ARIA CHRONICLE
- July 12, 2020
- STUDIO N9
- 11h median play time
Get on Steam"ARIA CHRONICLE is a rhythm-based action game where players control a magical girl in her quest to defeat enemies with the power of music. Featuring fast-paced combat and a variety of challenges, players must master different musical elements to deal damage and progress through the game's story. With a unique art style and catchy soundtrack, ARIA CHRONICLE offers an engaging and immersive experience for fans of rhythm games and action titles alike."
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features enjoyable character and class design, with a diverse range of skills and classes that allow for flexible squad compositions.
- The art style and music are well-executed, creating a charming and engaging atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The gameplay loop is fun and combines tactical battling with dungeon-crawling elements, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- The game can become repetitive and grindy, especially during exploration, which some players find tedious and unengaging.
- There are issues with hit accuracy and RNG, leading to frustrating moments where high percentage attacks frequently miss.
- The story and character development are often seen as generic and predictable, lacking depth compared to other titles in the genre.
- story202 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally perceived as simple and somewhat generic, featuring familiar JRPG tropes and predictable plot twists, yet it includes moments of humor and character development that some players find enjoyable. While the main narrative is self-contained and offers a decent experience, many reviewers noted that it can feel repetitive and drawn out, particularly due to the grinding required for character progression. Overall, the characters are often described as charming, which helps to elevate the otherwise standard storyline.
“The story is pretty simple but has some good twists and character development.”
“It had a pretty good plot with some good twists, a fun cast of characters, an enjoyable set of roles to play with, a good range of difficulty options, and good replay value.”
“The story is interesting and contains humor.”
“Story and characters are largely forgettable, and the game can be a little repetitive if you play in longer sessions.”
“It's possible you will have more luck with this game, but I gave it a lengthy shake and just can't get interested in it past all the repetition, not to mention the mundane dialogue that is passed on as a story.”
“The story is predictable and really not that interesting... I'm sure there are some that will like it.”
- graphics86 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful anime-inspired art style, which many find charming and vibrant, reminiscent of titles like Darkest Dungeon but with a more approachable aesthetic. While some animations may appear janky, the overall visual presentation is polished and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. However, opinions vary, with a few players expressing a preference for different art styles, indicating that the anime aesthetic may not resonate with everyone.
“Overall, great game with beautiful artwork.”
“The artwork for player characters and enemies is gorgeous.”
“The art style is cute and beautiful and the game makes a really polished impression, with a lot of attention to detail and no rough edges or bugs.”
“Everyone says Darkest Dungeon is a great/good game, but I always find the visuals/graphics of it unappealing.”
“Seems like the aesthetic of Darkest Dungeon is part of the charm, though I found this one just grating instead of interesting.”
“Aesthetic isn't to my liking, but I love the gameplay & general design, so... yep!”
- gameplay86 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, drawing comparisons to "Darkest Dungeon" with a more casual and forgiving approach, featuring a solid turn-based tactical RPG structure. Players appreciate the variety of mechanics, character classes, and the engaging combat, though some note issues with the UI and certain mechanics being confusing or buggy. Overall, it offers a satisfying RPG experience with a charming aesthetic, making it a good choice for fans of the genre, despite some repetitive elements and grind moments.
“This is a great RPG in a similar vein to Darkest Dungeon, but is not as dark or gruelingly hard. Don't let the surface features distract from a good solid RPG experience as this has many grind moments but has a progressive story with some inventive enemies and tactical gameplay.”
“Aria Chronicle is a turn-based tactical RPG that feels like a mixture of Darkest Dungeon and Etrian Odyssey. It features the familiar gameplay loop where you upgrade a town that acts as your base of operations, recruit and level heroes, collect and craft some equipment while progressing through the main, side, and repeatable quests that form the dungeon exploration aspect of the game.”
“The gameplay has been addicting, with good combat mechanics and a variety of gameplay elements that keep it engaging.”
“You make many minor decisions which aren't interesting one after another. The 'going through a level' gameplay consists of things like finding a chest, a signpost, moving through empty rooms, going into a room that does damage to you (just pops a trap) so you heal your party, deciding if you want to use your actions and things.”
“The game doesn't really explain the different mechanics that well, and the UI can be a bit confusing, especially at the beginning.”
“Gameplay-wise, the loop does get same-y, but as long as you are willing to mix in other character classes that you haven't settled as part of the 'main team', then it will allow a break from monotony.”
- music44 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its charm and fit within the overall aesthetic, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Many appreciate the combination of music and art, noting that it enhances the immersive experience, though some prefer to listen to their own playlists instead. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally considered decent, it lacks variety and may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
“The artwork is amazing, the music is great, and the gameplay is RPG comfort food.”
“The music is pleasant, and I ended up getting the soundtrack after buying the base game.”
“Story is very 'to the point' but the characters carry it with their charming interactions; in fact, I would say 'charming' is the perfect word to explain this game, everything from visuals to music is just that.”
“The music's short and forgettable.”
“The music could've used some variety, instead of the same ones for every map and every boss.”
“I can genuinely say that I hate this game and I really, really hate the victory music after you win a battle.”
- grinding38 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 84 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is described as both tedious and necessary, particularly from level 6 onwards, where players must complete numerous side quests to keep pace with the main quest. While some find the grinding enjoyable and integral to the gameplay, others feel it can become repetitive and slow down the story progression. Overall, the game balances challenging encounters with a grindy experience, making it a mixed but generally fun RPG.
“By 'not tedious' I mean that here you can hire characters up to level 8 (depending on what is the level of Aria). You can also save characters which will be equal to the level of the mission where you found them, and you can share experience of unneeded characters with others instead of just removing them.”
“So, this game isn't grindy, but it is hard - some bosses will be unexpectedly hard if you don't know what to expect, while in DD all bosses were very easy.”
“It really makes this game hard (not tedious).”
“The process is incredibly tedious for one character, let alone a full party.”
“- Grinding: leveling from level 6 onwards takes too much experience and requires you to do every single side quest and repeatable to keep up with the main quest level range.”
“My only complaint is that upgrading the various vendors in the town requires a lot of money, material, and level grinding.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, which is woven throughout the plot and character interactions, often featuring witty item descriptions and charming dialogue. While it breaks the fourth wall, which some find detracts from immersion, the overall comedic elements are engaging and enjoyable. However, a lack of character variety is noted, though the art and music complement the humorous tone effectively.
“The plot is also surprisingly humorous, from witty item descriptions to character interactions.”
“The characters are charming and there's a lot of humor here and there in the story.”
“Art is charming, along with its music and humor.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is considered stable, with no major game-breaking bugs or glitches reported. However, some users have noted minor bugs in certain mechanics.
“Some of the mechanics are a little buggy, but overall, it was a good, solid turn-based RPG.”
“I have yet to run into any game-breaking bugs or glitches.”
“I have yet to run into any game-breaking bugs or glitches.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is criticized for lacking depth and originality, relying on outdated JRPG tropes that quickly lose their appeal. While the 2D graphics and lively voice acting contribute to a bright aesthetic, the initial charm of the light-anime style diminishes rapidly.
“Decent 2D graphics, bright atmosphere, and lively voice acting.”
“Zero atmosphere, no real depth, uses JRPG staples that were stale 30 years ago.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its engaging twists, enhancing the otherwise simple storyline. Players appreciate the depth of character designs and customization options, making the overall experience worthwhile, especially at an affordable price.
“The story is pretty simple but has some good twists and character development.”
“Character designs, difficulty, customization, it is all there and for like $15 you can't go wrong!”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a solid plot with engaging characters and a variety of roles, contributing to its replayability. However, some users feel that it lacks sufficient replay value, indicating mixed opinions on this aspect.
“It had a pretty good plot with some good twists, a fun cast of characters, an enjoyable set of roles to play with, a good range of difficulty options, and good replay value.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting that certain elements can significantly hinder early game performance, negatively impacting overall gameplay experience.
“However, some optimizations are devastating to get early in the game, as they can severely ruin a member's performance.”
