Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

98%
Game Brain Score Based on 480 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
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"Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore" is an interactive action-adventure game where you play as Princess Arzette. Explore hand-painted backgrounds and diverse locations, uncover mysteries through conversations with locals, and acquire powerful items to defeat the evil Daimur. The game features fully voice-acted cartoon cinematics and a colorful cast of characters.

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Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 480 reviews
gameplay41 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • The game is a fantastic homage to the CD-i Zelda games, capturing their charm while improving gameplay mechanics.
  • The cutscenes are hilarious and well-animated, reminiscent of the original games, and add a lot of character to the experience.
  • The controls are smooth and responsive, making the gameplay enjoyable and accessible for players of all skill levels.
  • The game is relatively short, with a completion time of around 3-6 hours, which may leave some players wanting more content.
  • There is a significant amount of backtracking required to complete side quests and find collectibles, which can feel tedious.
  • Some players may find the boss fights to be too easy, lacking the challenge expected from a game inspired by the original CD-i titles.
  • gameplay113 mentions

    The gameplay of "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore" is a polished homage to the infamous CD-i Zelda games, featuring a blend of metroidvania mechanics and action-platforming that enhances the original's charm while addressing its flaws. Players enjoy a fun, exploration-heavy experience with quick unlocks and engaging combat, though some find the gameplay simplistic and lacking in innovation. Overall, the game successfully combines nostalgic aesthetics with modern improvements, resulting in a delightful and entertaining experience.

    • “It has great art, very catchy music, and gameplay that nails everything it set out to do.”
    • “Arzette is a love letter to the old janky CD-i games but manages to combine that with solid gameplay, catchy music, and a great art style.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly barebones and calling this a metroidvania does a disservice to the genre.”
    • “On a surface level, the gameplay of Arzette is average, and the game is rather short for its 20 dollar price tag.”
    • “Objectively, it is just a decent sidescrolling action-adventure with metroidvania-style gameplay and with a lot of fetch quests and backtracking, that has weird item-usage limits and a slippery power-curve and can be leisurely 100% in around 4-5 hours.”
  • music99 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, memorable tunes that evoke nostalgia for 90s gaming. The soundtrack is described as excellent, fitting the game's aesthetic perfectly, and enhancing the overall experience with its energetic and engaging compositions. Overall, the music is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.

    • “The music is absolutely wonderful.”
    • “The soundtrack is just wonderful.”
    • “The music is incredible too, and really nails the aesthetic.”
    • “It looks at first like it has more effort put into it than a simple meme game retread, with all the artwork and music, but it's really a shallow experience that repeats itself after the first few levels.”
    • “The music can get quite loud at times and I keep my PC volume low too.”
    • “It sounds like midis mashed with classic game disk music; it's just glorious on the ears.”
  • story74 mentions

    The game's story is a charming yet straightforward homage to classic fantasy narratives, featuring a princess on a quest to defeat a dark lord, filled with goofy humor and memorable characters. While the plot may lean towards the generic and includes fetch quests that can feel repetitive, the engaging cutscenes and heartfelt moments elevate the overall experience, making it enjoyable despite its simplicity. Players appreciate the blend of silliness and sincerity, with a nostalgic nod to the aesthetics of retro games, contributing to a fun and immersive storytelling atmosphere.

    • “But as well as being a great, reference-filled homage, this game does a great job at telling its own compelling story and creating its own interesting world, with its own humor and its own characters.”
    • “Genuinely fun to play, reminiscent of Zelda CD-i, Monster World, and Popful Mail, along with great 90's-esque music, funny cutscenes with deranged characters, and a surprisingly sincere and touching story.”
    • “It's been a blast to play, really charming story, characters, and cutscenes, beautiful backgrounds and music.”
    • “The story of Arzette is basically a generic fantasy story: a dark lord called Daimur, who was once sealed in a magic book, is released by one of his henchmen, and as he and his minions start causing havoc in Faramore, Princess Arzette has to take down Daimur and save the kingdom.”
    • “It's a standard story of, 'big bad threatens the kingdom again!'”
    • “The writing feels like it is written by people that are trying their hardest not to be genuine in their storytelling.”
  • humor71 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its charming and affectionate homage to the infamous CD-i Zelda games, featuring hilarious cutscenes and quirky character designs that evoke nostalgia while delivering genuine laughs. Players appreciate the blend of goofy, over-the-top humor with surprisingly touching moments, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre. While some may find the humor outdated or hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it successfully captures the essence of "so bad it's good" in a fun and engaging way.

    • “Delightful little game with funny and sometimes surprisingly touching cutscenes.”
    • “Genuinely fun to play, reminiscent of Zelda CD-i, Monster World, and Popful Mail, along with great 90's-esque music, funny cutscenes with deranged characters, and a surprisingly sincere and touching story.”
    • “It's a perfect length, responsive, and funny.”
  • graphics49 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a nostalgic homage to the infamous CD-i titles, featuring a charming blend of hand-drawn art and pixel art that resonates well with fans of that era. While the non-cutscene visuals are generally praised for their quality and clarity, some cutscenes suffer from inconsistent art styles and technical issues, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game's aesthetic successfully captures the quirky charm of the original CD-i games, making it appealing to both fans and newcomers alike.

    • “The art style (outside of cutscenes) actually looks really good.”
    • “Graphics are beautiful and I love the pixel art, and the cutscenes are just *french kiss* perfect.”
    • “The graphics are an excellent blend of spritework and painted backgrounds.”
    • “If you know nothing about the Zelda CD-i games, then this game would come across as mediocre at best, a standard platformer with mismatched art styles, unusual cutscenes, and incredibly easy combat.”
    • “There's an inconsistency with art style, framerate, and even the resolutions in the cutscenes that just don't mesh well in comparison to what it's trying to replicate, and come off as amateurish.”
    • “Many times the art style will be broken by a poor understanding of what they are trying to replicate.”
  • emotional11 mentions

    The game is praised for its delightful blend of humor and emotional depth, featuring touching cutscenes and relatable characters that evoke genuine investment from players. While maintaining a comedic atmosphere, it surprises with heartfelt moments that resonate, creating a nostalgic and wholesome gaming experience reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, the emotional narrative and character development stand out as significant strengths, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “Genuinely fun to play, reminiscent of Zelda CD-i, Monster World, and Popful Mail, along with great 90's-esque music, funny cutscenes with deranged characters, and a surprisingly sincere and touching story.”
    • “The characters are super funny, and genuinely moving and heartwarming.”
    • “Like they kept the comedic atmosphere for most of the game but then actually made the characters likable and even a bit emotional at times; it's actually kind of wild how I felt invested in these characters that are supposed to be a parody.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the snappy controls and engaging power-ups that make progression enjoyable, others find the need for repetitive level replays and backtracking tedious. The game offers a balance between fun upgrades and frustrating enemy mechanics, leading to a sense of both accomplishment and annoyance as players navigate through its challenges. Overall, while it avoids the extreme tedium of some classic titles, it still requires a significant investment of time to fully complete.

    • “Of course, it has lamp oil, rope, and bombs, but you also have other items to unlock, and there's no farming here.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I don't feel done with the game, but after a while, it felt tedious in a way I never felt like 'Wand of Gamelon Remastered' was.”
    • “In order to 100% the game, you need to tediously redo each level many times, and the 'blocks' that you need new items for are never interesting--like a cracked wall for using bombs is far more interesting than a bunch of white blocks you need to use your power fist move that is otherwise completely worthless to get through.”
    • “The enemies that take more than one hit have really long invincibility frames, so they're very tedious to fight--by the end, I was mostly running through enemies and just taking the damage.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely absent, with no significant growth or depth to the characters. However, the character designs are praised for their uniqueness and charm, showcasing a mix of humor and nostalgia, particularly in the cutscenes. While some designs are criticized as poorly executed, the overall aesthetic and memorable dialogue contribute to a fun and engaging experience.

    • “The game has a lot of funny dialogue, while the character designs are all unique and memorable.”
    • “Even if you aren't in on the joke, Seedy Eye has breathed so much life and personality into every character design, cutscene, song, etc. It's just pure charm throughout.”
    • “The cutscenes are just the right amount of cheesy, the character designs are amazing, and the quests and item finds are rewarding to complete.”
    • “There is also no character development at all, and the writing can't make up its mind if it wants to be funny or serious.”
    • “>character designs range from bad knock off, bad tumblr self insert, and bad furry anthro character.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    The game offers decent replayability through its smooth controls, engaging cutscenes, and optional content, with some players noting the potential for added replay value through randomizers and intentional sequence breaks. While backtracking can be a drawback, the inclusion of extra modes and speedrun-friendly elements enhances the overall experience. Overall, it is considered a fun and addictive metroidvania with strong replay value.

    • “The game has great replayability, and is actually quite addictive.”
    • “A true homage that runs laps around its inspirations, and a very replayable, short and sweet experience.”
    • “Short, simple, and very replayable metroidvania with very nice sprite art, a great soundtrack, and genuinely funny cutscenes that go beyond being a parody of the CDI games.”
    • “There is an overwhelming amount of backtracking, but the game also has some neat intentional sequence breaks that can clear up the monotony and rewards replayability.”
    • “I enjoyed my time with Arzette, and if possible, a randomizer could add even further replayability given how open the game's structure really is.”
    • “Plus there's mild replayability with an extra hard mode on completion along with some skips you can pull off in the Metroidvania style.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is notably superior to that of the Zelda CD-i titles, with users reporting consistently great performance throughout.

    • “It also has much better performance than the Zelda CD-i games.”
    • “All the performances were great!”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a delightful blend of humor and charm, successfully balancing comedic elements with emotional depth, making players feel genuinely invested in the characters despite their parodic nature. Overall, it creates an engaging and memorable experience that enhances the solid gameplay.

    • “A meme game that is actually worth your time with solid gameplay and a charming atmosphere!”
    • “They maintained a comedic atmosphere throughout most of the game, but surprisingly made the characters likable and even a bit emotional at times. It's wild how I actually felt invested in these characters that are supposed to be a parody.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game demonstrates strong stability, being completed close to its release date and free of glitches.

    • “The game was completed and released on time, with no glitches!”
    • “I appreciate how stable the game feels; I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs.”
    • “The performance is impressive, with smooth gameplay and consistent frame rates throughout.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
    • “There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, and it feels like the game wasn't properly tested before launch.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

Buy Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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