and rewarding, depending on how well you can pilot Jak. Early on, you’ll likely struggle with Control spells in particular, as switching between them can feel quite difficult with everything going on on your screen. When it clicks, though, you’ll feel like a bona fide Triarch Magni, hovering over opponents while you barrage them with a plethora of devastating magicks. It’s a true spectacle for the eyes and ears, though it may take a while to reach that point of familiarity with the game’s controls and gameplay.

A One-and-Done Experience

Compared to many modern video game titles, Immortals of Aveum is a relatively short experience, with players only needing to clock in 20 or so hours to complete it from start to finish. You’ll need a bit more time to do all of its side content, of course, but with no New Game Plus feature and no multiplayer, the game basically has nothing else to offer after that point. 

For a game that’s retailing at $60, just $10 lower than most modern AAA games, it’s not exactly a bargain, especially given the limited amount of hours you can put into the game. Still, there are many players who also prefer shorter titles, games that they can finish within a month or less, as it gives them a sense of completion without having to pour in hours upon hours of their free time to finish it.

The Verdict

Immortals of Aveum is a game that attempts to break out of the saturated FPS genre by offering a fantasy-themed, magic-based shooter based on an entirely new story. It’s an ambitious attempt, and while Ascendant Studios definitely did a solid job at creating a satisfying gunplay experience, its mediocre story and almost non-existent replayability make it difficult to recommend to others, unless they’re looking for something relatively short to try out.

Score: 6/10

Pros: 

• Unique and satisfyingly challenging gunplay
• Detailed graphics and environments
• Can be completed relatively quickly (~20 hours)

Cons:

• Story and writing are bland and somewhat uninspired
• Almost zero replay value
• Gameplay can be overwhelming at first

Immortals of Aveum review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.