Aztech: Forgotten Gods is not doing well in reviews. It had strong trailers going into its launch but it seemingly faltered somewhere in the development cycle. That happens all the time. The aggregate reviews are around the 60s, with some consoles falling around the 50s.
It’s a shame to see an indie studio like Lienzo come out of the gate with a lackluster launch like this. However, patches can change everything. The discussion right now might be about how Aztech: Forgotten Gods doesn’t live up to its concept. There are ways to strengthen the game and these tips might be just what the doctor ordered.
6 Tighten Up Those Graphics
The main story characters, including Achtli, look great. It is not quite a cel-shaded design, but they have distinct features in their models. They look like they belong in a finished video game. The random NPCs that are running around the city look they’re from an unfinished game.
It is seemingly impossible that the developer decided to metaphorically ship this game out, as it is digital-only, with NPCs that look even worse than models from 90s video games. The overall graphics, including the city, also look dated. Everything needs a bit more refinement which might be tricky to do in a quick patch.
5 Add More Music
The boss battles are some of the best things about Aztech: Forgotten Gods. They are gigantic set pieces that will test the player’s patience at times. They also have some rocking metal music to accompany the intensity. The music here is good, but it is lacking in the rest of the game.
Exploring the world is met with almost complete silence. Even normal enemy fights can be filled with a void of nothing but sound effects. This could be a bug, or it could be intentional. Either way the game needs more music piped in.
4 Add Voices
Another piece of audio that is missing from the game is voices. When Achtli and the other characters talk, they make noises similar to how characters speak in The Legend of Zelda series. Eventually, characters were given voices but it took decades to get them in the Zelda franchise.
Link is still silent and he will probably remain silent. At the very least Achtli isn’t a silent character completely as she does speak via text. Link doesn’t even do that. It would be nice to hear some voices though so that players could engage more with the somewhat sleepy narrative.
3 Add A Bigger Map
Aztech: Forgotten Gods is an open-world game or more like an open sandbox city. Achtli can’t go around jacking cars but there is a lot to explore in this tight, confined city. Players are assisted by a mini-map which is essential in a video game where exploring is key.
However, the mini-map can’t be blown up. There is no way to look at a larger map in the menu. If a game has a mini-map then it is usually accompanied by something bigger for players to examine. Having just a mini-map is odd, so the developer should add in a bigger version. Simple.
2 Consolidate Shops
There are three main shops in the game. One allows players to upgrade Achtli’s abilities both passive and active. For example, players can tweak how much health Achtli has or how long she can soar around the city with her rocket-boosted cybernetic arm. There is also a hair salon wherein players can give Achtli some different hairdos. Finally, there is also a clothing store. Now, the amount of hair and clothing options is nice to see in an indie game like Aztech: Forgotten Gods.
However, there could be more. It would be nice to see another round of hairstyles and clothes added into the game. Also, all three of these shops are close together in the city. It almost doesn’t make sense to have them separated. It wouldn’t save a lot of time, but combining all three would be an interesting move. If the developer doesn’t want to combine all three then there is another option. They could allow players to upgrade Achtli in the menu. Getting rid of one shop would suffice and in turn, allow players to upgrade Achtli at their leisure like in most games with systems like Aztech: Forgotten Gods.
1 Boss Hints
As was previously mentioned, the boss fights in Aztech: Forgotten Gods are some of the game’s highlights. As fun as they can be, their obscure solutions can become frustrating. Some boss fight strategies will be easier to identify than others. For gamers that need an extra hand, the developer should do more to guide players toward the light. There is a beacon that marks the way for important quests in the city.
Boss fights don’t need something as obvious as that to mark weak points. Metal Gearis a series infamous for its intricate boss battles. There are many ways to take down bosses in those games, but there is always a hint system via the Codec for the most obvious solutions. Aztech: Forgotten Gods is a cybernetic future. It wouldn’t be so hard to buy that Achtli would be able to talk to someone for guidance while in battle. She does talk to her arm in the story which is possessed by an ancient god. Maybe it could help out with boss fights too.
Aztech: Forgotten Gods was released on March 10, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
