Arelite Core

A love letter to the 16-bit era, Arelite Core is a great indie addition to the JRPG library. With its excellent battle system and colorful cast of characters, this game is a great trip down memory lane.

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The age of heroes is passed, yet an ancient evil rises again. Follow the adventures of Karden, a blacksmith on the path to mastering his craft, forced to take a stand against Talameq, an ageless entity bent on devouring the world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 17 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Arelite Core features a solid combat system with a variety of offensive and defensive abilities, allowing for strategic gameplay and character customization.
The game has charming character designs and engaging enemy folklore, contributing to an enjoyable RPG experience.
The developer has shown a commendable commitment to fixing issues quickly, enhancing the overall player experience.

The graphics and environment design are often described as bland and lacking polish, detracting from the overall visual experience.
The story and writing are considered generic and by-the-numbers, failing to offer a unique narrative experience.
Some players have noted that the game can feel tedious, with grinding required for boss battles and a lack of engaging exploration elements.

story
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The story is a classic high adventure narrative featuring a group of heroes on a quest to defeat a powerful evil and aid kingdoms along the way, with a linear progression and a party system that allows for character changes. While the plot is engaging and the dialogue well-written, some players find the pacing drags towards the end, and the characters initially feel generic but develop depth as the game progresses. Overall, the story successfully combines nostalgia with interesting characters and a compelling quest, keeping players invested despite minor issues.
- “The story is straight-forward and fair enough, and while the characters feel a little vanilla at first, the personality of the game grows as you get farther along.”
- “The plot thus far is interesting enough that I want to finish the game, which is pretty good for someone like me who so often loses interest halfway through.”
- “The story and dialogue are very well written, and the combat system brings enough new ideas to the table to seem fresh while still having that nostalgic feel to it at the same time.”
- “I'm near the end-game and just have no desire to slog through the finale and see how the story ends.”
- “The quest did drag a little bit towards the end though and I wouldn't have wanted ten more hours of similar content; the game also crashed a couple of times near the end and there are some typos present in the dialog, however, those are minor issues.”
- “The story is a typical example of high adventure with a linear storyline, where a group of good guys goes on a journey to defeat an all-threatening evil and help people (entire kingdoms even) along the way; your party will consist of a maximum of 4 characters at a time, though these will change during the game.”
music
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic SNES chiptune style, featuring bombastic synths and horns that enhance the overall experience. While some find the music a bit rackety, the majority agree it is fantastic and complements the game's retro aesthetic, contributing to its charm and appeal. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, elevating the game's nostalgic feel.
- “Music is mostly pleasing; it is done in the style of SNES chiptune with a lot of bombastic synth and horns up front in the mix.”
- “Great SNES-style RPG with a fun combat system and excellent soundtrack.”
- “The music and sound are also top-notch and really round out this game.”
- “On the technical side, the game feels a bit underwhelming; the music is a bit rackety but has a certain retro flair to it.”
- “The music is mostly pleasing; it is done in the style of SNES chiptune with a lot of bombastic synth and horns up front in the mix.”
- “Graphics, music, and sound effects are all very nostalgic but fail to elevate the overall experience.”
graphics
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature vibrant and detailed character designs and battle art, which are well-received, but the environments are often criticized for being bland and lacking polish. While the overall visuals may not match the standards of AAA titles, they still evoke a nostalgic charm that resonates with the genre.
- “For the visuals, the character battle art and designs are large, colorful, and detailed.”
- “Graphics, music, and sound effects all very nostalgic and true to the genre.”
- “Great art style.”
- “Graphics in the overworld and dungeons, however, range from unremarkable to bland.”
- “While the graphics may be lacking that one final layer of polish that all the big AAA studios can afford, they are still very well done, especially the character portraits and animated monsters you face in battle.”
gameplay
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay features an interesting combat mechanic that quickly becomes tedious, leading players to rely on item usage to bypass frequent encounters. While character synergy through status effects and combos adds depth, the overall experience is reminiscent of a classic indie SNES-era RPG, offering good value for its low price despite some repetitiveness.
- “Characters through status effects and combo mechanics, and depending on how you build them, can synergize with each other in interesting ways.”
- “Price vs value - its price is really cheap for all the custom art and great gameplay provided.”
- “Gameplay, mechanics, fun, overall enjoyability: I mean it's an indie SNES-era RPG released in 2017.”
- “The tediousness of battles means you'll be using the item mechanic to reduce or avoid the plentiful random encounters.”
- “The gameplay can feel repetitive, as the same strategies are often required to progress.”
- “The controls are unresponsive at times, making it frustrating to execute combos effectively.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often resorting to item mechanics to minimize random encounters. However, the difficulty scaling of bosses necessitates some grinding to progress effectively.
- “The tediousness of battles means you'll be using the item mechanic to reduce or avoid the plentiful random encounters.”
- “Unfortunately, boss difficulty scaling does call for some grinding.”