Axiom Verge beginner guide: early progression, glitches and weapons

Three controls to learn first

Before practicing continuous fire while running, learn to aim in place, adjust jump height and switch to the right tool. Check your bindings in the pause menu.

1. Hold position lock, then aim up or diagonally. This reduces accidentally stepping off a platform while trying to change aim
2. Adjust jump height by how long you hold jump. When crossing enemy shots, check whether other shots cover the landing point
3. Learn weapon selection separately from exploration-tool controls. Axiom Disruptor, Laser Drill and Address Disruptor have different roles

The official PC manual states that its button configuration differs slightly from PS4. Match actions rather than blindly copying another platform's buttons.

Eribu opening: from the gun on the left to Nova

Being unable to proceed right from the opening room does not necessarily mean you missed a passage. First collect the gun on the left, then return and break the obstacle.

1. Go left from the starting point and take the upper route over the ledge to Axiom Disruptor
2. Return to the starting room, shoot the red blocks and proceed right. In new rooms, look for paired red switches and barriers
3. Explore the upward route to obtain Nova. Switch to it when a switch cannot be reached with straight shots
4. Fire Nova, then fire again to split the projectile at the switch's height and horizontal position. Adjust split timing as well as firing direction
5. Follow the opened path and visit the nearby save room before entering the red boss door

Strong noisy obstacles visible early require later abilities. Getting Nova does not mean you must clear every visible route immediately.

From Xedur to Laser Drill

Aim at soft areas on Xedur's face or tail. Rather than constantly changing firing position, use a safe side as your base and keep a distance where upward or diagonal aiming works, making its attacks easier to read.

1. Dodge ordinary shots with small sideways movements. Avoid running widely into another projectile's path
2. Bombs remain on terrain and explode after a short delay. Watch the bombs left nearby rather than judging danger only from touching one before it explodes
3. Once you have a safe firing line, lock position and shoot the face or tail with Axiom Disruptor. Prioritize dodging even as its attacks speed up at low health
4. After winning, collect Laser Drill from the room on the right. Drill through blocks beneath you to enter the new route

Laser Drill is more than an attack upgrade. It is your next exploration tool for rocky passages guns could not open.

Absu: practicing Kilver and Telal

Learn Kilver's short reach and ability to attack through walls. Consider using it across obstacles rather than simply as a reason to approach enemies closely.

1. Head toward Elsenova and collect Kilver. Shoot the nearby switch through its barrier to open the exit
2. If attacks miss, check the electricity's reach. Switch back to Axiom Disruptor for distant enemies along long corridors
3. Telal's large raised back is the weak point. Aim from the upper platform to connect more easily
4. Watch the upper turrets' shot height and alternate crouching and jumping. Jump to clear shots rather than jumping every time you shoot
5. Explore beyond the boss and collect Address Disruptor. Next, practice changing enemies and terrain

Some example routes take damage to pass behind the boss, but this beginner route does not require damage-based breakthroughs.

Address Disruptor: keep aiming until the change finishes

Glitches are not merely atmosphere: they change terrain or enemy states. However, the same tool does not affect every strange display. Observe which targets react and which need stronger abilities.

1. After obtaining it, aim at noisy terrain. When a blue reaction appears, continue until its shape changes into a platform
2. After using it on a moving enemy, observe the change before immediately killing it. Besides changed movement or attacks, some enemies can break nearby blocks
3. Large Diatom-type enemies in Absu break surrounding blocks after being changed. Consider this when your Drill cannot reach a direction
4. Record the location and obstacle type of strong noise that never responds, then continue. Revisit after Address Disruptor 2 or Address Bomb

Results vary by enemy. You cannot assume every enemy becomes harmless or usable as a platform.

When lost, start from your newest ability

Before checking every blank map edge, look for places where your newest action works. Recording the region and obstacle type makes later notes useful.

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No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.

A one-way drop immediately after changing regions does not alone prove a softlock. Some stretches require continuing until a new ability opens the exit.

Prioritize upgrades you can collect now

New guns add options, but health and damage nodes also ease exploration. If a visible item is unreachable, check the required ability rather than repeating dangerous jumps.

1. After Drill, briefly inspect suspicious rocks and floors. Use route destinations and gaps as clues rather than drilling every wall indefinitely
2. After Modified Lab Coat, revisit Uruku's room. Changing platforms and passing through the thin wall leads to a Health Node
3. Return to a familiar weapon if a new one struggles to hit a weak point. Even high damage is difficult to use with the wrong reach or angle
4. For full collection, revisit in batches after gaining the drone, Grapple and teleportation. Do not try to fill the normal map completely in the early game

All-achievement attempts have missable actions involving Ukhu's later small enemies and achievements for avoiding attacks. See the overview guide's caution section for details.

Fix common mistakes by ability

When trying alternatives at a dead end, change only one condition per attempt. Changing position, tool and beam duration together makes it harder to tell what worked.

Wide tables scroll horizontally.

No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.

You cannot always distinguish genuine rendering faults from intended glitch effects with certainty. Do not assume unresponsive controls or crashes are progression mechanics.

Frequently asked questions