“Success doesn’t mean something was or wasn’t worth the effort.” - Ari Cader, Arcade Spirits
Arcade Spirits is a coin operated, filled with neon lights visual novel style game about romance and arcades by Fiction Factory Games. You play as Ari Cader (or whatever you choose to change the default name to), a down on their luck friend who has just lost another job and is struggling to get back into it. Their friend Juniper recommends a digital life coach to help them get back into the scene, and it sounds pretty sketchy… but what have we got to lose? We end up at an arcade, which is full of nostalgia and gum stuck in weird places (thanks little kids), but it feels inviting and… maybe we belong here after all?
I really likes the ideas in Arcade Spirits, both in the arcade setting and with IRIS(the digital life coach). The games presents choices as any other visual novel style game, but each choice has a personality type attached to it. Your responses can be Quirky, Logical, Caring, Bold or Neutral and those personality traits can effect your relationships with other characters. I found myself really enjoying all of the characters available for romance as well. You have the cold-on-the-outside-but-maybe-warm-inside Gavin, the loavable teddy bear Percy, fun tech guru Naomi, cosplay aficionado Ashley, smooth talking dancer Teo, and tough as nails gamer Queen Bee.
I was immediately drawn to Percy, who’s affable personality and sad story tugged at my heartstrings in a relatable way. Gavin was a close second, followed by Naomi and Teo. They all have great points, and as much as I wanted to date them all, that’s not really a possibility in this particular game. I played through the game twice, once I romanced Percy, and then Gavin the 2nd time. Honestly, I’m curious about all of them, but I don’t have that kind of time, unfortunately. Aside for the characters themselves, I was impressed with the choices and branches of the story overall. Do you want to build the next chuck-e-cheese? A Barcade? A retro gamer paradise? Do you focus on experience or profits? The arcade is yours to manage!
We actually have a Barcade that I’ve been to, the 16-Bit in Cleveland, Ohio. A group of friends all went and my friend Robyn and I marathoned Golden Axe while we were there. It was a fun time. If you ever get the opportunity to visit, I suggest you do.
Back to the game, while it is a romance game in a way, the focus of the game is much more on the arcade itself then it is about the romance. It feels like the romancing itself is a very small part of the game—which is fine! I might even enjoy it more that way. I both love, and am terrified of the idea of IRIS, a sentient AI program helping me sort out my life and even find my soulmate, but I still love the idea. As technologically advanced as we have become, it didn’t feel like it was a too far out possibility. There were a few customization options for Ari in the beginning, such as hair and eye color, clothing colors, and skin tone, although I especially appreciated the inclusivity of having the option of they/them pronouns. It feels like this is becoming more popular in these types of games and I love it.
The only real trouble I had with the game was the music level. I had to turn the music down to almost nothing to be able to hear the voice acting when it was present, which was a shame because I like ths music and I thought the voice active was wonderful and fitting for each character. You can, of course, alter the sound levels in the preferences, but I wish I could have been able to hear both. Even at 100% the voice acting was still quiet.
Overall, the game follows a rather classical formula for visual novels, with enough twists and additions that it feels fresh and interesting. The characters are well developed and have unique personalities and back stories, so there is something relatable for everyone. I really enjoyed playing through the game. The story was engaging, I love the characters, and it left me wanting to find an old arcade to play at. Unfortunately, little country towns don’t have arcades. I wonder if they could really make a comeback someday—outside of malls and movie theaters.
Thank you, as always, for stopping in and sharing some of your time with me today. If you’re interested in Arcade Spirits, you can find it on Itch.io HERE for $20 or on Steam HERE, for $19.99. I wonder why the difference in price, even if it is just a penny. If you’ve played the game, let me know what you think about it. Do you remember visiting any arcades when you were a kid? What was your favorite game? Let me know in the comments below!
Until then, take a deep breath, drink your water, have a snack, and remember that bad times will pass, and we’re all in this together. Hang in there my friends, and I will see you all next week!
Bell
