- Publisher: Humble Games
- Release Date: Dec 2, 2021
- Also On: Switch, Xbox One
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Dec 1, 2021It’s been a long time since a game absorbed me quite so entirely. A first-class combination of frantic bullet hell action and endearing RPG adventuring, Archvale stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the titans that inspired it. There’s plenty of praise to be heaped upon Archvale, but the height of its thrills need to be experienced to be believed.
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Nov 29, 2021Archvale is just plain fun. It does what it does well, and as a bullet hell provides a serious challenge without feeling unfair. I cannot recommend this game enough.
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Dec 1, 2021Archvale is a fun, charming bullet hell with some incredibly enjoyable combat. It's also a satisfying role-playing game on its own, with tons of satisfying progression.
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Dec 1, 2021Archvale is an enjoyable, taxing little adventure with as much mirth in its heart as malice.
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Dec 1, 2021Archvale focuses on intense fantasy-RPG shooting action and giving the player all the tools necessary to handle it their way, and the result is a game that’s next to impossible to put down until the last arch stone is collected and even then maybe not. There’s never a bad time to test out Hardcore mode’s bigger maps and denser bullet patterns, after all.
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Dec 1, 2021Archvale is a lite-bullet-hell that grants players a satisfying gameplay loop fraught with consistent upgrading and intriguing customization. Its narrative is practically non-existent and forgettable, and the dullness of progression can be a bit off-putting, but you can do far worse with a cutesy action adventure. Further, there’s a noticeable level of standout polish here from the delectable sound design, which alone makes it worth experiencing.
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Jan 3, 2022Archvale’s big claim to fame is the meshing of RPG (items/loot) and bullet hell mechanics. Aside from that, this is an average title at best. We had fun with this one, but probably only because it is cooperative. As a single-player experience, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. With little substance in the writing, awkward design decisions (crafting is largely pointless aside from armor and weapon drops are rarely tempting), and a cache of bugs, I would only recommend this title to bullet hell enthusiasts or those hungry for a decent cooperative jaunt.
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Dec 1, 2021There’s some merit in spending an hour or so dodging projectiles and dinging away at a half-dozen moving health bars, but Archvale would be immeasurably improved with more depth of content and character customization. A pure shoot ‘em up may not necessarily require those ingredients to flourish, but an action-heavy RPG definitely does, even one with such a pint-sized cute presentation. As it stands, Archvale poses some entertaining distractions for compulsive bullet-dodgers, but it could have been so much more.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 25
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Mixed: 7 out of 25
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Negative: 3 out of 25
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Jul 21, 2023Fun combat, but frustrating minigames and unfun exploration. A lot of things could've been made better before the release.
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Nov 30, 2022Overall good game. It's fun. Some of the dungeon room is a bit buggy. Also, game errored out a few times in the end. Also it's a bit on the easy side.
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Aug 21, 2022