![]() Of course, the story does get serious when it needs to and so Lita finds herself navigating all sorts of twists and turns as she reluctantly finds herself in a situation far greater than anything she could imagine as an aspiring archer. Lita is a likeable protagonist for the most part, and her banter with other characters is usually quite fun thanks to the witty and comedic writing. Like most RPGs from yesteryear, Ara Fell follows the journey of a hero, from humble beginnings to grandeur destinies. The vibrant and detailed pixel art lends itself to the game world that brings the characters and the premise to life. Needless to say, this game looks rather charming on your 4K HDR television. The attention to detail pulls no punches here, and the Enhanced Edition takes the visual presentation of the original base game to a higher standard. Even the character portraits shine through, where even most NPCs have their own portrait artwork. It’s colourful, vibrant, and doesn’t ever look dated given the range of visual effects and filters. This is a gorgeously crafted game, every nook and cranny lovingly crafted pixel for pixel. If you’re an RPGĭiehard with a passion for Square’s 16-bit output this is a safe purchase.To nitpick a little, Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition has the most amateurish key artwork, and if you judged the game simply by the underwhelming cover artwork on the Microsoft storefront then you’d miss out on the brilliant pixel art which brings the game to life. Make me interested in whatever the developer does next. I wanted developer Stegosoft Games to play more of their own riffs. Most of Ara Fell is fine, but it’s like listening to a cover band. The contemporary crafting system feels tacked on, simply involving holding down a button while carrying the relevant materials. While Ara Fell does a good job of mimicking RPGs of old, it doesn’t bring much new to the table. A few other niggles hold it back, including the repetitive music, along with the fact that it’s very easy to walk into an area you’re vastly underpowered for. It’s also difficult to know which parts of the scenery you can walk over, and which are blocked off. Controls feel imprecise and movement is twitchy. Traversal, in general, is a bit of an issue. ![]() A quest indicator on the map would have easily rectified this. Fast travel is limited to between certain locations and sometimes the similarity of backdrops means it’s easy to get lost. These include side quests and a reasonably large map to explore. Like all good RPGs, Ara Fell is filled with distractions. There are no random encounters here either, so you can avoid most battles should you choose. Become knocked out and your character will sustain an injury, lowering their stats until healed. While combat can get a little repetitive, fun twists help elevate things. It has the usual attacks and spells, and you can perform skilful combos. It’s turn-based, with a turn-order marker at the top of the screen. The gameplay likewise clings to the classics. Our protagonist, Lita, is sarcastic and funny in a way story-driven games often misjudge. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and there’s a humorous streak present throughout. The story involves a magic ring and a war between vampires and elves, with some excellent incidental dialogue to compensate for its clichés. It so transpires that RPGs thrive on their atmosphere and world-building. I love Final Fantasy VIII even though the story is incoherent garbage. I once believed RPGs lived and died by their stories, but that’s patently untrue. Things look a littleĬhunkier and less refined when the Switch is docked, but nevertheless, Ara Fell The pixel art is colourfulĪnd varied, and character sprites look razor-sharp. Have made Nintendo’s much-loved` machine shed more sweat than Mortal Kombat’sĬombatants. The number of sprites and detail within the backdrops would It’s how you remember 16-bit games looking wheneverįondly recalling the ‘90s, but far more technically accomplished than any SNES Ara Fell’s inspiration is obvious from the moment it begins
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