El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

Product Details

Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
ASIN: B0054INKOG
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4 ounces
Media: Video Game
Release Date: August 16, 2011

By : Ignition Entertainment
Price : $18.17
You Save : $31.82 (64%)

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
Amazon.com Product Description
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a third-person, single player action-adventure game in which players must subdue rogue angels, loose on the Earth in order to uphold God's divine plan and prevent the destruction of humanity. Loosely based on the apocryphal Judaic works concerning the pre-flood biblical patriarch Enoch and his role in some traditions as Metatron -- the angelic intermediary between God and his people -- El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron features a compelling storyline; a distinct visual experience; combat, platforming and exploration gameplay; unique weapons and feedback systems; and controls that are designed to suit all levels of players.

The Story of Man, Angels and God
Long ago, when the seed of mankind was first taking root, God laid down his plans for the human race. He appointed the Grigori, the most human of all angels in heaven, to watch over them from the celestial realm. The Grigori, known to some as the "The Watchers," dutifully continued their vigilance through the ages. Over time, they became fascinated by the lives humans led, with the uninhibited freedom and passions. Subtle at first, the fascination soon led to feelings of longing, desire and lust until one fateful day, the Grigori turned away from God and descended to Earth. When Heaven's highest order, the Council of Elders, discovered the Grigori's betrayal, they were furious. Their anger only grew stronger when they learned that the fallen angels had taken in daughters of men, deviating mankind from God's great plan.

To set matters right, the Council decided to send a terrible flood to wipe out the entire human race. However, there was one man who objected to the Council's decision. His name was Enoch, a scribe whose righteousness moved God to bring him to heaven while still living mortal. The Council heard Enoch's pleas and agreed to spare mankind on the condition that Enoch capture the fallen angels and bring them back to heaven to be imprisoned. To prevent the impending flood, Enoch returned to Earth on a mission to escort the fallen angels back to heaven. Upon his arrival he confronted Azazel, one of the seven who fell. However, Azazel refused to return to Heaven and went into hiding along with the others, warning Enoch not to follow. And so, Enoch's long journey begins.
Key Game Features

Gameplay: Expect the Unexpected - El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron defies gaming convention by mixing a wide variety of gameplay styles including 2D side-scrolling action and 3D exploration.
A Compelling Storyline - A compelling storyline based on the ancient apocryphal tome, The Book of Enoch, but told with a modern flare and uniquely artistic approach.
A Distinct Visual Experience - Immerse yourself in beautiful dreamlike game environments that seem to morph around your movements and that reflect watercolor anime animation style.
Unique Feedback System - Innovative "Zero HUD Player Feedback System" utilizes dynamic environment, character, and audio clues to keep the player engaged without cluttering the screen with extraneous indicators and information.
Controls - The three-button control system is simple to use yet surprisingly deep, delivering exhilarating, flowing action that allows both casual and hardcore players to enjoy the game at their own pace.
Unique Weapons - All weapons are forged from crystalline heavenly knowledge beyond the grasp of humanity and possess supernatural powers. Among them is the Arch, a holy blade with the hidden power to slice through anything.

Additional Screenshots

Long ago, when the seed of mankind was first taking root, God laid down his plans for the human race. He appointed the Grigori, the most human of all angels in heaven, to watch over them from the celestial realm. The Grigori, known to some as the "The Watchers", dutifully continued their vigilance through the ages. Over time, they became fascinated by the lives humans led, with the uninhibited freedom and passions. Subtle at first, the fascination soon led to feeling of longing, desire and lust. Until one fateful day, the Grigori turned away from God and descended to Earth. When Heaven's highest order, the Council of Elders, discovered the Grigori's betrayal, they were furious. Their anger only grew stronger when they learned that the Fallen Angels had taken in daughters of men, deviating mankind from God's great plan. To set matters right, the Council decided to send a terrible flood to wipe out the entire human race. However, there was one man who objected to the Council's decision. His name was Enoch, a scribe whose righteousness moved God to bring him to Heaven while still living mortal. The Council heard Enoch's pleas and agreed to spare mankind on the condition that Enoch capture the fallen angels and bring them back to Heaven to be imprisoned. To prevent the impending flood, Enoch returned to Earth on a mission to escort the Fallen Angels back to Heaven. Upon his arrival he confronted Azazel, one of the seven who fell. However, Azazel refused to return to Heaven and went into hiding along with the others, warning Enoch not to follow. And so, Enoch's long journey begins.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

Product Features

Expect the unexpected. El Shaddai defies gaming convention by mixing a wide variety of game play styles including 2D side-scrolling action and 3D exploration.
Lose yourself in the compelling storyline based on the ancient apocryphal tome, The Book of Enoch, but told with a modern flare and uniquely artistic approach.
Innovative 'Zero HUD Player Feedback System' utilizes dynamic environment, character, and audio clues to keep the player engaged without cluttering the screen with extraneous indicators and information.
The three-button control system is simple to use yet surprisingly deep, delivering exhilarating, flowing action that allows both casual and hardcore players to enjoy the game at their own pace.
All weapons are forged from crystalline heavenly knowledge beyond the grasp of humanity and possess supernatural powers. Among them is the Arch, a holy blade with the hidden power to slice through anything.

Customer Reviews

I was hyped when I saw the initial trailer for this game and was blown away by the crisp looking frame rate, art style and music. I'm a fan of games like okami, odinsphere and others that have their own unique flair and dare to stand out from the crowd with something new. El Shaddai, while beautiful, failed horribly to deliver on every other aspect. The story is there but not as fleshed out as it should have been and is non-sensical at times. Gameplay consists of one attack button, one jump button and block. At first I thought there were two jump/block buttons but they both essentially do the same thing with the one exception of the jump+guard/jump+attack button presses which still do little to add to the shallow and repetitive combat.
If you hated running through a corridor in Final fantasy 13 repeatedly and killing a small variation of enemies then you will HATE this game. I pushed myself onward until I beat the game telling myself maybe it will be different but it doesnt get any better. Each level consists of running through a linear pathway whether its 2D or 3D... killing enemies in an enclosed area...rinse/repeat until you encounter boss.
The music was my other gripe. I loved the music i saw in the trailer which is a single track on the game and then the rest seems pretty much like forgettable elevator music. I will say I've been spoiled by games like demon's souls that have musical scores that are equally as characteristic and layered as the game is... El Shadai's is ...just bland most the time.
I would like to end with the fact that this is just my opinion, some people I have seen on various message boards thoroughly enjoyed it, I didn't.
My advice to anyone even considering plunking down 60$ of their hard earned cash on this short and half baked game would be to download the demo first from PSN, Rent it or wait until the price drops.

It's hard to get over this game's visual style, which is vibrant, imaginative, and varied. I was bogged down, however, by super-linear level design, repetitive combat, and incomprehensible plot. I wanted to love this game, and there were times I had to stop and marvel at the incredible worlds the designers created. But overall I really couldn't get past the feeling that I was simply playing a below average game with spectacular visuals.