The Last Archwing
- March 27, 2020
- Archwing Entertainment
Get on SteamIn "The Last Archwing" , you are Chet Brickhouse, Earth's last hope against the Zarkhan Empire. Piloting the advanced Archwing star fighter, you engage in a fast-paced, vertically scrolling space shooter experience. Cooperative gameplay for up to four players is supported, with levels containing diverse enemies and bosses, upgradeable weapons, shields, and special abilities through earned credits and power-ups. Perform Barrel Rolls and other special moves to turn the tide of battle!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The Last Archwing features tight controls and satisfying gameplay, with a well-designed upgrade system that allows players to enhance their ship's capabilities.
- The game has a fun and engaging story with humorous dialogue and unique character personalities, making it enjoyable to experience.
- The difficulty curve is well-balanced, providing a challenging yet fair experience that encourages strategic decision-making and skill development.
- The manga-style artwork could use some polish, and some players found the graphics to be only adequate.
- The game can become quite challenging at later levels, which may frustrate some players who are not prepared for the difficulty spike.
- There are requests for additional features, such as an arcade mode to skip dialogue and the ability to revisit previous levels for upgrades and achievements.
- story26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as campy yet self-aware, providing a fun and nostalgic experience that complements its addictive gameplay. While some players may find the narrative serviceable and easy to skip, many appreciate its humor, interesting characters, and engaging dialogue. Overall, the story enhances the modern feel of the game while paying homage to classic titles.
“It has a nice mix of great gameplay and storytelling.”
“It's nostalgic in a way that brings back the classic game feel, but because of the story, music, graphics (specifically lighting), and voice acting, the game is firmly placed into the modern era of games.”
“I really liked how the intro cutscene flows directly into the first level, and how the first level is full of great story elements.”
“The story is campy but serviceable.”
“The story is pretty campy overall, but seems self-aware which makes the story very fun.”
“It's nostalgic in a way that brings back the classic game feel, but because of the story, music, graphics (specifically lighting) and voice acting, the game is firmly placed into the modern era of games.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a classic NES style combined with modern mechanics, offering a tight and addictive experience. Players appreciate the balance between engaging gameplay and storytelling, particularly highlighting the barrel roll mechanic as easy to learn yet challenging to master. Overall, the gameplay is fun and atmospheric, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The gameplay is addictive and the story is very fun to experience.”
“Very classic NES style gameplay and difficulty, but with a modern edge to it.”
“A shout out to the barrel roll game mechanic for being easy to use but hard to master.”
“I'd like to note that I especially loved the level where you meet Hamut (I believe that was his name): the combination of his evil German accent and trance music during the gameplay created a very atmospheric experience.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics feature a manga style that some users feel could benefit from additional polish, yet they effectively evoke a nostalgic classic game feel. Overall, while the visuals are deemed satisfactory, they are complemented by strong voice acting and modern elements like lighting, placing the game firmly in the contemporary gaming landscape.
“It's nostalgic in a way that brings back the classic game feel, but because of the story, music, graphics (specifically lighting), and voice acting, the game is firmly placed into the modern era of games.”
“While the manga style artwork on the characters could use some polish, the voice characterizations make this game explode with personality.”
“It's nostalgic in a way that brings back the classic game feel, but because of the story, music, graphics (specifically lighting) and voice acting, the game is firmly placed into the modern era of games.”
“The graphics and story are okay.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its cheesy yet entertaining storyline, complemented by well-developed characters with hilarious personalities. Players appreciate the engaging dialogue and comedic elements, particularly enjoying the quirky introduction of a British-accented computer character that adds to the overall comedic experience.
“Playing through the game, and these characters have hilariously awesome personalities.”
“This game has a gripping intro sequence and hilarious, well-acted dialogue throughout the whole game.”
“The introduction to the computer is pretty hilarious actually; I really enjoy his character, he's voiced like some old British dude.”
- music6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its nostalgic quality that evokes classic gaming while seamlessly integrating modern elements, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the superb music selection for various levels and the impactful combination of trance music with character interactions, particularly noting the atmospheric effect during key moments.
“It's nostalgic in a way that brings back the classic game feel, but because of the story, music, graphics (specifically lighting), and voice acting, the game is firmly placed into the modern era of games.”
“The music choice for the different levels and opening sequence is superb.”
“I'd like to note that I especially loved the level where you meet Hamut (I believe that was his name): the combination of his evil German accent and trance music during the gameplay created a very atmospheric experience.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is significantly enhanced by the option to increase difficulty levels, allowing players to compete for a spot on a global high score table. This competitive element encourages repeated playthroughs to improve scores and rankings.
“A very cool feature is that if you set the difficulty up, you can get your name on a global high score table, which boosts this game's replayability.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while some grinding is necessary, it is generally not excessive or tedious, making it manageable even for those who may struggle with the game.
“It may mean you have to grind a little bit if you suck like me, but not long enough for it to get tedious.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's atmosphere as particularly immersive, especially during key moments like the encounter with the character Hamut, where the blend of his sinister German accent and accompanying trance music enhances the overall experience. This combination effectively contributes to a captivating and memorable ambiance throughout the gameplay.
“I especially loved the level where you meet Hamut (I believe that was his name): the combination of his evil German accent and trance music during the gameplay created a very atmospheric experience.”
