I was probably more surprised than anyone to see the El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster on the Nintendo Switch eShop because it was something of a rarity even when it was released back in 2011. I remember pre-ordering it after seeing something about it on Gametrailer.com, and when I went to pick it up, a friend of mine—who worked at EB Games—said to me, “You know we’ve only received three copies of this game, and two are reserved for pre-orders.” The people who had pre-ordered them were him and myself.
It’s really a shame that no one really knew about it back then, and it would fade into relative obscurity because El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON might have been the first game that taught me video games can be art—or perhaps that art could be video games. But with an HD remaster comes a second chance to experience a masterpiece, and it is just as good as I remember.
Based on the apocryphal Book of Enoch, players take on the role of the heavenly scribe Enoch, who is called down from heaven to find and defeat seven Fallen Angels before the Council of Heaven unleashes a great flood upon humanity. It’s somewhat straightforward in concept, but its presentation really sets it apart from any other game—actually, presentation will become something of a running theme here.
This comes in large part from artist and Ōkami and Devil May Cry Lead Character Designer Sawaki Takeyasu’s complete creative freedom on the game. In fact, the design’s aim was to create a game where story, art, and music were the central elements, and they are definitely present here. There’s a unique blend of gameplay and story, but its delivery feels sporadic and otherworldly. The opening credit sequence, for example, has players running along a 2D plane, slashing away at enemies, while bits of the story are seemingly delivered in no specific order. This moment takes place over 300 years—as Enoch was searching for the Fallen Angels.
“… El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON might have been the first game that taught me video games can be art—or perhaps that art could be video games.”
Another moment has Enoch climbing a tower of stained glass portraits as Archangels describe themselves. It creates a sense of time that progresses in minutes but spans decades, creating a feeling that perfectly compliments Enoch’s immortal nature, perceiving time much differently than humans would, which does an excellent job of putting the player slightly off balance as the story progresses.
The gameplay is an intense mix of action Hack n’ Slash and platforming that blends simple controls with complex and challenging combat. Controls are effectively “one button,” as players have an attack, jump, and guard, but there’s an incredible amount of depth behind them as how you time button presses will change actions during combat. Well-timed blocks will execute parries, while staggering attacks will open up Enoch’s range of movements, allowing him to jump behind enemies or deliver rapid-fire flurries.
The main mechanic during combat is Enoch’s ability to steal opponent’s weapons—of which there are three to be used in battle. The Arch is a fast, balanced blade; the Gale acts as a long-range missile barrage, and the Veil is a combination shield and heavy attack gauntlets. Combat becomes an intense and versatile skirmish where players need to constantly be aware of their opponents while stripping them of their means to attack—and changing their own. It’s as if you’re watching an intricate dance where elements keep shifting at a moment’s notice.
Adding to this is a somewhat unique “durability” system where attacking enemies causes their corruption to build up on Enoch’s weapon—once it becomes fully corrupt, it will deal less damage and need to be purified, which can leave players open to attacks. Furthermore, players are given multiple chances when defeated in combat, as mashing the buttons can cause Enoch to rise again with reduced health, but each rise gets progressively more difficult.
“El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster is an incredible experience that every gamer NEEDS to experience.”
One of the things I always liked about El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON’s visual design, in relation to the gameplay, was its lack of HUD elements. Basically, all the information players need is present on Enoch and within the environments. Players will see cracks in Enoch’s armour as he takes damage or weapons beginning to darken as corruption builds. Combat always takes place on small battlefields where enemies are always in view, so players are always able to focus on the visuals, which are the real standout of the game.
While the combat has a flair for the dramatic as Enoch performs incredible feats of acrobatics to steal weapons or perform attacks, it’s Takeyasu’s overall visual design that steals the show in almost every moment. One moment you’re running through breathtaking landscapes of living watercolours, the next you’re approaching an eldritch tower of eyes, surrounded by an indescribably alien city, then suddenly you’re blasting through a futuristic city on a motorcycle.
El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON‘s visuals are art in its purest form, presenting areas that are abstract, surreal and deeply memorable. Takeyasu’s final theme for the visuals was “a sense of statelessness and a sense of timelessness,” and that he wanted visuals that were constantly changing. And the game achieves this to an amazing effect—in replaying it for this review, I genuinely forgot just how awe-inspiring every level of the game was. And as an HD Remaster, players have the option of playing in HiRes mode—keeping the visuals crisp at every moment, even when playing in handheld—or Action mode, where some pixels get sacrificed for the sake of a consistent 60fps.
And while there’s a part of me that thinks the game’s artistry makes up for some reduced resolution—it is an action game, after all, which is objectively better in 60fps—the game runs at a fairly consistent 60fps that maintains the striking visuals is genuinely more satisfying to the overall experience.
“El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON’s visuals are art in its purest form, presenting areas that are abstract, surreal and deeply memorable.”
Furthermore, the visuals are backed by an incredible soundtrack that fits the tone at every moment. From the sweeping, triumphant choir at the beginning of Enoch’s adventure to the eerie, hauntingly beautiful chanting as he approaches the Tower to the bizarre and surreal combat music that adds intensity and the theme of corruption to every fight, it runs the gamut from angelic to eccentric and makes every moment feel electric.
Now that I’ve finished raving about El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster, I do need to point out that it’s not a completely flawless experience. The combat, while immensely satisfying, can be a bit janky at times. It does require a certain degree of patience, however, it would’ve also benefited from some simple updates—most notably, a lock-on feature, especially while using the Gale. Movement during the platforming sections can also be a bit stilted, leading to some unnecessary pitfalls.
Also, one particularly bizarre error is El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON‘s digital manual book. Within the pause menu is a QR code that will take players to a digital manual book featuring all kinds of spectacular art and background stories. There’s only one catch, the QR code directs to the Japanese manual book. It was an incredible oversight for such a good idea—as someone who remembers how awesome manual books used to be, the idea of simple ways to reintegrate them into games is something I fully support.
But this is an HD Remaster, not a remake, and despite some minor hiccups that were present in the original El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster is an incredible experience that every game NEEDS to experience. Any flaws it may have are made up for by an over-abundance of style. As I said at the start, this is one of the best examples of video games as art, and if you missed it back in 2011 and have a Switch—or even a halfway decent PC—do yourself a favour and check this out. You won’t regret it.
