Aztech Forgotten Gods Review

ign.com:

What if Tenochtitlán, the island city at the heart of the Aztec empire, had never been sacked by European conquerors? In the alternate timeline of Aztech Forgotten Gods, we get to see what that might have looked like: a thriving, technologically advanced metropolis that blends Mesoamerican-inspired design with a Tron-like aesthetic. Described by Mexico-based developer Lienzo as a “cyber-stone action-adventure,” Aztech’s memorable setting can be delightful to explore — that is, when the wonky camera and frustrating boss fights aren’t getting in the way.

Aztech Forgotten Gods is a fairly linear, eight-hour adventure about Achtli, a young woman so haunted by her past that she can’t move forward in life. After uncovering an ancient artifact — a giant stone arm that replaces her prosthetic one — that allows her to soar high above the city streets, Achtli finds herself facing off against a number of newly awakened ancient gods that threaten to destroy Tenochtitlán and all of its inhabitants. The story works well enough but Achtli is underserved by the fact that the dialogue is text-only and often accompanied by repeating animations that show characters moving their lips and bodies in the same way over and over again. Even so, I became fond of the defiant Achtli, her ride-or-die best friend Tepo, and her supportive mother Nantsin thanks to their snappy writing and the enjoyable story.

Flying from one edge of the city to the other felt amazing once I got used to it. Launching Achtli into the air, soaring around in every direction, and using speed boosts from strategically placed floating rings feels natural and fluid (though it’s a little weird that there are so many of them when Achtli is the only person who can fly). You’ll