Arlanora Demo

Whether you enjoy party-based hack & slash games or single character ones like Diablo, the core gameplay mechanics are the same: kill everything and collect the shiniest armors. However, the party-based one are usually a lot more complex when it comes to the combat, because you have to combine the skills of every character as efficiently as possible.

Arlanora is a 2D hack & slash with an open world and a few RPG elements added to the mix, which are actually not that obvious anyway. In essence, it’s all about party-based combat and the anthropomorphic animals, because the game itself is not yet that great. There are some good ideas, however, but they are not polished well enough to help you endure the rest of it.

To begin with, the story is pretty simple and awkward, with a very facile plot and a boring cast of characters. As such, it just so happens that the main character has a dream about a battle, and he wakes up with a crystal in his possession. The town elder advises him to go on a quest and fulfill a prophecy, which is the last drop in the cliche cocktail that is that story.

Probably the most exciting thing about the game is the fact that you are free to roam the world as you desire. On the other hand, the world is very small and unimpressive, so the freedom does not mean very much, unfortunately. The levels are also quite barren sometimes, at least in the demo, so just walking through them can barely be called exploring anyway.

As far as the graphics are concerned, the pixel art is not bad per se, but it’s a tad too ragged sometimes, which makes it seem cheap. The animations are quite awkward in most cases, especially when it comes to the main character’s movement. The controls are responsive and accurate, thankfully, so at least you have that going while you are dealing with multiple enemies.

Even if Arlanora has some nice elements in there, they are pretty much eclipsed by the silly story and the awkward gameplay. However, these can be fixed with enough work and dedication, or at least the majority of them can be repaired.

Note: You can support the developers by contributing in their Kickstarter project, or by voting for the game on Steam Greenlight.