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The Arcana is a visual novel dating sim in which you play the role of an apprentice magician with a forgotten past. Your memories only stretch back to 3 years prior to the start of the series, after the city of Vesuvia has been ravaged by the Red Plague and has lost of one of its rulers, the Count. The Countess employees you, the player, to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the Count's death.
The player can choose from 6 paths/love interests; each of these options will explore the story from different angles and bring to light the apprentice's past, as well as determine their future (via player choices).
Review:
The format of The Arcana is similar to other visual novels, in which the player can select a route/love interest to pursue and make various dialogue/action choices along the path that influence the outcome of the story. This format is familiar and very easy to understand which is a plus. However, the app differs in that players will have to wait for the release of chapters, versus entire routes being released at once. Some players may like this, as there are more frequent releases of content, but there are also some who would rather have the entire route available to play at once so be aware of this! Right now there are 3 fully released routes and 3 updating ones, so you can experience a bit of both. There's also a bit more flexibility when compared to a standard dating sim since the player can read multiple routes at once, as well as replay any previous chapter (so long as you have "keys" which replenish daily). The choices you make will determine whether you get the "Upright" ending or the "Reversed" ending. The Upright end will align with the meaning of the love interest's corresponding upright tarot card, and the Reversed end corresponds to the meaning of that card reversed; a nice touch for those who are into tarot!
The "currency" of this game are coins. Players can earn coins via watching ads, playing the lottery (spinning a wheel), or purchasing them. Although you can use coins to unlock "premium" choices, these choices have no effect on the outcome of the story so there's no pressure for players to spend money to guarantee a certain ending. However, I find that many CG's/illustrations are locked behind these premium choices which can be a bit frustrating. Despite this caveat, the art in the game is very well done! Backgrounds, character sprites, and illustrations are all stunning. One minor issue I had was that in some later illustrations, the art style is very different and the characters look "off model." These illustrations are still nice, it's just a bit jarring.
Regarding the actual plot, I think the story is very well done. The concept is interesting; the story takes you through a journey through the major arcana. Each chapter overarching themes correspond to this one major arcana. The characters are also all very fleshed-out. No main character feels flat; throughout the story you get to see each characters weaknesses, strengths, and how they interact with the apprentice AND other characters. You get the opportunity to see these characters learn and grow as they bond with the apprentice and uncover mysteries. The love interests also all play different roles to the central plot, allowing you to see the story from various angles and learn new info with each path you choose. The writing also avoids many overdone cliches seen in other dating sims, which is a welcome change. Even if there are some of these tropes (e.g. main character with convenient amnesia), The Arcana puts a new spin on it. Most importantly, the apprentice has a very active role in the story and interesting dialogue options. There are enough options and ambiguity for you to imagine the apprentice how you like, but not so much that the apprentice seems bland, boring, or a passive observer to the plot.
Another great aspect of this game is the inclusivity! These kinds of games are commonly geared towards young women, and so the main character is usually a young woman. In The Arcana, the player can choose the apprentice's pronouns (he/she/them) and all descriptions of the apprentice are devoid of age, gender, race, etc. so the player can imagine them however they want. The only thing you know about the apprentice's appearance is that all the love interests find them cute!
Would you recommend this to other users? Definitely recommend giving The Arcana a try! It's free to play so doesn't hurt to try it
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. No major complaints, and as an avid player of visual novels I found the concept, art style, and writing refreshing. I was thoroughly entertained throughout every route and found myself liking all the love interests which is arguably the most important aspect of a dating sim.
Rating (1-5):
The Arcana is a visual novel dating sim in which you play the role of an apprentice magician with a forgotten past. Your memories only stretch back to 3 years prior to the start of the series, after the city of Vesuvia has been ravaged by the Red Plague and has lost of one of its rulers, the Count. The Countess employees you, the player, to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the Count's death.
The player can choose from 6 paths/love interests; each of these options will explore the story from different angles and bring to light the apprentice's past, as well as determine their future (via player choices).
Review:
The format of The Arcana is similar to other visual novels, in which the player can select a route/love interest to pursue and make various dialogue/action choices along the path that influence the outcome of the story. This format is familiar and very easy to understand which is a plus. However, the app differs in that players will have to wait for the release of chapters, versus entire routes being released at once. Some players may like this, as there are more frequent releases of content, but there are also some who would rather have the entire route available to play at once so be aware of this! Right now there are 3 fully released routes and 3 updating ones, so you can experience a bit of both. There's also a bit more flexibility when compared to a standard dating sim since the player can read multiple routes at once, as well as replay any previous chapter (so long as you have "keys" which replenish daily). The choices you make will determine whether you get the "Upright" ending or the "Reversed" ending. The Upright end will align with the meaning of the love interest's corresponding upright tarot card, and the Reversed end corresponds to the meaning of that card reversed; a nice touch for those who are into tarot!
The "currency" of this game are coins. Players can earn coins via watching ads, playing the lottery (spinning a wheel), or purchasing them. Although you can use coins to unlock "premium" choices, these choices have no effect on the outcome of the story so there's no pressure for players to spend money to guarantee a certain ending. However, I find that many CG's/illustrations are locked behind these premium choices which can be a bit frustrating. Despite this caveat, the art in the game is very well done! Backgrounds, character sprites, and illustrations are all stunning. One minor issue I had was that in some later illustrations, the art style is very different and the characters look "off model." These illustrations are still nice, it's just a bit jarring.
Regarding the actual plot, I think the story is very well done. The concept is interesting; the story takes you through a journey through the major arcana. Each chapter overarching themes correspond to this one major arcana. The characters are also all very fleshed-out. No main character feels flat; throughout the story you get to see each characters weaknesses, strengths, and how they interact with the apprentice AND other characters. You get the opportunity to see these characters learn and grow as they bond with the apprentice and uncover mysteries. The love interests also all play different roles to the central plot, allowing you to see the story from various angles and learn new info with each path you choose. The writing also avoids many overdone cliches seen in other dating sims, which is a welcome change. Even if there are some of these tropes (e.g. main character with convenient amnesia), The Arcana puts a new spin on it. Most importantly, the apprentice has a very active role in the story and interesting dialogue options. There are enough options and ambiguity for you to imagine the apprentice how you like, but not so much that the apprentice seems bland, boring, or a passive observer to the plot.
Another great aspect of this game is the inclusivity! These kinds of games are commonly geared towards young women, and so the main character is usually a young woman. In The Arcana, the player can choose the apprentice's pronouns (he/she/them) and all descriptions of the apprentice are devoid of age, gender, race, etc. so the player can imagine them however they want. The only thing you know about the apprentice's appearance is that all the love interests find them cute!
Would you recommend this to other users? Definitely recommend giving The Arcana a try! It's free to play so doesn't hurt to try it
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. No major complaints, and as an avid player of visual novels I found the concept, art style, and writing refreshing. I was thoroughly entertained throughout every route and found myself liking all the love interests which is arguably the most important aspect of a dating sim.Rating (1-5):
