New Arc Line

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 237 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
New Arc Line Game Cover
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In "New Arc Line," players navigate a steampunk-inspired city filled with inequality and corruption, searching for a cure to a family disease. They must rise from the bottom, make tough decisions, and choose their path, whether it be through crafting gear, mastering magic, or using force or charm. However, the game is only available in English during Early Access, with more translations to be added later.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 237 reviews
story50 positive mentions
optimization11 negative mentions
  • The game features a compelling blend of steampunk aesthetics and magical elements, creating a unique and immersive world.
  • The writing and character development are strong, with engaging quests and meaningful choices that impact the narrative.
  • The combat system is enjoyable and strategic, allowing for a variety of playstyles and character builds.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including stuttering and crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Character creation options are limited, with only two races and classes available at this stage, leaving players wanting more diversity.
  • The user interface and inventory management are clunky and need significant improvement for a smoother gameplay experience.
  • story129 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it intriguing and well-integrated into the gameplay, particularly praising its world-building and character interactions. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, clarity, and depth, especially in the early game, where the prologue can feel confusing and the main narrative lacks engagement. Overall, while the foundation for a compelling story exists, players express a desire for more complex dialogue options and a clearer narrative structure as the game continues to develop in early access.

    • “The story is really fun so far, a decent story hook and a compelling macguffin (in the form of your luggage contents), great NPCs and companion characters, and side quests that feed back into the main narrative.”
    • “The atmosphere is really nice, the characters are well written, and the story will get epic for sure.”
    • “The story and characters right now are great with some good breadcrumbs set up for later acts.”
    • “The story needs to give us more freedom to play the way we want.”
    • “Much of the storytelling feels muddled and has pacing issues - especially in the intro sequence.”
    • “The combat needs a lot of work, the story as it is presented right now is very confusing, and the voiced dialogue doesn't seem complete.”
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay has been described as a mix of familiar RPG mechanics, including turn-based combat and point-and-click exploration, reminiscent of titles like Shadowrun and Baldur's Gate 3. While the mechanics show promise with unique class abilities and an intriguing magic vs. technology system, many players find the pacing slow and the interface in need of refinement, with some mechanics feeling unclear or buggy. Overall, the game has potential but requires further updates and content expansion to fully realize its ambitious design.

    • “Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who's played this sort of RPG, point-and-click exploration, and turn-based combat, which reminded me hugely of the Shadowrun games.”
    • “The alignment system between magic and technology adds depth to gameplay and story decisions.”
    • “Combat is a mix of turn-based strategy and RPG mechanics, with unique class abilities keeping things interesting.”
    • “I won't play further for now and will wait a few months for more updates because the gameplay and interface need a lot more refinement. The speed of various game actions feels slow and not snappy enough, and the overall game pacing feels a bit slow.”
    • “My biggest complaint is that you can't freely move the camera around unless you're in combat. I don't understand why it isn't an option while roaming around; the mechanic exists and would be easy for them to enable all the time or provide a menu option for it.”
    • “The lackluster tooltips do not explain the game mechanics in a comprehensive way. It took me about 9 hours to finally figure out what and where the magic vs. technology meter is.”
  • graphics47 mentions

    The graphics of "New Arc Line" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the compelling blend of steampunk and magical aesthetics, as well as the overall artistic design and world-building. However, some users noted significant issues, such as visual inconsistencies during gameplay and performance problems, particularly at higher settings. While the visuals are generally considered impressive for an early access title, there is a consensus that further refinement is needed to match the quality of gameplay and immersion.

    • “Visually, I love it; the clash of steam/diesel punk and more magical aesthetics works brilliantly to reinforce the feel of a world where magic and technology are set against each other.”
    • “The setting and artwork are fantastic.”
    • “The art style and world-building are top-notch, seamlessly blending the industrial tones of steampunk with the mysticism of arcane magic.”
    • “However, there is often a description in the conversations that doesn't match the graphics - for example, a man falls to his knees in front of me (but the graphics still show him standing upright) or an injured person dies despite my help and the dead body lies still (but the graphics of the injured person still move).”
    • “It's extremely rough, graphics need serious work.”
    • “In the first city on default graphics settings I was averaging about 50 fps which is insanely low.”
  • optimization38 mentions

    The game's optimization is currently a significant concern, with players reporting frequent stuttering, crashes, and performance issues that worsen over time, particularly with high item counts and extended play sessions. While there is potential for improvement, many users feel that the game is still in an early access state and requires substantial technical fixes and content enhancements before it can be considered polished. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable, the optimization challenges detract from the experience.

    • “Still got a few performance issues, but it's been a lot of fun so far and is a great foundation for what's to come.”
    • “Lots of potential here and I look forward to optimization, bug fixes, and new classes in the future!”
    • “I did run across several bugs and optimization problems; however, I feel confident that the devs will be able to address these issues in the near future.”
    • “It crashed frequently, had numerous bugs, and suffered from poor performance.”
    • “Unfortunately with its abysmally slow/unstable performance and severe lack of polish it is definitely nowhere near ready, which is made extra frustrating by the frequency of crashes and terrible load times.”
    • “The worst part was the game started stuttering every 5-10 seconds roughly halfway through play, and didn't stop until right before the end of playable content.”
  • stability17 mentions

    The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and stability issues, including frequent crashes, long load times, and glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as movement problems and unresponsive keybindings. While players appreciate the potential and engaging story, the overall experience is hindered by these technical shortcomings, leading many to hope for improvements before the full release.

    • “Game feels too buggy; optimization is non-existent, can't get a steady 60 fps.”
    • “Played through the slums after the doctor quest line; no other quests would register. In the current state of development, it is way too buggy to enjoy.”
    • “Update: there's also a pretty annoying bug which hard-locks the game if combat starts while you are in dialogue.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game is noted for its emotional composition and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with dynamic transitions between melancholic and energetic tracks. However, some players feel there is a lack of variety and that the sound design can be inconsistent, occasionally overshadowing voice acting and environmental sounds. Overall, while the soundtrack and sound effects contribute positively to the experience, issues like sound glitches and limited audio controls detract from its potential.

    • “A soundtrack that dynamically reacts to in-game events and high-quality sound effects can make the world feel more alive.”
    • “The soundtrack stands out for its emotional composition, seamlessly transitioning from melancholic melodies to dynamic battle tracks.”
    • “Big a+ to the music engineer for this game as well, sometimes you'll encounter live bands or settings with the absolute best ambiance.”
    • “The music is okay, but it needs more variety.”
    • “Unless I'm missing something, there is only one sound bar, and I am having an incredibly hard time hearing voices over the music and environmental sounds.”
    • “The story might be good (didn't get that far), but not being able to change keybindings or turn off the music made it far too frustrating to keep going.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stunning graphics and art direction, effectively blending steampunk and fantasy elements to create immersive environments. Reviewers note the well-written characters and engaging story, despite some bugs and incompleteness, suggesting a strong potential for an epic narrative. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, rivaling that of other notable titles in the genre.

    • “The art direction captures the grimy elegance of the combination of steampunk and fantasy, with detailed character models and atmospheric environments.”
    • “The atmosphere is really nice, the characters are well written, the story will get epic for sure.”
    • “The steampunk atmosphere is perhaps even better than in Arcanum.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is highly praised, with players finding it genuinely hilarious and capable of eliciting laughter, reminiscent of titles like Yakuza. Despite being in early access and having some bugs, many of which are amusing, the game's quirky fantasy/steampunk setting contributes to its comedic charm.

    • “I don't usually bust out laughing while playing games unless it's Yakuza or Like a Dragon, but this game has had me rolling.”
    • “Yes, it is early access (quite clear a lot of content is still missing, sometimes very obvious) there are bugs (some actually quite funny) and you will 100% need to start a new character when the game is fully released anyway.”
    • “A complex, strange, and funny fantasy/steampunk CRPG.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's visible good/evil alignment system, which enhances the replayability by allowing them to experience distinct hero or villain paths. Additionally, the game's overall value, including its length and replayability, is highlighted as a strong point.

    • “The visible good/evil alignment system, similar to Fable, really brings the hero or villain replayability to life.”
    • “Outstanding price tag, length, and replayability.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The lack of diverse endings means replaying the game feels like a chore rather than an adventure.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its impactful soundtrack, which features a range of compositions that effectively shift from melancholic melodies to energetic battle themes, enhancing the overall emotional experience.

    • “The soundtrack stands out for its emotional composition, seamlessly transitioning from melancholic melodies to dynamic battle tracks.”
    • “The character development is incredibly deep, making you feel a genuine connection to their struggles and triumphs.”
    • “The story evokes a range of emotions, from joy to heartbreak, leaving a lasting impact long after the game is over.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
7-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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