16 Bit Arena
- March 24, 2015
- islesofciphar.com
Get on SteamIt's time for a 16-bit beatdown! Enjoy the Card Game, Trials, chatting, and rockin' to some awesome music as you fight in retro-style battles up to 9v9!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- 16 Bit Arena offers a charming blend of character collection, strategic combat, and nostalgic pixel art, making it a delightful throwback to the classic arcade era.
- The variety of characters and the rewarding progression system through collecting gems provide depth and replayability, allowing players to customize their playstyle.
- The combat system is engaging and fun, especially in multiplayer matches, and the game is free to play, making it accessible to a wide audience.
- The game's servers are essentially abandoned, making it difficult to find online matches, which significantly detracts from the multiplayer experience.
- Many players report that the game lacks content and has a bare-bones feel, with little to no single-player experience to keep players engaged.
- The graphics and controls are criticized for being outdated and poorly implemented, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- graphics5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their low quality, featuring poorly drawn assets and outdated retro pixel art that fails to meet contemporary standards. Players noted the locked resolution and controls, which hinder customization and overall visual experience, contributing to a perception of the game as visually unappealing and reminiscent of a "crappy free to play" title. Despite these shortcomings, some users found enjoyment in the gameplay itself, though the graphics remain a significant drawback.
“Sure it was free, and had a 9v9 PvP, but it wasn't 'old school graphics'; it was stolen assets and poorly drawn graphics.”
“Resolution and controls are locked, and can't be changed or customized to improve the visuals or the control experience.”
“They chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of Maplestory is criticized for being lacking and poorly developed, with reviewers expressing disappointment over the absence of engaging single-player content, storytelling, and well-designed NPC interactions. Instead, the game relies heavily on PvP elements, which many feel is a poor substitute for a rich narrative experience.
“An immersive interactive story!”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its nostalgic quality, reminiscent of classic titles like Final Fantasy, enhancing the retro-style battles and overall gameplay experience. Players enjoy the soundtrack, which adds to the enjoyment of card games and trials, making it a standout feature.
“Enjoy the card game, trials, chatting, and rocking to some awesome music as you fight in retro-style battles up to 9v9!”
“The soundtrack brought back memories of playing Final Fantasy and other games like that.”
“Good music (at least in my opinion).”
“The soundtrack brought back memories of playing Final Fantasy and other games like that, but it felt out of place in this context.”
“The music is forgettable and doesn't add anything to the overall experience.”
“I found the music to be repetitive and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's high replayability due to its diverse range of characters, including rogues and griffons, which enhances the overall experience and encourages multiple playthroughs.
“The variety of characters, ranging from rogues to griffons, added depth and replayability to the game.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Gameplay is initially engaging with a variety of trials, but it tends to become repetitive later on, primarily revolving around arena fights and a card game that some players have yet to experience.
“I feel that it has a lot of gameplay early on, with the trials and all, but afterwards all you have is the arena fights and the card game.”
“I feel that it has a lot of gameplay early on, with the trials and all, but afterwards all you have is the arena fights and the card game (which I haven't been able to play yet).”
“The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth after the initial stages.”
“I was disappointed by the limited variety in gameplay mechanics as the game progressed.”
