El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

by Ignition Entertainment

• 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.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0054INKOG
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 16, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,712 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

Amazon.com

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.

Join Enoch's battle against fallen angels in which the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
View larger.

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

Free-flowing combat. View larger.

Platforming gameplay. View larger.

A bizarre range of foes. View larger.

A heavenly weapon set. View larger.

Product Description

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully confusing December 29, 2011

By J. Pardee

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

The basic storyline for El Shaddai is you play as Enoch, a priest sent by heaven to seek out seven fallen angels who have abandoned God and fled to Earth to capture them before God floods the Earth. The story can be very confusing throughout the game and I wasn't sure what was going on for a lot of the game but it's the music and the visuals that make this game shine.

El Shaddai is visually stunning and different than any other game I have played before which caught my attention. Each level's design changes drastically and never left me bored with what I had to look at. The music is very good as well.

Combat is hack and slash in the same vein as God of War, Dante's Inferno, and Devil May Cry but more simple. You start the game off barehanded and gradually get three different weapons to steal from enemies. Attacking is about as simple as it comes since you just have one button to press and then can do two different moves with each weapons which just involve a press of two buttons. To become effective at combat you have to time your button presses and make sure you are using the correct weapon since each weapon has a weakness to a different one. You can of course go through the entire game and try sticking to your favorite but combat will take longer that way.

Overall I would say the game was worth the purchase and would recommend it to people who are interested in something different to play. The visuals and music are both stunning, game play is fun and can be challenging as well but if you are looking for an amazing story than this might not be your first choice since it can be confusing.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Tight Action Controls and Unforgettable Style May 6, 2012

By Sean A.M.

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

This game is inspired by the Biblical character Enoch, and in the game he is sent to Earth to bring back the souls of 7 fallen angels to remove their influence so that there is not another great flood. Despite its inspiration, the game merely uses the Bible (and other ancient religious texts) as source material for the fictional (and often psychedelic) world; it's definitely not preachy, and some very religious/conservative folk may even find some of the references/jokes/suggestions offensive. (Lucifel talks on a cell phone to God, jokes about being mistaken for God, etc.)

On the surface, El Shaddai is an action/platform game offering a mix of 3D combat (i.e. God of War, Soul Reaver, etc.) with 2D platform elements (Mega Man, Super Mario Bros, etc.) and offering a variance of art styles between each stage. Controls are simple: there's jump, attack, block, and "purify," the latter of which will be detailed later. (The controls are also programmable, which is really a feature all games should have.) Gameplay in the 3D world largely consists of traversing (mostly) linear areas (there are a few branching paths, and some side/hidden areas), and being locked into combat arenas where the player will have to defeat a variety of enemies before continuing to the obligatory boss. (There is also another style of gameplay featured in one level, but I won't spoil the surprise.) Be prepared for a few instances where gameplay is minimized for cinematic effect or for transition between areas, as seen in games like the Metal Gear Solid series. (Slow walking areas, etc.)

Combat is based off a concept which is popular amongst many Japanese games: Roshambo, or Rock, Paper, Scissors. There are three weapon types, and each weapon is respectively weak to one and strong against another.... Wielding a different weapon not only changes your attack patterns and available combos, but it also changes the way in which your character traverses the world; the "heavy" weapon makes the wielder run slower, yet offers mobile defense; the "light" weapon causes the wielder to be more quick, and also offers additional, expanded movement options, etc. However (unlike God of War) the player does not select weapons on-the-fly from their inventory; weapons are only available directly from enemies, where the player has to steal them during key moments of weakness. These weapons become corrupted after a period of use, thus reducing their efficacy in battle; to combat this, Enoch is able to "purify" his weapons, but it takes time, and leaves the character vulnerable to attack for a moment. The other solution to weapon corruption is stealing another weapon, which results in automatic weapon purification and immunity from attack.

Despite the simple controls, combat can become highly tactical, especially on difficulty levels "Normal" and above; "Easy" lends itself to wanton, mindless, button-mashing throughout the entirety of the game. The game leaves attack combinations to be discovered by the player, and there are quite a few to be had just by varying the rhythm of button-pressing. Nearly every enemy has (with the exception of a few incidental, unarmed foes like Sprites) a weakness according to the Roshambo-style rules, yet that becomes less obvious when presented with enemies (such as bosses) which are not specifically wielding one of the three weapons.

One of the highlights of this game is that each area has its own art style; level and character art may appear as a surreal watercolor painting in one level, cell-shaded 3D (i.e. Katamari Damacy) in another level, and realistic-looking, futuristic cityscapes in another. The music varies quite a bit, too, as skirmishes are sometimes punctuated with the token intense (orchestral) video game music, while other encounters may feature a jazzier soundtrack; some areas have ambient music, while one area in particular has African choral music. Every new section in El Shaddai is a new visual and aural experience. Truly, this game is almost worth the (now very low) price just to see the variance of artistic style between levels. I was especially impressed by seeing the outside of the tower for the first time; it was in such stark contrast to anything I had seen before in the game, and the neon fireworks in the background with the African chorus singing below the Tron-like walkways really let me know that I should leave my expectations behind.

Unfortunately, the visual style of the game -- coupled with the inability of the player to control the camera -- can result in pitfalls during the 3D platforming sequences; sometimes it's a little hard to tell where a platform is, and whether or not Enoch is positioned correctly to land upon it. Not being able to control the camera at all makes this a deadly combination, as it would have been nice to be able to make fine adjustments with the right analog stick. In fact, El Shaddai makes absolutely no use of the right analog stick; if there is one thing game designers working in this genre should take away from a fixed-perspective action game (like God of War), it is the ability to use the right analog stick for evasion. Fortunately, pitfalls are of little consequence in this game, as the player usually starts off pretty close to where they fell, with no discernable penalty unless the falls become numerous.

El Shaddai is pretty light on penalty overall, actually; death in combat does not result in an immediate "Game Over," as Enoch can be revived with button-mashing during a limited period after death. This button mashing becomes progressively more demanding with each additional area death, until it eventually seems impossible to mash the buttons fast enough before having to reload. (For me that threshold was around the 6th revival.) Even so, the game auto-saves frequently, so most deaths are just not that debilitating. Even items collected before death are retained, making haphazard, suicide-style play a viable strategy to obtain some of these collectibles.

Collectibles are hidden well throughout the game, and if anything the automatic camera and sometimes painterly art-style make finding some of these items (and areas) a real challenge; branching paths are not always obvious, and sometimes the camera does not refocus on the new path until the player is practically on top of it. Only truly adventurous and imaginative players will find all the collectibles on their first play-through.

There is plenty of re-play value beyond the initial 10-15 hour story as well; a certain group of collectibles unlock a superior suit of armor for Enoch, and just beating the game for the first time unlocks new options and armor sets as well. The higher difficulty levels definitely demand mastery of the combat controls, as making it through those elevated difficulty levels without mastering blocking and counter-attacking is futile. I would have preferred that all difficulty levels be available at the start of the game, but the highest two are only unlocked after beating the game on "Easy" or "Normal" difficulty.

Overall I enjoyed El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron as a unique action game; the combat controls were simple to learn (yet difficult to master), game-play was generally tight and responsive, some battles were genuinely challenging, and the audio/visual aspect of the game is positively unforgettable. To all those people who thought this was going to be a $15 downloadable title: now is your chance, and it's totally worth the price right now. If you enjoy action games like this and are willing to put your expectations aside: there is no reason not to enjoy this game, and I know that some of it left an indelible impression on me. It's certainly not perfect, and some of it is quirky, but it's still a very memorable and enjoyable game. Read more ›

40 of 54 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A beauty that runs only skin deep. August 26, 2011

By Grimahri

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

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. Read more ›