Arietta of Spirits

 Switch
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
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  1. TheLinkgirl
    Sep 15, 2021
    8
    I wish I was able to score this a 7.5 really, but an 8 will do. Arietta of Spirits is a good game. It's not a masterpiece, but for me it's a reminder that not every single game needs to be a masterpiece, or have an end of the world scenario. Sometimes, you need a game that's just good, with a story that obviously has some larger implications, but only really impacts the main charactersI wish I was able to score this a 7.5 really, but an 8 will do. Arietta of Spirits is a good game. It's not a masterpiece, but for me it's a reminder that not every single game needs to be a masterpiece, or have an end of the world scenario. Sometimes, you need a game that's just good, with a story that obviously has some larger implications, but only really impacts the main characters during the game. The game is short, it took me about 3 hours to beat, and the gameplay can feel a little clunky at the start.

    I don't think this game is similar to 2D Zelda titles. It does borrow elements from those games, but a lot of Arietta of Spirits feels like a corridor of gameplay that acts as a way to take you to the next part of the story. I feel like I would recommend getting the game when its on sale if you're interested in it.    … Expand
  2. PrismPak
    Sep 27, 2021
    6
    I really wanted to like this game. It looked very interesting from the other reviews I had seen on steam as well as the launch trailer footage. The art looked good, the premise of a story-centric adventure game piqued my interest. And while that is all technically there, when I finished the game I felt like it wasn't enough. The biggest problem I have with this game is the amount ofI really wanted to like this game. It looked very interesting from the other reviews I had seen on steam as well as the launch trailer footage. The art looked good, the premise of a story-centric adventure game piqued my interest. And while that is all technically there, when I finished the game I felt like it wasn't enough. The biggest problem I have with this game is the amount of content that exists within the game itself.

    I finished the game in just over 4 hours. During that time, I had found the combat to become very repetitive, supported by the fact that the variety of enemies within the game is low. Exploration wasn't rewarded very well for the player, and most of the areas felt very linear. There were a few puzzles, but for the most part they were really just quests of running down hallways to click one of two switches to open the next area.

    Because of the short run time, I felt as though the story beats were very rushed. The relationship with Arietta's parents, the herbalist lady, your spirit companion. I did, however, really like the pacing of the carpenter (birdhouse maker). I thought it was a nice little sidequest on top of the current story beat that was being played out.

    The story is definitely the strongest aspect of this game aside from the sprite work. The game really does try to create a meaningful experience through its narrative and does succeed at times, but the game's length really rushes those moments along at times, leaving the overall feeling as though there wasn't ENOUGH time to experience the story the developers were trying to tell.

    When it was all said and done, I felt as though I had just completed the opening chapter for an adventure game, not an entire game itself. The conclusion of the story felt very rushed and as a result left me with a feeling where the story itself didn't have enough weight. I think this game is perfect for someone who is looking for a game to play and experience that is under 5 hours, or perhaps as a game to introduce a younger audience to the adventure game format.

    Art/Spritework 9/10
    Story 7.5/10
    Gameplay 5/10    … Expand
  3. NindieSpotlight
    Dec 17, 2021
    6
    This is one of those tough ones where I can’t outright fault the key elements of the game design, but I also can say some of the choices in implementation brought it down a bit for me. Working in the mold of a classic 16-bit adventure, you’ll play as a young girl who gets caught up as someone able to operate in both the everyday and spirit worlds. I do appreciate the attempt to flesh out aThis is one of those tough ones where I can’t outright fault the key elements of the game design, but I also can say some of the choices in implementation brought it down a bit for me. Working in the mold of a classic 16-bit adventure, you’ll play as a young girl who gets caught up as someone able to operate in both the everyday and spirit worlds. I do appreciate the attempt to flesh out a story tied to her grandmother who had passed a year before, but the story to gameplay ratio in the first hour or so is pretty brutal and it just felt like the same objectives could be accomplished with a tighter script. Throw in movement from objective to objective often being multiple screens where you face the same repeated enemies and there don’t feel like many, if any, rewards for taking the time to explore anything or even engaging in combat and it has a tendency to drag a bit between major battles and beats. Arietta isn’t necessarily a bad title, it has plenty going for it, just up against much more engaging titles on the system it comes up a bit short.

    https://www.nindiespotlight.com/2021/08/mini-reviews-august-20th-edition.html    … Expand
  4. Key19
    Dec 30, 2021
    8
    The combat is pretty basic and doesn't really progress. Short sword with a single slash animation, roll, and eventually a force field shield. That's the whole game. No other weapons, no sword upgrade. Not the end of the world because the game isn't very long (100% completion, hard mode, first blind playthrough save file clocked at 4 hrs and 8 mins), but I can see some people finding itThe combat is pretty basic and doesn't really progress. Short sword with a single slash animation, roll, and eventually a force field shield. That's the whole game. No other weapons, no sword upgrade. Not the end of the world because the game isn't very long (100% completion, hard mode, first blind playthrough save file clocked at 4 hrs and 8 mins), but I can see some people finding it tedious despite the game's brevity.

    The real draws here are the emotional storyline and beautiful pixel art, but it's worth noting that the bosses were fun despite the basic combat mechanics of the game. "Bullet hell" attacks were commonly utilized in boss battles, so make of that what you will.

    Overall, a short, simple, beautiful game with an engaging storyline. Not the greatest game ever made by any means, but certainly an enjoyable one. I paid $10 for it and I think that's the sweet spot for value.    … Expand
  5. heybranny
    Jan 14, 2023
    6
    Nothing incredible, but a cute adventure with a decent enough story. Nice casual game. Worth picking up on sale.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    Jan 28, 2022
    70
    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.
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  2. Gaming Age
    Jan 25, 2022
    75
    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.
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  3. Switch Player
    Sep 13, 2021
    60
    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.
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