Arietta of Spirits Critic Reviews

The story is filled with emotional and meaningful moments, even if they interrupt the pace a fair bit. While the combat and world design can get repetitive, there are plenty of cool moments in terms of boss encounters and learning new abilities. So if you’re after a comfortably paced and unique Zelda-style adventure, then Arietta of Spirits certainly won’t disappoint.

Arietta of Spirits won’t wow you like some of the best Zelda-inspired games, but it’s still got some niceness at its core. That may not make it a classic, but it’s enough to make it fun enough while it lasts.

Arietta of Spirits is a cute, sterotypical action adventure, which tells a meaningful and emotional Story about friendship, family and death. Arietta fights together with her new spirit friend Arco for a better world and try to defeat the monsters which hunts the little island. Eventhough you can play through the story in about five hours, you can choose different difficulty levels and enjoy the game again.

In essence, Arietta of Spirits plays out like a pleasant introduction and first chapter of a larger story yet untold. It has a protagonist who is easy to root for and the framework for development into a larger scope story, broader cast of characters, and a larger variety of combat tools that this game currently lacks. Arietta of Spirits keeps those issues from becoming more glaring thanks to a brisk game length, but I hope her next adventure is a tad more, well, adventurous.

While it may be a little on the short side, Arietta of Spirits is an enjoyable experience. Overall, there's not much to fault here - an original story, beautiful visuals, fitting soundtrack and engaging gameplay. What it lacks in length and replayability, it makes up for with its charm and solid execution.

But even if it doesn’t always hit that mark, Arietta of Spirits still shows how well a short-form Zelda-like game can work, and with so many games competing for time and attention, that’s an exciting prospect that I’d love to see explored further. More importantly, this is a game that has a poignant story to tell about coping with loss and treasuring what’s dear to you—the kind of intimate tale that benefits from a less-is-more approach, and in daring to go small in a genre you’d normally associate with grand, world-saving adventures, Arietta of Spirits carves a memorable, heartfelt journey.

Arietta of Spirits is perfect if you’re looking for a short pretty RPG to tackle on a rainy weekend inside. But if you’re looking for something with more substance, I’d say this little Indie misses the mark. I enjoyed this game despite its small flaws.

Arietta of Spirits buckles under the weight of its own premise. Telling such a detailed story in such a small game means no idea quite gets its due, and the moments of greatness are too fleeting to make a real impact.

Arietta of Spirits just isn’t enough game. I’d say it’d be perfect for very young adventure game enthusiasts, lacking any cryptic puzzle-solving, or difficult combat, but the hitboxes are just too unfair. Fans of old-school 2D adventure games might find some enjoyment here, but only a few hours’ worth. Just expect something a little less Link To The Past, and a little more Twisted Tales of Spike McFang, and players should be fine. If you are looking for an excellent 2D top-down adventure game, and all you’ve played all the Legend of Zelda titles, check out the modern classics Blossom Tales or CrossCode, or the PS1 gem Alundra.