Scholar of the Arcane Arts
- December 15, 2022
- Courtesy of Endo
Get on Steam"Scholar of the Arcane Arts" is a roguelike action RPG that immerses you in the world of magic. After five magical planes invade, you must collect and learn new spells from scrolls to survive. Each school of magic interacts differently, allowing you to counter, disable, or attack monstrous beings. With a focus on puzzle-solving, dungeon-unlocking, and combat, the game strives to make you truly feel like a wizard on your journey to become one.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The spell interaction and combination system is innovative and adds depth to the gameplay, making it enjoyable and engaging.
- The art style and sound design are impressive, creating a nostalgic and immersive experience.
- The game offers a good balance of difficulty and customization, allowing players to experiment with different spell builds.
- Losing all spells upon death can be frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.
- The game currently lacks content and variety in level design, making some areas feel repetitive.
- Some spells and mechanics require outside knowledge or can be less interesting, indicating a need for better balancing.
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and enjoyable, particularly highlighted by the innovative magic combo system that enhances the experience. While most puzzles are well-integrated with the game's mechanics, one puzzle requires external knowledge, which feels inconsistent. Overall, the combination of nostalgic pixel art and deep gameplay mechanics creates an addictive experience.
“Gameplay is pretty fun, with the magic combo system being very awesome.”
“Perhaps the most addicting aspect of the gameplay is just how much it makes sense.”
“Hits that sweet spot of nostalgic pixel art and fun/deep mechanics.”
“The only issue I had with the game that I want to mention is that one of the puzzles required outside knowledge to be able to solve, which felt out of place as the rest of the game's puzzles seem to all be solvable using the mechanics and knowledge from in the game.”
“Another thing that needs to be emphasized: the 'combine' aspect of the spells is actually a gameplay mechanic, not an upgrade/progression mechanic.”
“This isn't a bad thing, but when reading the store page description, I foolishly misinterpreted the spell combining as an upgrade mechanic rather than a gameplay one.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for effectively capturing a "magical realm" aesthetic, with users expressing appreciation for the art style and overall visual presentation.
“I think it fits the 'magical realm' aesthetic fairly well, so I'm not complaining.”
“I love the art style, sound design, and core gameplay loop.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's original soundtrack is highly praised for its energetic quality, enhancing the overall experience, while players often prefer to use their own music. However, the sound effects, particularly those related to spells, are noted for their immersive and powerful presence when played at full volume.
“The OST slaps, and spell sounds are absolutely played at full volume so I can immerse myself in the raw power I'm unleashing with these godly spell concepts.”
“The in-game music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The music doesn't match the game's tone, often feeling out of place and distracting.”
