Feria d'Arles
- April 6, 2018
- Tom Simpson
- 5h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Feria d'Arles" is a point-and-click adventure game set in the picturesque French city of Arles. Help Molly, an ambitious young woman, realize her dream of participating in the famous bullfighting competition while navigating quirky puzzles and interacting with a host of colorful characters. With its charming pixel-art animation and original music, the game offers a unique and entertaining experience for players. Disclaimer: No bulls were harmed in the making of this game.
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Reviews
- Charming and humorous writing with clever puzzles that are enjoyable and logical.
- Beautiful pixel art and animations that evoke nostalgia for classic adventure games.
- Short but sweet gameplay experience, making it a perfect bite-sized adventure for fans of the genre.
- The game is very short, often leaving players wanting more content and a more complete story.
- User interface can be confusing, with menu access not clearly explained, leading to frustration.
- Some puzzles may be too easy or require specific actions that can lead to players getting stuck.
- humor34 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and charming dialogue, reminiscent of classic LucasArts titles like Monkey Island. Players highlight the game's ability to deliver genuine laugh-out-loud moments and witty references, despite its short playtime of around two hours. Overall, the humor is described as delightful and engaging, enhancing the overall experience with funny cutscenes and character interactions.
“The writing was clever and funny, reminding me of Monkey Island but without 'aping' it.”
“The game is short but absolutely charming, filled with humor and references of all kinds and a very famous easter egg.”
“Delightful art and animation with hilarious writing.”
- story30 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story follows a naive girl named Molly, who dreams of becoming a matador, and is described as entertaining and well-written, with charming characters and vibrant graphics. However, many reviewers note that the narrative feels incomplete, ending on a cliffhanger and suggesting it serves as an introduction to a larger tale. While the themes of bullfighting evoke mixed feelings, the overall presentation and accompanying music enhance the storytelling experience.
“It tells the story of a naive girl, Molly, whose dream is to become the bravest matador, but without really knowing what being a matador means.”
“Lovely bright colorful graphics, and a well presented and well thought out storyline.”
“Has a cute storyline jam-packed with witty characters and great looking pixel art and animations!”
“As you can see, the complaint was that this is not a complete game but rather a short episode which doesn't resolve any of the plot lines and ends on a cliffhanger.”
“But I think this is a lose-lose situation for him, because if what he says is true, that most likely means we'll never get to see how the story gets resolved.”
“It also struck me as somewhat odd that the story would hinge around bullfighting, which is such a cruel and distressing activity for me to even think about, when the game is so joyous.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, colorful pixel art style reminiscent of classic titles like "Day of the Tentacle." Reviewers highlight the excellent animations, well-drawn locations, and charming character designs, making it a nostalgic experience for fans of retro adventure games. However, some users noted initial difficulties with running the game in full screen, but overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“Fantastic old school pixel graphics, great animations, and a nice soundtrack combined with some entertaining writing makes this a perfect little game for anyone who wants their adventure games firmly in the retro category.”
“Everything is presented in a gorgeous pixel art style that makes me feel like I'm 10 again, playing a cool point 'n click on my trusty DOS machine.”
“The locations and characters are very well-drawn and nicely animated - anybody who liked Day of the Tentacle will feel very much at home with the art style of Feria d'Arles.”
“The graphics were pixelated and colorful, although you might initially have trouble getting this to run at full screen.”
“- rotten in-game graphics.”
“Everything is presented in a gorgeous pixel art style, that makes me think I'm 10 once again, and playing a cool point 'n click on my trusty DOS machine.”
- music26 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many noting its fittingness to various scenes and themes. Reviewers appreciate the nostalgic feel of the soundtrack, which complements the retro graphics and animations, while also highlighting the clever variations that accompany different locations. Overall, the music is described as enjoyable, transportive, and well-integrated into the game's narrative.
“And the music was good, adding to the story, making the experience more transportative.”
“The music has a similarly nice quality to it, helping everything bounce and pop.”
“The music is fitting as well - I really dig that some locations have a variation of the same theme, and it subtly fades to the appropriate one as you travel.”
“Visuals are excellent (both backgrounds and animations) and the music is all right.”
“The music perfectly fits the scene and the 'bad guy' mayor.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics and great presentation, but it is criticized for being very short, with completion times averaging around 90 minutes to 2 hours. Additionally, while it incorporates elements from classic adventure games, it fails to adapt those mechanics effectively, leading to a sense of artificial playtime extension that feels outdated.
“Excellent game, great mechanics.”
“It's on the short side (only 90 minutes to complete, although I had to peek at the walkthrough twice), but the presentation is great and the gameplay is solid.”
“It is very short (I completed it in under 2 hours) and borrows some elements of the old adventure games without understanding that the requirements back then were very different.”
“It is very short (I completed it in under 2 hours) and borrows some elements of the old adventure games without understanding that the requirements back then were very different. Those old gameplay mechanics were specifically geared towards artificially extending the playtime by sending the player on lengthy trips between locations in search of the last currently available action that will trigger something else elsewhere.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is consistently praised for being solid and appropriately varied, effectively complementing the diverse locations within the game.
“The atmosphere is solid and appropriately varied for the number of locations, perfectly fitting the overall vibe of the game.”
