Developer: PixelGreeds and HarDDer
Genre: Adventure
Reviewed version: Final
Censored: No
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows
Language: English, Russian, Polish
I’ve played a fair share of visual novels in my life, but Arcana: Heat and Cold. Season 1 was the first one I saw that combined visual novel storytelling with the gameplay elements of an adventure game.
Pros
Original gameplay
Stunning art
Enjoyable story
Cons
Sometimes the dialogue is a bit repetitive
A few sprites don’t match the characters’ artwork
There’s next to no exploring in the game
Story
It puts us in the shoes of a spellbreaker, a kind of wizard specialized in curing magic-related illnesses, who only wants everyone to respect him. However, he sucks at magic, so he has to resort to unorthodox methods to do his job.
The writing is surprisingly good. It manages to keep a perfect balance between its lighthearted tone and the few serious moments in the story. Furthermore, the characters are very fleshed out. Instead of being random archetypes, they have actual personalities as well as a backstory. You may like them or not, but they won’t leave you indifferent. That said, the story is not flawless. The chapters start in a very similar way, and their short length makes them a bit repetitive.
Gameplay
Arcana: Heat and Cold. Season 1 combines the exploration aspect of adventure games with the storytelling and choice-making elements of visual novels. Moreover, the Arcana system adds a layer of originality to it. Sometimes, you’ll have to choose whether to use the Fire Arcana or the Ice Arcana to determine how the protagonist will approach a situation. Depending on which one you pick, he will either be blunt and aggressive or calm and gentle.
On the other hand, they barely developed the adventure side of the game. Investigating the maps on your own is pointless since the game already tells you what to do, and there’s nothing to find in them, aside from 2 missable achievements and a hidden picture. Furthermore, they are small and disconnected from each other (as in, you can’t go from one map to another unless the plot demands it). I can see what the devs tried to do here, but I think there was no need to implement it.
Art
The game is a feast for the eyes. Both the characters’ designs and the H-scenes are stunning. Moreover, the way they did the erotic scenes is very original. Instead of resorting to the usual still shots you’d find in most anime-style hentai games, it presents them in comic-like panels that show each of its strips as the dialogue progresses. My only gripe is how the pixel art sprite of a few characters doesn’t match their hand-drawn artwork. It’s not a big issue per se, but it’s a bit distracting.
Verdict: Pretty Good
Arcana: Heat and Cold is a neat game that stands out thanks to its originality, the quality of its story, and the beauty of its art. It may not be a masterpiece, but it’s definitely worth your time.