RWBY: Arrowfell Reviews
RWBY: Arrowfell is not a title we would necessarily call wholly bad, but it feels lacking especially when considering that the teams behind it have such a great track record for platformers and fighting titles.
RWBY: Arrowfell is a fine enough game, but it also feels like the kind of thing you might've discovered on Newgrounds back when Flash games were popular. Elements like the shallow combat and tacked-on skill point system don't feel properly fleshed out, and repetitive environments and bland level design tend to get tiresome as the campaign wears on. We'd give this game a light recommendation if you're a big fan of Wayforward's other work in 2D action games and are looking for something in that vein, but even then, you may want to wait for a sale here. There are certainly much, much worse games than RWBY: Arrowfell to be found on the Switch eShop, but we think your time and money are better spent on, well, better games.
RWBY: Arrowfell isn’t a terrible game, it just doesn’t feel like this game lived up to the pedigree set forth by the teams involved. As I said I am not a fan of the source material, so I am curious to see what fans think but as a fan of side-scrolling adventure games sadly I find this one is lacking in the essence that arguably really makes this genre fun and its combat. There just really is no joy to be found in the combat here and that’s really a shame.
If you are a big fan of webseries, you might be able to get by on the fact that you can play as Team RWBY. Unfortunately, RWBY: Arrowfell does not do justice to the anime. It’s a shame because the show is really cool. The world is really well-crafted and the action visually very interesting. The format of the game just does not lend itself to the series.
It doesn't thoroughly unpack its good ideas, and relies too heavily on repetitive combat scenarios and fetch quests. Still, the game's focus on character swapping and backtracking exploration delivers decent results and the quirky characters of the RWBY franchise go a long way. Ultimately, Arrowfell is neither a good licensed game nor a bad one; it sits squarely in the middle of the pack.
If you’re an RWBY fan, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy RWBY: Arrowfell on the whole, despite some frustrations. We’d say it’s even accessible to newcomers, too, though they might be a little less enamoured with it due to not being familiar with the characters and the world they inhabit. It’s not a bad game by any means, but it soon gets repetitive – and oversights, like no minimap being available, introduce unnecessary frustration.
Four huntresses from the web animated series have taken on the enemies in a new game that can entertain, but does not bring anything extraordinary and it is easily forgettable.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Fans of RWBY might find something enjoyable here, but it just lacks the sort of care and polish that goes into most of WayForward's catalog, which is a shame.
RWBY: Arrowfell is a solid stage-based Metroidvania-lite that offers enough 2D fun to please most fans of the genre. With that in mind, a lot could be done to make it a more fulfilling experience when it comes to its stiff gameplay and underwhelming bosses.
This mix of a popular license, platforming action, and multi-character puzzling yields mixed results
Still solidly made with a few hours of fun to kill if you don’t mind the excessive fetch quests, but nothing that’ll impress fans of platformers or help get non-fans like me into the series.
While a bit more critical of it, I do love that there are so many things here for RWBY fans. It has a lot of potential to do so many things in game form with the deep well of material to draw and build upon from the series.
RWBY: Arrowfell is the definition of a mixed bag. Rewarding and fast-paced exploration does provide some satisfaction, but the combat, which makes up the majority of the game, fails to impress through the awkward way in which character progression has been implemented. If you’re willing to overlook that, then RWBY: Arrowfell serves as a perfectly fine distraction that I feel does just enough right with its narrative, presentation, and exploration to make it worth a look for action platformer fans.
Unfortunately, RWBY: Arrowfell is yet another example of a licensed game of questionable quality. The game is relatively short, not challenging, and has nothing to really keep the player interested.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
RWBY: Arrowfell is a passable action platformer, but there are many better options on the market. For those who are big fans of the franchise, perhaps the game is more engaging, but it is far from being a strong recommendation for the system.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
RWBY, pronounced as Ruby, is a series created by Roosterteeth and has been around for a long time now. It has hit every market possible, from merchandise, comics, board games, manga, and even an actual anime adaption. However, RWBY has been waiting for their own game for a long time. Roosterteeth tried making an in-house game called RWBY Grimm Eclipse which was passable at best. Ever since then, RWBY has been a part of other video game crossovers, like Smite, and one of the 4 fates of BlazBlue: Cross Tag battle.
RWBY: Arrowfell feels empty and one-note, which is a far cry from the stylish action-packed show it draws inspiration from.
I knew what I was going into and while RWBY: Arrowfell isn’t perfect, I had fun. Being a fan of RWBY certainly helped but anyone who enjoys platformers should have a good time if they pick this up. There were definitely some highs and lows but I had a blast playing it. That being said, the price is a bit steep for what it is but most licensed games are a bit more pricey.
As far as game license cash grabs go, RWBY: Arrowfell could have been worse. At the very least, there's a serviceable action platformer game here with loads of potential, but it's squandered by boring-level design and all-around simplicity.