Arcadian Atlas (2023)

Twin Otter

Main
12
hours
Main + Extra
13
hours
Platinum
15
hours

Arcadian Atlas is a 2D isometric tactical RPG about the choices people make in pursuit of the things they love, and the havoc it wreaks on a kingdom. Watch your footing and mind the strategic vantage points as you traverse the richly detailed pixel art world of Arcadia — a single misstep on the battlefield could cost you a friend’s life. Let the moody jazz soundtrack carry you through a thought provoking & ruthless story of love, deceit, murder, companionship and war. Meant to be a fresh take on the classic strategy RPG style, Arcadian Atlas was designed from the ground up to incorporate more challenging battle strategies, new & balanced job classes, and more cutthroat plot twists that'll leave these complex characters' lives hanging in the balance. Featuring dynamic job classes, a rich character driven narrative, strategic grid-based battles and a jazz infused soundtrack, Arcadian Atlas is a lushly handcrafted 2D isometric tactical RPG that takes the rich history of the genre and makes it fresh.

About the story

The Arcadian royal family is in shambles: a dying king, an illegitimate daughter vying for a throne, and a country tearing itself apart. Every day more eastern troops cross the mountains and pillage local villages, and rumors of an uprising are whispered by desperate men. What a wonderful time to be a soldier. Enter Desmond and Vashti, two soldiers in the Royal Guard who take orders directly from the Queen. They met on the edge of war, fell in love in the face of adversity, and learned to laugh even when things seemed dire. But can love survive when two sides with very different motives threatens to pull it apart? Can anything survive at all?

Platforms

Linux Mac Switch PC PS4 PS5 XONE Series X|S

Genres

Indie Role-playing (RPG) Strategy Tactical Turn-based strategy (TBS)

Themes

Action Drama Fantasy Historical

Languages: English and 9 more

Interface Audio Subtitles
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
English
French
German
Spanish (Spain)
Japanese
Portuguese (Brazil)
Russian
Spanish (Mexico)

Media

Critic Reviews

Cubed3

By Eric Ace
50

Arcadian Atlas had some solid concepts, the sprites in particular deserving serious commendation for being a highlight of the game that sprite fans will love. Unfortunately, from there the quality really slips; unreadable text, a lacklustre class and skill system, and disjointed art to name a few of the multiple little issues that drag the game down. there are too many little issues that drag the game down and prevent it being fun. The developers seem responsive and some of these issues may be addressed in future updates, but given that the game is being sold for a mid-range price, players should expect a better package.

18 Jan, 2024 Read full review

Pure Nintendo

By Kirk Hiner
65

It's probably not good that the most distinctive element of Arcadian Atlas is its jazzy soundtrack, but it's still a decent tactical RPG that provides enough challenge and intrigue to overcome a few missteps. Genre fans will get their money's worth.

11 Jan, 2024 Read full review

Nindie Spotlight

By Justin Nation
73

A pretty approachable modern-ish take on the classic tactical strategy RPGs of yesteryear with some soapy drama

05 Dec, 2023 Read full review

NintendoWorldReport

By Jordan Rudek
60

Even aside from its technical and artistic weaknesses, there isn't an abundance of strength in its story pacing, even if a few beats do land fairly well. The activity you'll spend most of your time with, the turn-based battles, are pretty good but feature little in the way of variety. If you're a diehard tactics fan, Arcadian Atlas may be worth looking up on another platform if the performance is better there, but games like Triangle Strategy and Tactics Ogre Reborn are much stronger options if you've yet to play them.

30 Nov, 2023 Read full review

Worth Playing

By Chris "Atom" DeAngelus
60

Arcadian Atlas is the definition of a fine game. It isn't bad, and it isn't great; it's just perfectly passable. There are some solid moments and a nice hit of nostalgia for PS1-era RPGs, but that's about it. Other spiritual successors like Triangle Strategy and Fell Seal have proven that the genre can do a lot more on a lower budget, and Arcadian Atlas feels dated. If you're a fan of SRPGs, this might be worth a look, but it's mostly forgettable.

14 Aug, 2023 Read full review

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