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Artful fantasy RPG Arco has a demo with a dangerously moreish Arena modeTime is the fire in which we turn
Time is the fire in which we turn
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Panic
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Panic
I’ve played certain demos for longer than I have many full games, eking every last atom of enjoyment out of a single level or character, to the point that the final release felt like unnecessary bloat. I am already concerned the same might be true ofArco’s demo, which isnow available on Steam. You’ve hopefully readKatharine’s breakdownof this “triptych of revenge stories set across the deserts, plains and forests of a fantastical, South American-style landscape”. Well, now’s your chance to get to grips with its nifty combat system, which is broken into turns with each turn’s actions unfolding in real time.
Arco: A Closer Look at GameplayWatch on YouTube
Arco: A Closer Look at Gameplay
And then there are each character’s signature skills - a jumping attack that allows you to AOE snipers while simultaneously avoiding their bullets, a very satisfying but not infallible Jedi parry, and the ability to summon a magic ball for later detonation. These grander feats may drain your character’s entire magia bar in one go. You can have a character wait to restore three whole magia points, and engineering opportunities for these interludes seems crucial to the harder match-ups, which are almost like chess puzzles in that every single move needs to be the right one.
Arco launches later this year. If you like games that play fast and loose with the real-time/turn-based distinction,Phantom Brigadeis also worth a peek.
