Genre: Indie
Developer: Fiction Factory Games
Publisher: PQube Limited
Release Date: Feb 13, 2019
Edited by KnightAvenger
If someone had asked me, “Hey, Ismay! What do you want out of a visual novel or dating sim?” I could give a pretty comprehensive list. Fortunately, for me (and for anyone who doesn’t like listening to my rants), Arcade Spirits came along, so now I can point at it and say, “This. This is what I want.”
Arcade Spirits is a visual novel and dating sim set in the year 20XX, in an alternate timeline where arcades reign supreme in the gaming world. You play as a character you can name, design, and gender (pronoun options being “he”, “she” and “they”… Hallelujah!)
After a series of dead-end jobs, your character gets a phone app that gets them a job at an arcade called The Funplex, where they meet a whole host of slammin’ hotties! There are eight “levels” in the game in which your character plays through their time working in the Funplex Arcade, or has some personal time with the other characters. For game mechanics, you choose what kind of personality you want through dialogue options. Your personality and choices temper what you say and, in turn, the characters who like those personality traits like you just a little bit more. Though, honestly, the game rewards just being who you want to be.
You balance your work life and your personal life, and get to date one of the characters before heading off to an ultimate showdown with your arch-rival at the end. A simple story, executed in a wonderfully entertaining way.
I feel like I have written this review a hundred times by this point, simply because I’ve talked the ears off of anyone who will listen about why this is one of the best forms of visual novel. But here I go again!
First off, it checks off my two big boxes for any game: accessibility and inclusivity. For accessibility, it has features to help people with visual impairments – an audio reader built in, and a work-around for color-blind people who may not be able to distinguish the colors for the various text options.
But the inclusivity is where Arcade Spirits really shines. The addition of being able to choose “they” as a pronoun is so simple, so easy, and yet, can make all the difference in the world to some people. No matter what gender you choose, there are no mentions of biological sex, so your trans-character is fully supported by the text! No matter your gender, all characters are available for romance. It’s a big pansexual world out there for you to enjoy!
But the point of inclusivity that surprised me the most was the romantic options for the game. You can choose to be romantically interested in the other characters…or not? Arcade Spirits, while set up like a dating sim, allows you to take an asexual or aromantic playthrough of the game, which plays it like a visual novel without any romantic interest. This was…mind blowing to me! It’s few and far between that we see representation of Ace or Aro people in any form of media, and here it is in a dating sim! Whether or not you choose this option, Arcade Spirits still lets you play the game with a really good, healthy attitude that friendship is the most important thing, and that not having a partner doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
The inclusivity doesn’t end with your character. There’s, at least, one dateable character that is pretty gender non-conforming, another who – once you romance them – you learn is coming to terms with their gender identity, and a couple of side characters using they/them pronouns.
This game talks about so many serious issues: gender, loss of a family member, depression, self care, sexism in the games industry, and so much more without being preachy or halting the momentum of the game. It manages to be goofy and funny while also makes a real statement on a whole host of issues. I don’t want that to be lost. Even though I’m looking at the more serious aspects of this game, it still manages to be fun. It’s also just a very enjoyable game to play.
None of this is to say that it doesn’t have those traditional dating sim touches. You have your awkward flirting, your spamming spending time with the one you want to romance-hell, it even has a classic swimsuit scene! Arcade Spirits shows how the context surrounding things like romantic interests wearing skimpy bathing suits is the most important thing. Your character isn’t peeping on them in the shower or making them feel uncomfortable with gratuitous staring – you’re just floored by these remarkably attractive people being confident in their beachwear and having fun with them.
Arcade Spirits is a visual novel done right. There’s really no more to say than that!
Pros:
- Inclusive
- Accessible
- Genuinely funny and heartfelt
- Good replay value
Cons:
- Some typos and repeating lines
- Only partial voice acting
aTeacupGamer gives Arcade Spirits a score of 9.8 out of 10 (98) Moe Blobs.
Arcade Spirits is available on Steam for $19.99 (USD).
