Immortals of Aveum review: Jak of all trades, master of none

Not in years have I seen a game thrown out to die as hard as Immortals of Aveum. Developed by Ascendant Studios, it’s a game that hopes to combine some good ol’ fashioned FPS action with some slick spell-slinging. An interesting pitch for sure, but sadly not one that manifests itself in an especially exhilarating fashion. Immortals of Aveum is a middling adventure, which just so happens to be releasing at a time when several industry-shaking games are releasing. It is a game doomed for the bargain bin.

But perhaps you’re still curious. Immortals of Aveum is a first-person shooter where you, in the run-down shoes of Jak, find yourself living in a magical slum preciously built over a literal bottomless pit. Content with this prime real estate, he lives with a gaggle of other urchin children away from a forever war between the tyrannical Sandrakk and the last vestiges of resistance. From these humble beginnings, Jak becomes a powerful magus in his own right and must take the fight to Sandrakk with the help of his Whedon-esque wit and the various magical spells at his disposal.

Immortals of Aveum’s real narrative value comes from its cast of characters, not from any sort of enriched, overarching plot. I did find myself enjoying the performance of some of these side characters, but Jak himself didn’t win me over. The protagonist may have a ‘love it or hate it’ Marmite effect on players, thanks to the writers’ snark-ridden, quip-heavy approach with the character. It’s not as heavy-handed as Forspoken was, but it’s in the same ballpark. Your own personal tolerance for this style of character work and dialogue will greatly impact your overall investment in Immortals of Aveum’s story.