Arcade Spirits Reviews
Arcade Spirits is a very inclusive and adaptive Visual Novel which gives the player a lot of freedom to be who they want to be. At its core, it’s a dating Visual Novel but without the forced necessity to actually date anyone if that isn’t what you’re looking for. If you’re not getting to know one of the friendly and unique characters, then you’ll be talking to IRIS, the AI who offers you Pizza facts and life-tips, or living out a unique day within the Funplex. There’s always something going on in the Arcade as the game has great pacing and lots of creative events. Also, the game allows you to pick your gender and sexual orientation without being forced down any paths you don’t wish to wander.
Arcade Spirits is a game about working in an arcade while striving to balance practicality with idealism, but more importantly, it's also a celebration of gaming and all of the distinct but nevertheless overlapping subsets of gamers it inspires, articulating all sorts of familiar little joys and fears and motivations that are bound to reverberate with many—if not most—of us. This isn't even as heavy-handed as one might expect; Arcade Spirits' preoccupation with bizarre humor provides enough distractions that you'll rarely see emotional moments coming, and they never outlast their welcome.
...I feel that I can still recommend this game despite its flaws. I mean, the key reason to play a game is entertainment, right? While Arcade Spirits may not meet my personal metric for “great visual novel,” it was still a highly-enjoyable game, and I would say it’s worth a look for fans of the genre.
In Arcade Spirits the aim of the whole game is in fact to discover oneself to understand what our real ambitions in life can be.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Arcade Spirits is a very delightful Visual Novel to play especially if you are as passionate about gaming as I am. The writers and developers show a whole lot of passion for the gaming medium and also handle hard themes really well. That is something I really admire and enjoy seeing in a game that basically is about finding hope, video games, and having passion for what you do. I definitely have had a lot of fun working at the Funplex in-game and getting to know the various fun and quirky characters
The small hitches and spotty audio don’t spoil what is an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable narrative. The diverse cast of characters, showing more inclusivity than any other romance visual novel on the PS4, is certainly welcome. Arcade Spirit is tightly written, with only a hand full of lulls, but plenty of heart and a tonne of quirk. While it’s not going to be challenging the greats in the visual novel genre, It’ll surely raise a smile or 10 on your face.
Give it a shot, but don't play for too long.
Arcade is a pretty decent videogame. You can see the creator’s love in their work, but it needs more. Caracthers have their own story, but often in the same place, so that subracts importance when you replay the game with other route. Besides, on Nintendo Switch you haven’t the fast load option, thing that breaks the mechanic of this type of games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I really enjoyed what Fiction Factory Games have created. The many gameplay choices allow you to feel in control of how the story plays out. A well written and nicely paced script ensures that you don’t get lost amongst a variety of subplots and its many characters. Creating your personality was a nice touch, and how this influenced others was an interesting gaming choice. Arcade Spirits won’t tick all the boxes for the fans of the genre, but its inoffensive approach means it should be added to your library, so buy a copy here! Create your character, download IRIS and see where life will take you in this colourful and fun Visual Novel.
I’ve always found that visual novels are tough to evaluate for general audiences as either their art style, themes, general background, or characters are typically geared in a niche direction of some sort… making them, by nature, hit or miss depending on your appreciation for that niche...
A must play for any fan of not only visual novels or dating sims but the arcade game genre.
A great visual novel, with intricate and interesting writing, a distinct and detailed artstyle and a catchy soundtrack. Well worth picking up for fans of the genre and newcomers alike
Ultimately, the dialogue and points system just wasn't engaging enough to keep me fully invested in the narrative, and its comedy leanings prevented the romance elements from feeling genuine. It doesn't help that the writing is littered with far too many pop culture and gaming references. Those who devour visual novels like Gauntlet would devour quarters might find Arcade Spirits worth playing through, but everyone else should probably cash in their prize tickets for something else.
If you enjoy getting lost in a great story based around realistic characters, then you shouldn’t hesitate to play Arcade Spirits.
This is a warm, funny, moving visual novel, with a delightful cast of characters to get to know and potentially fall in love with, dressed up in a loving celebration of arcade history.
The distinct graphic style and story based on friendships and gaming, adds to the fun factor of Arcade Spirits. It is suitable for any player regardless of the level of arcade system knowledge, as a lot gets explained. It isn't solely an arcade history lesson, though. There is a slightly supernatural element that creates a lot of mystery and thrills, making a sequel rather desirable. The solid plot combined with retro style colours and game appropriate menus all add to the arcade machine feel of this visual novel, which most will appreciate and enjoy.
Overall Arcade Spirits is well worth the price of admission for those seeking something a bit different but made with love to give the player a story to remember. It has a great soundtrack that matches the style of the neon glitz of the arcade and might just give you the feels.
While it does not do anything radically new with the visual novel style, Arcade Spirits has plenty of charm and personality to make it a worthy addition to the genre. Now to imagine a world where ET the video game didn't completely suck. What a happy place that must be.
Despite not reaching its full potential, I still found some entertainment in Arcade Spirits. By ignoring the romantic aspects, I was able to play it as someone with an appreciation of the heyday of arcades. The charming setting made for a promising launching point, the audio is excellent, and the story (with smart pop-culture nods and humor) has page-turning qualities to some extent.
Arcade Spirits's warm heart can be felt under its clumsy exterior.