ArtFormer: Ancient Stories
- September 29, 2021
- Frix
Get on Steam"ArtFormer: Ancient Stories" is a story-driven cinematic platformer with RPG elements, featuring four chapters that showcase unique heroes and gameplay mechanics inspired by human history's cave paintings, Egyptian papyrus, Greek pottery, and Roman mosaic. The game is designed to be accessible for people with disabilities, allowing for one-handed control. It pays homage to classic cinematic platformers while adding its own modern twist.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful and unique art styles inspired by historical themes.
- It offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic platformers like Prince of Persia, with a rich story and engaging puzzles.
- The music and overall concept of the game are well-received, providing a fun and interesting backdrop for gameplay.
- The controls are clunky and can be difficult to master, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that hinder progress and enjoyment.
- Combat mechanics feel outdated and lack depth, making encounters feel meaningless.
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their exquisite and unique art styles, drawing inspiration from historical art and retro aesthetics. Reviewers appreciate the creative design and the cool visual presentation of the chapters, highlighting the game's homage to classic platformers like the original Prince of Persia. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and originality.
“Music is amazing and the art styles are exquisite.”
“An original idea for graphic design, historical animated art is cool.”
“A nice surprise in the form of an old-school platformer with a unique setting and graphics.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its engaging narrative rooted in historical myths, offering a rich and fresh experience across chapters. However, players have noted issues with controls and quest AI, which can lead to frustrating gameplay moments that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The control is not the best, but if you get used to it, you can enjoy a very good story, based on historical myths with a decent plot.”
“There is a relatively rich story in each chapter, which is fresh in this kind of game.”
“The quest AI is poorly designed, leading players into traps set by the developers, resulting in frustrating experiences that waste time and require replaying sections.”
“I spent half an hour trying to get through a poorly designed quest, only to fail and have to reload and reinstall the game.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it difficult to stay engaged with the narrative.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of meaningful combat and outdated mechanics reminiscent of 1990s platformers, leading to a clunky experience that may frustrate players unfamiliar with the genre's conventions. While it is a small indie game, it suffers from bugs that further detract from the overall experience.
“Combat is meaningless, and the mechanics are the same as those you would have found in a platformer back in the 1990s.”
“Yes, it is a small indie game with a couple of bugs here and there, and the gameplay can be a little bit clunky if you do not follow the common DNA between artformers and the old cinematic platformers like Prince of Persia, Flashback, or Blackthorne.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a clunky and unenjoyable playthrough experience for users.
“However, it has so many bugs and glitches that make the playthrough clunky and not fun.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality, complementing the exquisite art styles and enhancing the overall experience.
“The music is amazing and the art styles are exquisite.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay, creating an immersive experience.”
“Each track is beautifully composed, enhancing the emotional depth of the game.”
