Arcadian Atlas

Arcadian Atlas is a solid, concise SRPG crafted with a lot of heart.

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In "Arcadian Atlas" , navigate a civil war between a queen and a charismatic princess while controlling a rogue magician and the second heir to the throne. Customize troop classes and engage in tactical battles to determine the kingdom's fate. Recruit allies and upgrade them to Cavaliers, Inquisitors, or Ronins for strategic advantage.

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Reviews

51%

Audience ScoreBased on 127 reviews

story33 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

The pixel art and animations are beautifully crafted, providing a charming aesthetic that pays homage to classic tactical RPGs.
The story features intriguing political elements and character development that keeps players engaged.
The soundtrack, while unconventional, adds a unique atmosphere to the game and enhances the overall experience.

The gameplay suffers from numerous quality of life issues, such as a lack of camera rotation, cumbersome menu navigation, and unclear skill descriptions.
Combat can feel unbalanced, with ranged units significantly outperforming melee units, leading to repetitive strategies.
The game lacks depth in its class and skill systems, offering limited customization and progression options for characters.

story
158 mentions
21 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of Arcadian Atlas has garnered mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its emotional depth and political intrigue reminiscent of classic tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics, while others criticize it for being clichéd and lacking in depth. Many found the narrative engaging and capable of evoking strong feelings, particularly in its twists and character connections, but noted that it sometimes falters in pacing and coherence, especially in later chapters. Overall, while the story has potential and offers interesting themes, it often feels rushed and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more.
- “The ending brought me to tears, and I always have respect when a story can tug on my heartstrings that well.”
- “Despite it being a fairly short game (Steam says 21 hours for me but my save file says 17), I really felt connected to the main protagonists and their story, as well as the goings-on in the political sphere.”
- “I found the story to be mature, holding nothing back during the war and hitting nuances I don’t see that often regarding choices, emotions, duty, and more.”
- “The political intrigue is kind of interesting but it never gets past the 'wicked stepmother' plot mixed with 'star-crossed lovers on opposite sides of a conflict' cliché.”
- “The story is only serviceable and ultimately a shaggy dog story.”
- “The game failed to fully explain the plot and focused more on the dynamics between certain characters without fully fleshing them out.”
music
84 mentions
52 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique jazz-inspired soundtrack that adds a fresh vibe, while others feel it clashes with the game's fantasy setting and lacks variation, particularly in battle sequences. Some players find the soundtrack engaging and immersive, while others describe it as out of place or even immersion-breaking. Overall, the music is seen as a standout feature, though opinions vary on its appropriateness for the game's tone and context.
- “The soundtrack is incredible!”
- “The music is great, the art's lovely, everything works like you think it should.”
- “The jazzy soundtrack is growing on me (it seemed a bit incongruous to me at first).”
- “The biggest con of the game is, by far, the soundtrack.”
- “The music is such an immersion breaker.”
- “The music is out of place for this genre of game - moreover it is straight-up elevator music.”
gameplay
54 mentions
17 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the tactical elements and class system, while others criticize its lack of depth and polish. Many noted issues with mechanics, user interface, and the absence of random encounters, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness. Overall, while the game offers a fun tactical experience, it suffers from numerous flaws that detract from its potential.
- “The gameplay is fun, and the developers are very open to feedback from the community and are already making fixes to some balancing issues players have found.”
- “It doesn't have the same polish as a big-team or big-budget title, but the visual design is great, attack animations are satisfying, and the gameplay has a good balance of strategy and difficulty (with difficulty sliders if you want them).”
- “Great art style and music, a compelling story and world, and some satisfying tactical gameplay - I'm looking forward to digging in further!”
- “The gameplay is otherwise serviceable but ultimately not sufficiently intricate enough to hold much interest.”
- “The problem is, the tactical combat seems like just a mechanic to progress the story... so the star of the show is supposed to be the story... but it isn't a particularly special story.”
- “A lot of the in-game mechanics don't work very well.”
graphics
28 mentions
46 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of retro pixel art and expressive sprites, which many players appreciate for their charm and homage to classic tactical RPGs. However, there are criticisms regarding the character portraits, which some find distracting and not well-integrated with the overall aesthetic. While the visuals and art style are generally praised, the execution feels somewhat unpolished, leading to a mixed reception among players.
- “Sure, it's a little cutscene-heavy, but it's a fun little battle strategy game with cool characters, nice graphics, and fun music.”
- “The art style is wonderful, and the portraits of characters breathe life into the game that I often feel is missing from tactics RPGs.”
- “The graphics and music are top notch and are driving this so far.”
- “So I backed this product on Kickstarter a very, very long time ago and only a few minutes of play showed me how poorly polished the gameplay and visuals are.”
- “Graphics are jittery, even for a turn-based strategy game.”
- “I'm not sold on the character portraits; they are almost distracting from the rest of the game's aesthetic.”
stability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is inconsistent, with some users experiencing frequent freezes and slow performance, while others report a smooth experience without any glitches or crashes. Overall, the feedback highlights a divide between those facing significant stability issues and those who enjoy a stable gameplay experience.
- “The game looks great, runs smoothly, and the music is an absolute vibe.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a really enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “The stability of the game allows me to immerse myself fully without worrying about technical issues.”
- “It freezes up and sometimes it starts working again after a minute; sometimes it doesn't.”
- “Very slow and freezes often.”
- “Not only buggy, but the opposite of ease of life.”
grinding
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
71 % negative mentions
The game features a design choice that eliminates grinding, with battles being limited to story or quest-related encounters, which some players appreciate while others feel it restricts experimentation with character classes. While the absence of grinding is seen as a positive by some, it also leads to frustrations with the XP system and menu navigation, leaving players wanting more opportunities for character development and optimization. Overall, the lack of grinding is a mixed bag, offering a streamlined experience but at the cost of depth in gameplay mechanics.
- “There are no random encounters; the battles are story or quest related, which limits their number. This means no grinding, which I personally don't see as a flaw. I've encountered this kind of gameplay decision in tactical RPGs before.”
- “No grinding.”
- “Having to game the XP system to optimize is just tediously unfun.”
- “UI handling and upgrading/replacing/buying/checking your gear is also a bit tedious, especially because that's the only thing you can do pretty much to upgrade your units outside of skills.”
- “Now the game currently has a lot of very odd things missing or just bizarre decisions; the XP system feels like a demo placeholder, the menus are tedious to navigate both in and out of combat, and so on. Despite all of these flaws that would normally be fatal to me, the game still manages to be enjoyable.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the depth of class promotions, many feel that it lacks significant replay value due to limited variations and the absence of random encounters. Although it may be enjoyable for a single playthrough, the consensus suggests that it does not offer enough incentive for multiple runs.
- “I can already see the replay value due to the depth of classes to promote to.”
- “In the $20-30+ (Canadian) price range, a lot of tactics RPGs lean heavily towards combat and designing a replayable experience in the form of New Game Plus runs with minor variations.”
- “I recommend this game for a single playthrough; however, for me at least, there is not much replayability.”
- “The game is worth a playthrough but has no replay value.”
- “Another thing people complained about is how the replayability is dead since there are no random encounters, which just makes me wonder.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its balance between seriousness and lightheartedness, effectively alleviating the weight of darker themes. However, some users feel that the blend of genocide and humor may not resonate well with all audiences, particularly older players. Overall, the humor is seen as appealing primarily to a younger demographic.
- “Where the writing delves into a nice balance between seriousness and humor at times to lessen the gravity of affairs here.”
- “Funny enough: skipping the first scenes leads to skipping the opportunity for playing the tutorial.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development is positively highlighted through appealing designs reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics, complemented by a unique atmosphere created by the jazz music. Notably, characters like Poncho the raccoon stand out, adding charm and personality to the overall experience.
- “I love the FFT vibes with the character designs, the strangely chill jazz music (which you will either like or very much not depending on your own preferences), and most importantly: Poncho the raccoon.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its dark and deeply emotional narrative, which resonates strongly with players and is considered a must-experience aspect of the overall story.
- “The story is dark, human, and emotional – and is not to be missed.”
- “The characters' struggles resonate deeply, making every moment feel impactful.”
- “I found myself genuinely moved by the narrative; it tugged at my heartstrings.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users noting that it leads to significant time wastage, suggesting it may be a major flaw in its design or execution.
- “This is one of the biggest flaws of the game, in my opinion: whether by design, by accident, or by poor optimization, a lot of time is wasted.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues that lead to frustrating performance drops, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I constantly experience lag and stuttering, which ruins the immersion and enjoyment of the game due to its poor optimization.”