Avalon Code

Avalon code is a pretty linear game with lots of hidden things to find, and some fun little side tasks. [Apr 2009, p.83]

Avalon Code offers a unique experience among action RPGs. Capturing people and objects in the Book of Prophecy and playing with their attributes is a compelling mechanic you won't find anywhere else. The interface isn't perfect, but it's definitely engaging.

Avalon Code is sort of a mess, but it's an inspired one. [Apr 2009, p.90]

As with so many boldly innovative games, Avalon proves that the main downside to new and untested ideas is that they've yet to be refined into something that works smoothly. There's a lot of quality content here for anyone with the patience to suffer through the clumsy implementation in which it's presented. Yet despite these incentives, Avalon ultimately feels like a promising prototype for a brilliant game that has yet to be created.

Avalon Code is a quirky, highly original action adventure that will probably appeal most to fans of the Legend of Zelda series or Harvest Moon's relationship systems. The glaring interface issues detract from the experience somewhat, but for the most part aren't much more than a minor irritation and can be alleviated with a bit of storage management on the part of the player. There are also a handful of localization errors that make a small number of the recipes unusable, though.

Simultaneously walking the beaten path and wildly straying from it, Matrix Software has created a diverse action-RPG that’s very satisfying. The blend of both familiar and completely new gameplay elements in Avalon Code improves the experience rather than detracting from it.

Although it's a solid new IP on the DS, the control issue keeps Avalon Code from being something great. It's still decent and definitely worth checking out for RPG fans, but anyone who's not a big fan of the genre is going to get frustrated with the controls and code system.

Sure, dealing with the interface can be irritating. That doesn’t change the fact that Avalon Code is as unique and satisfying a game as your likely to find on the DS, or any system for that matter. If you’re willing to put up with a little frustration to experience one of the most original RPGs in recent memory, then Avalon Code is for you.

Although Avalon Code would be without a niche had it not included the Book of Prophecy, the package as a whole is one full of variety and enjoyment.

Avalon Code's story props up the experience even if the game's combat feels punishing, bordering on unfair, and if you're an old school RPG scholar this one deserves some study.

If you're looking for the next step in the role-playing genre and don't mind doing a little work, open up the book and crack the Code. You won't regret it.

Collecting codes and manipulating them is engaging, but the rest of the experience is merely functional.

Avalon Code is by no means a bad game, but due to some niggling issues, the game can’t be deemed as a must-have title.

The Book of Prophecy is poorly designed; it turns an innovative concept into an annoying, tedious, headache-inducing chore.

Avalon Code offers unique mechanics but ultimately fails to come together well.

Avalon Code has high production values and heart, but element-swapping really saps the fun out of the experience. There are better RPGs out there.

Since the combat is so shallow, and the story is rather bland in spite of how different it is, Avalon Code never really sucked me in.

For all the mediocrity that can be said about Avalon Code, the few truly outstanding things do a lot to help the game.

In the end, Avalon Code is a unique game that is hamstrung by from some incredibly clunky interface and navigation issues.

Avalon Code is an atypical J-RPG thanks to its innovative gameplay. The adventure on which the game is constructed is enjoyable and interesting, while the fighting sessions nicely fit into the storyline and break the monotony – and are fun too!

It is a game that rewards those players willing to dedicate it the many hours its learning curve requests.

The clever idea with the magical book is sadly the only thing that speaks for Avalon Code, and the puzzle solving is to much of a hassle.

Avalon Code brings brilliant and fresh ideas, but limits itself to the point where gameplay becomes tedious.

There are some great ideas at work here, but the game can't quite bind them into a successful whole.

It's not perfect by any means but it's great to see an original take on a familiar genre. [May 2010, p.83]

An excellent RPG, deep and complex, perfect for those who dislike linear experiences and trivial combat system.

A fun, new, interesting experience that separates itself nicely from the rest of the crowd with the use of the Book of Prophecy.