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Kingdom of Arcadia (PlayStation 5) artwork

Kingdom of Arcadia (PlayStation 5) review


"So forgettable I had to look up a video walkthrough to jog my memory..."

I've played boatloads of fantasy-based platformers in my time. As a kid, they were practically all I would rent or borrow from friends--until I discovered RPGs, of course. When I initially got into emulation, they were among the first titles I checked out. Hell, I nabbed a Switch a couple of years ago and the first few games I purchased for it fell into this grouping. I've burned through scores of these games over the years and came to the realization that nearly all of the average offerings in this category are so unoriginal they're practically indistinguishable. It's ironic that a genre that boasts imaginative material also comes with a hefty load of unremarkable entries, such as Kingdom of Arcadia.

Honestly, I'd love to gush about this indie platformer, but my memories of it intertwine with those of similar titles. After you play so many of these kinds of games, they all run together unless a developer includes features that help the game to stand out. Ultimately, that's where Arcadia goes awry: there's little to separate it from its contemporaries.

Even its plot has been done to death in numerous indie products over the last decade or so, starring a kid who gets sucked into a fantastical realm contained within his dad's arcade cabinet. There, the king of the titular world commissions him with the task of eliminating a generic evil sorcerer lusting for power. As it turns out, the antagonist already possesses most of what he needs in four magical scepters, all guarded by similarly uninspired bosses.

You venture to four different castles (each with five sub-levels) and chop up stock enemies while music that befits a menu screen plays in an infinite, dull loop. The first few stages prove to be no great shakes, offering mostly linear challenges decked out with simple traps and enemies that you can easily fell with your basic sword. Things only become slightly more difficult once spell-slinging wizards show up, but they perish easily with a few shots of your own supply of throwing daggers.

The areas you visit deviate slightly at first, leading you to places that either hold money or levers that permanently remove corresponding locked regions. Yes, even if you die or exit the stage, these gates remain open. You can even carve some of the weakened bricks in parts of the stage to reveal hidden troves, or perhaps locate one of the twenty "Secret Elements." Don't get too excited, these are your everyday collectibles. After you've reached the level's conclusion or died, you can then go to a store to buy a basic upgrade to your main weapon, sub-weapon, or armor. While bolstering equipment provides a neat incentive, it's hardly a standout feature because nearly every game these days sports similar content.

Honestly, that statement applies to most of Arcadia. Platform segments on offer resemble ones from numerous other games. You rush past creatures that resemble Thwomps from the Mario franchise, negotiate moving platforms in a style not unlike Mega Man, and even grasp a massive balloon to carry you upward while avoiding perils that threaten to pop your ride, a la Pitfall II.

I know I've made this product sound thoroughly run of the mill, but the truth is it gets one thing very right: stage design. As you advance, levels become more convoluted and complex, almost Metroid-like. You might venture down one hallway to stumble upon three other routes branching off at the end of it. From there, you can explore those pathways until you either come across something to allow you to advance through the stage, hit a temporary roadblock that sends you back the opposite direction, or arrive at a dead end. Honestly, no matter how samey any level feels, it succeeds greatly in regards to layout, especially if you're interested in hunting the Secret Elements and unlocking other modes of play.

Sadly, none of these segments build up to anything memorable. You eventually take on a few bosses that utilize basic patterns and can be easily toppled by grinding for cash. This is especially true if you invest in your sub-weapon and spam it at the start of the battle, which in most cases shaves off half of a boss' health by the time you're out of projectiles. On top of that, these creatures take the form of standard fantasy fare, pitting you against a giant knight, a yeti, a massive shaman, and a generic ogre.

There's no denying that Arcadia plays out like so many other fantasy-themed platformers. There's hardly any special content or driving concept that separates it from Aldred Knight or Reknum or Wizards & Warriors or... I think you get the point. I am in no way saying this game is broken or terrible. It's actually quite competent and mildly entertaining. However, it's also the umpteen thousandth game of its kind, and as someone who has played members of this sub-genre for years, I honestly can't tell you much about it that I can't already say for myriad others.

At least it's better than the games I listed in the last paragraph. It's got that going for it, I guess...



JoeTheDestroyer's avatar
Staff review by Joseph Shaffer (April 12, 2022)

Rumor has it that Joe is not actually a man, but a machine that likes video games, horror movies, and long walks on the beach. His/Its first contribution to HonestGamers was a review of Breath of Fire III.

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