Arco Review (Switch) – A Real Ringer

Arco is a game full of non-conventions. When I think of Westerns, my mind wanders to Sergio Leone films, Django Unchained and closer to this realm, Red Dead Redemption 2. Saying that, my knowledge of the genre is small but I do know that they’re usually big budget epics. For the small team consisting of developers Franek, Fáyer, Bibiki and Max Cahill, Arco is anything but big budget yet still remains an epic. I first learned about the game through everyone’s favourite social media platform and was initially blown away by the presentation.

The game could have been whatever and I would have checked it out just to see the views. However, Arco is a tactical RPG told from the perspective of four different characters. It’s a tale of vengeance through the lens of the natives, as the “First Frontier” is being colonised before the characters’ eyes. A fresh perspective, and again non-conventional to the genre in many ways. And I think this is where a lot of the heart comes from whilst remaining grand in scale. Arco will easily be one of the games that people tell you you should play, so why not get ahead of the herd and lead the charge for the next great Western.

Once Upon A Time In The West

The game opens with a boy and his village going on a pilgrimage to a sacred tree. They’re described as resourceful people who give and take back from the land in equal measure. It’s a serene opening that sets the tone and worldbuilds the setting so succinctly that I became immediately invested. The theme of balance and the consequences of over-extending is prevalent throughout, whether it’s from the rest of the story or its gameplay mechanics. It’s these subtle inferences that I think give Arco that epic label whilst remaining so personable to the characters.

The blissful opening is shattered, however, when the “Newcomers” kill everyone and burn down the tents of the village – with the boy being the only survivor. We jump forward to Tizo, who we learn is the boy in the intro, aged by hatred for the Newcomers and on a path of vengeance. The story then continues with the other characters that span across different tribes and areas, but all share the same goal one way or another. Whilst the game isn’t based on any real settlements, its blend of Indigenous spiritual beliefs, fantasy and the true history of America sparks an authenticity to the story.

Every character you play is distinct and relatable, I always wanted to spend just a bit more time with them on their separate journey before moving on to the next one. Dialogue is snappy, full of wit and so personable; it really feels like the beating heart of a game whilst retaining that huge scope of a Western. There are a couple of endings to discover which rest on your actions throughout the games, some of which I’ll get into later. Suffice to say, a tale as old as revenge has never felt so refreshing and morally pertinent.

Into The Fray

Outside of the encompassing story, the combat gameplay is equally as engrossing. From the top-down perspective, you see the whole battlefield with your character and enemies in plain view. As you’re planning your next move in battle, time is frozen, giving you ample opportunity to work out the best course of action. Attacking will use ‘Magia’, basically action points, moving will restore some Magia and standing still will restore the most. Once you’ve chosen your move time unfreezes and every character on the battlefield will act accordingly.

The closest I can compare it to is Superhot, you anticipate your enemies’ actions, take advantage of the situation, and manage your Magia to keep yourself on top. It has a really addictive loop of repositioning and attacking. Your HP is small, forcing you to react diligently to each encounter. Each character also has their own play style, building upon your previous knowledge and challenging you in different ways like melee or ranged. It really didn’t need to switch it up every chapter but the fact it does speaks to Arco’s overall quality.

On top of the different play styles, there’s also a mechanic that takes advantage of your in-game choices, which can prove some trouble. Certain bad decisions build up your guilt. The more guilt you have, the more frequent and dangerous ghosts during combat can be. Ghosts don’t adhere to the time freeze and do damage if they approach you. So when I said you have time to work out your next move, you’ve still kind of got your feet to the fire as you do so. It’s such a neat mechanic that raises the stakes of your combat encounters, whilst also influencing how you make decisions outside of combat.

Exploring The Great Lands

When you’re not fighting tooth and nail, you’ll explore the vibrant lands of America. Every area fills just one page but interconnects into a larger map, making it feel huge. Not much is overtly signposted, making your keen sense of exploration a helpful tool. You could find healing items, things to trade or equally stumble upon an angry gang of toads wanting your demise. It has that risk and reward that makes stepping off the beaten path a fruitful endeavour – it even can open up completely new opportunities that change the story.

Part of my need to explore was just getting to experience some of the vistas that Arco has to offer. Using a blend of 8-bit and 16-bit pixel art, the game has some of the most astonishing views I’ve seen in this style. Arco, to put it simply, is beautiful and the acoustic guitar-driven soundtrack compliments just how amazing the visuals are. It’s an unforgettable dichotomy of the dangers in the wild and the beautiful landscapes which they inhabit.

It’s not all sunshine and lizards, however, as the game on Switch is currently very buggy. There’s a persistent audio glitch that kind of crashes everything audible into a cascading echo of noise whilst in combat. I even had blue screens when entering combat encounters and had to restart my game. Luckily the saves are forgiving but it needs a big old patch for sure.

End Of The Line

Glass half full, Arco will get a fix for those technical problems and with those aside the game is a must-play, just not right now. The developers really defy expectations of what a Western is and show us what it can be. With an indie budget, incredible sense of style and engaging combat, the small team have made the Western genre their own.

There are some glaring difficulty spikes that you can’t get around but rather work through which may be a big hurdle. However, the intuitive combat is so much fun that it’s part of the enjoyment to overcome such tough battles. There are also accommodations for switching characters by balancing the rewards and levelling up system so you’ll always have decent upgrades for your characters.

All in all, Arco is well well-thought-out, expertly crafted indie hit you must play, before everyone tells you to.

Despite some technical issues at launch, Arco is nothing short of a masterpiece. An epic on all fronts, from its captivating story and thrilling tactical style combat. This one is not to miss.

Arco is available now on Nintendo Switch (review platform) and PC via Steam.

Developer: Franek, Fáyer, Bibiki and Max Cahill
Publisher: Panic

Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.

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