Alphadia
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Critic Reviews for Alphadia
Alphadia definitely does what it says on the tin, serving up an old-school JRPG with turn-based combat, a familiar story and a SNES-era aesthetic. Unfortunately, it does so without ever really aspiring to any sort of excellence, and with a few telltale trappings of a mobile port, including jittery movement, noticeably compressed sound and a lack of stereoscopic 3D. Alphadia isn't a bad game — and players looking for pure comfort-food gaming will certainly find some old-fashioned fun here — but on a system with what is hands down the best library of JRPGs in recent memory, 'not bad' isn't enough to stand out.
Alphadia is a game that is faithful in its homage to JRPGs of yore, yet cannot quite match them in its execution. Environments are all the same, the story inches along, the characters are barely characters, and the combat lacks the depth it should have. And yet I still had a lot of fun playing Alphadia. It’s… simple. It’s pure. Its problems do not keep it from being obscenely charming. Alphadia is not a great game; but it is a good one. For those that desire the experience of a classic JRPG, and do not mind that this one does nothing new and has loads of problems: Alphadia may actually give you a better time than it has any right to.
While its gameplay is obviously based on the games that inspired it, Alphadia does not provide anything groundbreaking which could set it apart from other games of the genre and the lack of development of the characters or of any other of its elements condemn it to being a rather shallow effort which would greatly benefit from one or two new gameplay mechanics.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Alphadia isn't exactly terrible, but it isn't doing itself any favours, either. The battle system never provides any meaningful challenge, and doesn't function differently enough to really strike a unique chord. The characters all feel extremely flat and one-dimensional, and there isn't a compelling reason to feel engaged in their quest. While the foundational elements are all here, ultimately, there are bound to be JRPGs that are more worth your time.
Alphadia isn’t in the same league as a game like Chrono Trigger, but it gets the job done and will scratch the old-school RPG itch in a way that some players will enjoy. For anyone else, it’s likely that Alphadia will feel too archaic and rough to maintain their interest for the duration of the game.
Alphadia is not a bad game by any means. In fact, I actually had a lot of decent fun with the game despite its extreme simplicity. It’s easy to play on the go, the touch screen map helps greatly and there’s plenty to keep you occupied for the price tag. The unfortunate thing is, the simplicity really does show, so depending on what you think of such simplistic titles, Alphadia may or may not be for you.
