Arvale
- August 14, 2015
- Jaybot7
- 40h median play time
Get on Steam"Arvale" is a humorous single-player Role Playing game, offering around 40 hours of playtime, that combines all four episodes into a stand-alone game. Players take on the role of Duncan Forsythe, the royal gardener of Entoque Castle, who is on a quest to regain his lost memories and discover if he really is a world-saver. The game features quirky characters, turn-based battles, and a variety of quests and puzzles to solve.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a humorous and engaging story that keeps players entertained.
- The graphics and music are charming, reminiscent of classic 16-bit RPGs, adding to the nostalgic experience.
- Players have found joy and motivation in the game, with some describing it as a source of comfort during tough times.
- The game suffers from severe lag and technical issues, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
- Gameplay can become tedious and grindy, with long battles and fetch quests that detract from the overall experience.
- There are numerous complaints about the game's low quality, including poor graphics, stock assets, and a lack of originality.
- story16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The story of "Arvale" is characterized by a humorous and plot-driven narrative centered around the protagonist's quest to recover lost memories and heroic skills, while grappling with past mistakes. While the overarching plot may feel generic, the engaging character interactions and comedic elements provide a redeeming quality that keeps players invested in the journey. Overall, the story is a blend of self-aware humor and classic JRPG tropes, making it enjoyable despite some predictability.
“So far the story moves along nicely and keeps me wanting to find out what Duncan will remember next.”
“Where it really shines is game story and playability.”
“So he needs to set out on a quest to find his lost memory and recover his heroic skills, all the while being confronted by facts that he was probably responsible for dooming an entire village or abandoning his elven girlfriend and so on.”
“The story is fine, and mostly plot-driven, but the characters also chat amongst themselves a lot, mostly with silly dialog.”
“Story is just cure your amnesia you are our hero from yesteryear go and deliver a message to the village up north.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Arvale" is a standout feature, characterized by a self-aware plot and plenty of hilarious dialogue that adds a fresh twist to the JRPG genre. Players find the game's comedic elements to be a major redeeming factor, contributing to an enjoyable experience filled with laughter and high adventure. Overall, the humor is consistently praised as a key aspect that enhances the game's appeal.
“Once this is sorted out, Arvale becomes quite an enjoyable game of high adventure spiced with cool humor.”
“Yet it's a fresh take on the genre, with plenty of hilarious dialogue, and an almost graphic adventure-like treatment throughout.”
“Loved the humor then and I'm glad to see it's still totally intact.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being rich, catchy, and a refreshing departure from typical RPG Maker tracks, with standout pieces noted in specific locations like the castle and first town. However, some players express frustration over the lack of control over the music and sound settings, particularly during combat, where the volume remains high despite attempts to mute it. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Music: higher end, good, and not 'the same old RPG Maker' songs I remember.”
“The soundtrack is phenomenal and catchy.”
“The game is pretty fun and I like the storyline, but I wish we could control the music and sound system. Even when I turn it off, it still plays very loud during combat.”
“Muting sounds still has the music blasting during combat.”
“Something I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet is the music!”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are a mixed bag, with some users noting the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, such as poor fullscreen support and lack of HD options, which detracts from the experience for modern gamers. However, others appreciate the nostalgic 16-bit style and find the visuals charming, with some original elements and decent quality that align well with the game's humorous narrative. Overall, while the graphics may not meet contemporary standards, they contribute to the game's unique charm and appeal.
“These graphics are so ahead of their time!”
“The graphics are great - exactly what I'd expect for a 16-bit era game.”
“Graphics, while clean, seem so tiny and old to be laughable until after I started playing; I realized it's all part of the charm for this game.”
“As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
“There's a completely poor attempt at humor amongst the asset-flipped game visuals, and the usual bad anime fan-fic plot.”
“Graphics, while clean, seem so tiny and old that they are laughable. However, after I started playing, I realized it's all part of the charm for this game.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Arvale" is a mix of traditional JRPG elements, featuring a blend of town exploration and combat zones, though it suffers from balance issues between these areas. While some players appreciate the nostalgic battle mechanics reminiscent of classic Final Fantasy games, others criticize the overall quality, describing it as low-effort and lacking depth. Overall, the game offers a lengthy experience but may not meet the expectations of those seeking polished gameplay.
“Arvale is an adventure game, with 40 hours of gameplay, made in RPG Maker.”
“The gameplay alternates between safe towns, with weapon and item stores, and maps with enemies and a boss at the end.”
“The battle mechanics are a throwback to the old Final Fantasy system - not overly complicated and easy to use.”
“Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
“Old school RPG gameplay? I think not!”
“For the price, it reaches way beyond what could be considered engaging gameplay that never delivers.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the mid-game requires extensive farming for expensive gear, later encounters provide ample rewards. However, many reviewers note that the repetitive nature of battles can become tedious, particularly when facing challenging bosses, leading some to abandon the game altogether. Overall, the grind is seen as a significant but manageable part of the gameplay.
“It gets pretty grindy towards the mid-game; you'll spend a lot of time farming encounters for the money to buy the oppressively-priced gear. However, towards the later third of the game, the encounters drop so much money that you'll never have to worry about having enough.”
“On the technical side, the game has a nicely assembled and rich environment, standard music, and a workable combat system, even though it gets a bit grindy at times.”
“Overall, the game was fun as each new development progressed the plot, but it often got tedious while going through the long parts.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, characterized by poor quality, reliance on stock assets, and a lack of genuine development effort, which ultimately tarnishes the reputation of amateur developers.
“It's horribly basic, riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, full of stock copy-pasted RPG Maker assets. No real game development has taken place here; this is just a cash grab, it's shovelware polluting Steam for profit.”
“This kind of cash grab construction kit shovelware from bad actors like Andorlea gives amateur developers a bad name.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent crashes and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“Unfortunately, this is going to be a short review, as the game is sadly quite buggy and constantly crashing.”
