Talk about a blast from the past. Arietta is an incredibly nostalgic, charming action adventure, but with a twist. When I got this title in my hands it felt like old memories from the days of isometric zelda on the SNES with a new age touch. Everything from the sound effects, music, visuals and feel of the game were all so perfectly done to really reference back to pay tribute to those old titles without losing it’s own identity. All of the elements you’d expect to find in a top notch love piece are here.
Aside from all of the gameplay elements being spot on, the story here is very touching. Your character’s name is Arietta, who finds herself going back to a familiar place where she had spent much time through her life as she was growing up. Once there, the story really grabs a hold of your emotions and gives the character’s adventure a real sense of purpose. Although you are given a good amount of information in the beginning, it is not obnoxious and drawn out. It is perfect for what the story needs and the story is trickled to you in a perfect flow as you play.
The secondary shining star is as stated a little earlier, the gameplay. More specifically, the combat mechanics, which are perfect. As you find yourself engaged in battle, you will see a great assortment of enemies and bosses, all of which you really do get a good sense of personality from the enemies. They are not all just bland copy cats that sloth along doing the same thing as one another with slight variations. Each enemy has their own way to be handled, which I really found enjoyable.
Arietta of Spirits is a must buy title for those of us who enjoy some fun gameplay and story. When you play this game, you will thank yourself time and time again as you lose track of the time being sucked into this great adventure.
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