Arabel

About

Arabel is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Am.Hyde and was released on August 17, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

3D adventure game telling the story of a lost knight, searching her way out of the strange and twisted lands of the Abyss. Safe journey to you !

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 21 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a creative and unique concept with beautiful visuals and an enchanting atmosphere.
Combat is simple yet enjoyable, and the soundtrack enhances the overall experience.
Despite its short length, the game offers a charming single-sitting experience that many players found engaging.

The game suffers from technical issues, including a lack of settings, poor platforming mechanics, and awkward animations.
The story and dialogue are poorly translated, making it difficult for players to connect with the narrative.
Many players found the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, with a runtime of less than an hour leaving them disappointed.

graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The game's graphics are often praised for their unique aesthetic and ambiance, drawing inspiration from titles like Nier and featuring a greyscale art style reminiscent of Naissancee. However, players note a lack of polish in animations and overall graphical options, with some describing the visuals as feeling outdated and reminiscent of the PS2 era. While the art style is appealing, the absence of customizable graphics settings and resolution options detracts from the overall experience.
- “The visuals are where most of the game shines; it feels somewhat inspired by Nier, but in mostly greyscale, kind of like NaissanceE.”
- “The combat is simple and enjoyable, the music is pleasant, and the visuals are stunning.”
- “Though there is a lack of polish with combat and animations, this game offers a lovely, short journey with pretty aesthetics and a captivating worldscape.”
- “The visuals are where most of the game is at; it feels somewhat Nier-inspired, but in mostly greyscale, kind of like NaissanceE.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier than needed control scheme to the less than cutting-edge graphics.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with the original soundtrack enhancing the atmosphere, particularly the ambient tracks over the combat music. While some users feel the sound design could be improved, the overall pleasantness of the soundtrack contributes positively to the gameplay experience.
- “The combat is simple and enjoyable, the music is pleasant, and the visuals are too.”
- “Good combat and soundtrack, story is interesting as well!”
- “Emmanuel Barbaut, for his perfect music.”
- “The sound is a little lacking, but the OST is nice; it helps the atmosphere quite a bit. Ambient tracks sounded much better than the combat music, in my opinion.”
- “The sound is a little lacking, but the OST is nice; it helps the atmosphere quite a bit. Ambient tracks sounded much better than the combat music, in my opinion.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The gameplay is criticized for being overly simplistic and repetitive, with a lack of clarity on mechanics like checkpoints and janky platforming. While the visuals and ambiance are praised, the overall experience is marred by unrefined movement and a reliance on spamming actions rather than engaging mechanics. Despite some enjoyable boss fights, the gameplay feels barebones and in need of polish.
- “A charming single-sitting game with some great vistas and good boss fights that needed some more polish in the movement and better balancing of its mechanics and regular enemies.”
- “The platforming mechanic that was used the most was rail grinding; sometimes you jump from one to another, and sometimes you spam the right mouse button at a barricade blocking your way.”
- “The gameplay is so barebones it almost feels wrong; I can't even tell how checkpoints work because I never fell in combat. The platforming is janky, but it is not a big focus; for the most part, you run around and spam the right mouse button at a few interactables.”
- “The platforming mechanic that was used the most was rail grinding. Sometimes you jump from one to another, and sometimes you spam the right mouse button at a barricade blocking your way.”
- “The visuals and ambiance are great, but the gameplay is not fun and very repetitive.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story features a young female knight who falls into a hole and must navigate her way back, which some players find intriguing. However, there are concerns about the clarity and quality of the story's translation, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact. While the combat and soundtrack are praised, the narrative's execution leaves some players feeling underwhelmed.
- “Good combat and soundtrack, story is interesting as well!”
- “The story is, uhh... I think there is one?”
- “The plot revolves around a young female knight who falls down a hole and must now find her way back.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its beautiful black and white scenery and a well-crafted original soundtrack, particularly the ambient tracks, which contribute significantly to the overall experience. While some users noted that the sound design could be improved, the developers' attention to creating a mysterious and immersive environment is evident and appreciated.
- “However, the atmosphere is quite beautiful and it's clear the developer really cares about what they made.”
- “The game is short and focuses on atmosphere and providing an experience.”
- “Beautiful black and white scenery that gives it a mysterious atmosphere.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players frequently engage in rail grinding as a primary platforming mechanic, which involves jumping between rails and using right mouse button (RMB) actions to overcome obstacles. This mechanic is central to gameplay, adding a dynamic element to movement and navigation.
- “The platforming mechanic that was used the most was rail grinding; sometimes you jump from one to another, and other times you spam the right mouse button at a barricade blocking your way.”
- “Grinding feels repetitive and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “The constant need to grind for resources takes away from the enjoyment of the gameplay experience.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of Arabel is criticized as a cash grab, with a price point of around $8 USD deemed unrealistic given the game's defects and shortcomings, especially when compared to the abundance of free, higher-quality alternatives available on Steam.
- “Arabel has a completely unrealistic cash grab price of around $8 USD. It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings of the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”