ASTRAL CHAIN: FIGHT BESIDE YOUR LEGION IN CYBERPUNK CHAOS
9.0 of 10 bananas. A brilliant cyberpunk action game from PlatinumGames where you control your character and a Legion partner simultaneously to chain stylish combos. Elite combat design with investigation depth.
By the Alpha. Full review. Updated Nov 9 2026.
Honest note: This is not a review from fresh hands-on play. I built this verdict from the official Nintendo eShop page, Nintendo UK site details, and the game's established critical reputation from its 2019 release. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 (released August 30, 2019, developed by PlatinumGames, published by Nintendo). Single player, 1 to 2 players with Joy-Con co-op. The button goes to the official Nintendo eShop digital download page. Digital only, requires 9.8 GB storage. Prices change, so look before you pay. No Amazon referral link available for this Nintendo eShop digital game.
Get Astral Chain on Nintendo eShopThis is a Nintendo eShop digital game, so there is no Amazon affiliate link. The button goes to the official Nintendo eShop.
Sit with me a moment. PlatinumGames has built action games for years. Bayonetta taught players to dance through bullet storms. Nier Automata gave combat a soul. Astral Chain asks a harder question. Can you control two fighters at once, chaining their moves into something greater than the sum of their parts? The answer is yes, and it feels brilliant.
What It Wants To Be
Astral Chain is a cyberpunk action game set in a futuristic megacity called the Ark, humanity's last refuge after a global disaster. You are a member of Neuron, a special police task force equipped with sentient armaments called Legions. These Legions fight beside you, and you control both your character and your Legion simultaneously to chain stylish combos. Per the Nintendo eShop page, you will investigate crimes, question suspects, solve environmental puzzles, and fight interdimensional invaders called chimeras across both the Ark and the Astral Plane.
What Works
The synergetic combat is PlatinumGames at their best. You control your character while your Legion attacks independently, but by coordinating your moves, you can bind enemies, land synchronized strikes, and pull off combos that feel like choreography. You can swap between multiple Legion types on the fly, each with different abilities and combat styles. Beyond combat, the game asks you to investigate crime scenes, use your Legion's abilities to track scents or subdue criminals, and explore the labyrinthine Astral Plane to solve puzzles. Character designs come from manga artist Masakazu Katsura, and the game offers both English and Japanese voice acting.
What Breaks
Listen well. The dual-character control takes time to learn. If you expect simple button-mashing, you will struggle. The game teaches you its systems gradually, but mastery requires practice and patience. Some players find the investigation sections slower than the combat, and the story can feel heavy-handed at times. And while Switch 2 compatibility is supported, this is still a 2019 Switch game, so the visuals and performance reflect that era.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love PlatinumGames action, want a cyberpunk setting with depth, or enjoy games that reward mastery of complex systems. Skip it if you want simple combat or if controlling two characters at once sounds frustrating instead of exciting.
STRENGTHS
- Elite synergetic combat design
- Multiple Legion types, deep variety
- Investigation and puzzle depth
- PlatinumGames pedigree
HONEST COSTS
- Dual-character control has a learning curve
- Investigation sections slower than combat
- 2019 Switch visuals and performance
- Digital only, no physical version
Affiliate note: this is a Nintendo eShop digital game, so there is no Amazon affiliate link.