SKIPPED BEAT

Axiom Verge 2’s disinterest in combat extends to its boss encounters. Tucked away in corners of the map, you’ll find robotic creatures so large they barely fit on the screen – but fighting them is entirely optional, your only reward for victory a couple of skill points that are in plentiful supply elsewhere. It’s good they’re not mandatory, given that in our experience most battles involve a lot of standing in one spot and hammering the attack button as quickly as possible.