Axe.io review
:: AXE EM UPPrice: Free
Version: 1.02
App Reviewed on: iPad Air 2
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Axe.io is a multiplayer game where players throw axes at each other until there’s only one person left standing. It continues the tradition started by Agar.io back in 2015, but it also adds a few extra game modes to it, which actually adds more substance to the game than you might think. If you’re completely over .io-style games, Axe.io probably won’t be for you, but there’s still some decent fun to be had here.
Throwdown
In Axe.io, you play as an axe-wielding barbarian in an arena full of other axe-wielding barbarians. Your objective is to kill these other barbarians by throwing your axe at them. You only have one shot though, as you have to go retrieve your axe after you throw it in order to attack again.
As you play a match, you aren’t just on the hunt for other players, though. You can gather coins as well, which can allow you to level up, and leveling up grants you some additional capabilities, like the ability to carry multiple axes or use a shield to block axe throws. There’s never really a time where you feel truly overpowered though, as a well-aimed axe throw can always take you down in one shot.
Axes a la modes
Axe.io’s basic gameplay formula isn’t all too different from other .io games, but it gets applied to a wide variety of modes, which makes the game feel more substantial than others in the genre. In addition to just killing other players in a closed arena, there’s a Battle Royale-style mode (think Fortnite) and even a co-op boss fight against a dragon.
Across all of these modes, Axe.io is tracking your best rankings in each, and it’s fun to try and get better at each of them because they don’t just feel like variations on a theme. I will say that these modes aren’t perfect though, especially when it comes to the game’s poor spawning system, but it’s so easy to jump in and out of Axe.io matches that these issues don’t come off as too frustrating.
An axe to grind
While Axe.io presents some of the best variety of .io-style games out there, the package itself still seems pretty light. The action itself feels good, and bouncing between modes can be fun, but only up to a certain point. None of the modes themselves are terribly deep, and the game itself doesn’t really evolve as you play it.
You can eventually accrue enough rewards from your matches in Axe.io to unlock new characters, but these don’t really change the game at all. They are just new costumes to play the same old game with, and they take a terribly long time to unlock, unless you throw the game some money, of course.
The bottom line
Axe.io offers more than your typical .io-style game, but not so much more that it feels like a must-play. Still though, if you’re looking for a fun and light multiplayer game with a decent feel and variety, Axe.io can deliver.