Arietta of Spirits

A great, brief Zelda-inspired gameplay experience that is easy to pick up and sink a few hours into for a fulfilling journey that doesn't overstay its welcome.

78%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

character development, grinding

83% User Score Based on 299 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

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About

Arietta of Spirits is a single player role playing game with fantasy and drama themes. It was developed by Third Spirit Games and was released on June 14, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Arietta of Spirits" is a story-driven action-adventure game following Arietta as she uncovers the mysteries of the Spirit Realm. Players explore a colorful world, interact with various spirits, and engage in combat to solve puzzles and progress through the emotional narrative. With its charming visuals and engaging gameplay, "Arietta of Spirits" is a must-play for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 299 reviews

story88 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Beautiful pixel art and charming visuals that enhance the emotional narrative.
Engaging story about loss and grief that resonates with players, making it a heartfelt experience.
Simple yet satisfying gameplay that is easy to pick up, making it accessible for casual gamers.

Very short playtime of around 4-5 hours, which may leave players wanting more content.
Combat mechanics can feel clunky and simplistic, lacking depth and variety.
Lack of a map or guidance can lead to confusion during exploration, making navigation frustrating at times.

story
229 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The story of *Arietta of Spirits* is characterized as a heartfelt and emotional journey, focusing on themes of grief and loss, with a charming narrative that is both simple and engaging. Players appreciate the game's beautiful pixel art and the dynamic relationship between the main characters, Arietta and Arco, although some feel the plot could benefit from deeper exploration and development. Overall, while the story is well-received for its warmth and originality, it is noted to be relatively short and occasionally simplistic, leaving some players wanting more depth and content.
- “With Arco's guidance, Arietta gains the ability to see spirits and embarks on an emotional quest to uncover the secrets of the spirit realm.”
- “The story is engaging and heartfelt, and in my opinion parallels a lot of the current world issues, serving as a great cautionary tale.”
- “Absolutely beautifully done art, music, and a heartwarming story.”
- “The story is very charming in a lot of ways, although at some points it does play with some rather dark themes.”
- “For a story that starts with introducing three people grieving the loss of a family member, there's very little emotional pay-off for this set-up.”
- “The story / world felt a little underdeveloped; what was there was intriguing but I left wanting more (particularly in terms of a more fleshed-out island environment to explore).”
gameplay
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, drawing inspiration from classic Zelda-style mechanics, which makes it easy to pick up but may leave some players wanting more depth. While the combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving elements are engaging, the game’s short playtime of around four hours and lack of complex mechanics can lead to a repetitive experience. Overall, it offers a charming narrative and beautiful pixel art, making it a delightful, albeit brief, adventure.
- “It evokes the nostalgia of classic SNES adventure games while introducing fresh mechanics and a touching narrative.”
- “The mechanics are simple yet engaging, with a focus on combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.”
- “A great, brief Zelda-inspired gameplay experience that is easy to pick up and sink a few hours into for a fulfilling journey that doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “However, the game's length and lack of complex mechanics might leave some players wanting more.”
- “The gameplay did get repetitive after a while (thread your way along a path, hack and slash the monsters as you go) with little to vary it; I eventually took a long pause before coming back to finish the game.”
- “Very high quality pixel art and an okay story, but the gameplay is pretty lacking.”
music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
26%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the engaging soundtrack and sound design as standout features. While some found the music to be heartwarming and fitting, others noted that it, along with the gameplay, contributed to a charming experience, even if the core mechanics were less compelling. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, complementing the game's visuals and narrative effectively.
- “Best part is the beautiful soundtrack, I love it so much.”
- “Absolutely beautifully done art, music, and a heartwarming story.”
- “From its stellar spritework to the way the music and ambient sounds wind their way gently through the deep forests, everything comes together to deliver a game that’s easy on the eyes and memorable.”
- “The music, art style, emotional drama between the main characters, all of it is just okay.”
- “Music: it's also there.”
- “The start of this review takes time but at least we get to experience the gameplay & music soundtrack for steam users.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
39%
5%
The graphics of *Arietta of Spirits* are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style and smooth animations, evoking nostalgia with a charming aesthetic reminiscent of classic games like *The Minish Cap* and *Stardew Valley*. While many reviewers appreciate the polished visuals and engaging atmosphere, some note a lack of strong art direction, leading to mixed feelings about the overall impact of the graphics. Overall, the game is considered visually appealing, contributing positively to the emotional storytelling experience.
- “Arietta of Spirits hooks players with its enchanting art style and emotional story, delivering a gaming experience that is both nostalgic and fresh.”
- “The graphics are sublime, definitely one of the best looking indie games out there.”
- “Arietta of Spirits has an absolutely gorgeous aesthetic.”
- “Its graphics are pretty enough, but don't have any strong art direction either.”
- “The music, art style, emotional drama between the main characters, all of it is just okay.”
- “For full price it's too expensive since it has nothing special to offer (except the pixel art style).”
emotional
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of *Arietta of Spirits* is highlighted by its heartwarming narrative and relatable character arcs, which resonate with players as they navigate themes of loss and family unity. While the game effectively engages players with its touching story and charming art style, some reviews note that the emotional payoff can feel abrupt or lacking in depth, particularly towards the end. Overall, it offers a memorable experience that balances nostalgia with fresh emotional storytelling, despite some critiques regarding its narrative execution.
- “This game shines with originality, blending retro-style pixel art with a deeply emotional storyline.”
- “The most impressive thing about this game is its ability to get you emotionally invested in such a short amount of time.”
- “A short but beautiful game, with very well-crafted pixel art and a very touching story!”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its engaging art style and music, which effectively enhance the storytelling experience. While the gameplay is described as simple and satisfying, it has some minor issues, and the swordplay, although not a focal point, does not detract from the overall ambiance.
- “The atmosphere: the accumulation of art style and music.”
- “Its strength lies in the story and the atmosphere, and while the swordplay doesn't detract, it doesn't exactly stand out.”
- “A fun little game with a good atmosphere and simple, satisfying gameplay, though not without some points of friction.”
- “The atmosphere is defined by the combination of art style and music.”
- “Its strength lies in the story and the atmosphere; while the swordplay doesn't detract, it doesn't exactly stand out.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring a few lighthearted moments, such as jokes shared with family, amidst a backdrop of more somber themes, like saying goodbye to a loved one. While some players found the humor effective, others felt it was overshadowed by excessive technical jargon.
- “If you cut out all the meaningless technobabble, you have one scene where you say goodbye to grandma and two funny jokes with your parents.”
- “Some of it was funny, some of it was sad.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability due to its heartwarming and memorable story, along with a solid retro adventure feel. Players can enjoy numerous collectibles, sidequests, and various features that enhance the overall experience and encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The heartwarming and memorable story, combined with a solid retro adventure game feel, makes for an engaging experience. The collectibles, side quests, and many other features significantly extend the replay value.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character paths, this game encourages players to explore different choices, enhancing its replayability.”
- “The variety of challenges and unlockable content keeps me coming back for more, ensuring that each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that character development is a strong point in the game, with players appreciating the depth and complexity of the characters as they evolve throughout the story. Many noted that the interactions and choices significantly impact character growth, enhancing player engagement and emotional investment. Overall, the character arcs are well-crafted, contributing to a rich narrative experience.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be straightforward and engaging, avoiding feelings of boredom or tedium.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance at 1440p and a stable 60fps.
- “Performance: excellent (1440p, solid 60fps)”
- “Performance: excellent (1440p, solid 60fps)”

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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

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5h Median play time

5h Average play time

4h Main story

7h Completionist

4-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Arietta of Spirits is a role playing game with fantasy and drama themes.

Arietta of Spirits is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 4 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 7 hours to finish. On average players spend around 5 hours playing Arietta of Spirits.

Arietta of Spirits was released on June 14, 2021.

Arietta of Spirits was developed by Third Spirit Games.

Arietta of Spirits has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

Arietta of Spirits is a single player game.

Similar games include Death's Door, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Mages of Mystralia, Eastward, Ocean's Heart and others.

Arietta of Spirits

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