Arcaea
 |
| Arcaea | |
|---|---|
 Logo for Arcaea | |
| Developer | Lowiro |
| Publisher | Lowiro |
| Producer | Anton Prydatko (Guy) |
| Designers | Alexander J. Lin (Toaster), Vernon Tan (Nitro), Alice Prowse (Popo), Ken Tang (k//eternal) |
| Artist | シエラ (cierra) |
| Writer | Terrence Smith |
| Composers | ak+q, N² (ANTIREAL), Puru |
| Engine | Cocos2d-x |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch |
| Release | |
| Genre | Rhythm |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Arcaea is a rhythm video game developed and published by the British company Lowiro (stylized in all lowercase).[3] The game was released on iOS and Android mobile platforms on 9 March 2017. An offline version of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch on 18 May 2021.[4]
The game functions as a Vertical Scrolling Rhythm Game with an accompanying story displayed in visual novel format. The visual novel features illustrations covering the two main female heroines, Tairitsu and Hikari. It is also considered a three-dimensional music video game, whose mechanics allow for uniquely challenging gameplay.
Gameplay
[edit]The main gameplay of Arcaea uses three-dimensional chart lanes that are split into two parts: The top lane and the bottom lane. The top lane consists of two different note types; Arcs in blue(L) or pink(R) that are color coded to indicate which hand to play with, that require the player to hold the note throughout its duration (arcs go in 360 degrees of direction, creating unique chart patterns), and sky notes that are single-tap notes that are present on the top lane. The bottom lane consists of two note types as well: Floor notes and long notes. Floor notes are basic single-tap notes that are present on the bottom lane (much like the sky notes), and long notes require the player to hold throughout their duration.
While playing, players must keep track of two sets of notes moving across the screen,[5] and tap the screen or press controller buttons when the notes intersect with the guiding lines. The game has 5 base difficulties: Past, Present, Future, Eternal,[6] and Beyond[7] (since version 5.7.0). It has a difficulty scale of 1-12, with + variants present, as low as the FTR difficulty (e.g., Future 9+), as a system better known for accurately capturing chart constants. The Arcaea chart constant is a detailed numerical value representing the difficulty/complexity of a song chart, providing a far more precise measure than the displayed difficulty level.[8]
The game includes over 40+ characters referred to as partners that give various beneficial effects while playing the rhythm game. Partners are primarily useful within World Mode, a gameplay mode where the player traverses maps to unlock new content, such as songs and other partners. Progress within World Mode is dependent on the statistics of the equipped partner; partners used in World Mode will gain experience points and levels, growing stronger as they are used. Gameplay within World mode requires stamina; different maps require different amounts of stamina to play. Within the mobile version, the player can hold up to twelve blocks of stamina at once, regenerating one every thirty minutes; within the Nintendo Switch version, the stamina system is entirely absent.[5]
Arcaea, like many other rhythm games, features a numerical rating system known as "potential". Upon creating a new account, the player starts with a potential of 0.00; there is no defined ceiling, as the maximum possible potential increases whenever highly difficult content is added to the game. Potential is the result of a mathematical formula based on the song's difficulty, as well as the score the player achieved within that attempt. Depending on one's performance, after playing a song, it is possible for a player's potential to rise, fall, or stay the same. Reaching a certain potential is only required to unlock certain high-difficulty content, and does not affect the game otherwise.
Arcaea's main story is accessed through the "Story Mode" feature, where players gradually unlock parts of the story (presented in a format akin to a visual novel) by completing certain requirements, such as clearing specific songs.
Update history
[edit]| 2017 | Official Release |
|---|---|
| Eternal Core | |
| Crimson Solace | |
| Memory Archive | |
| Dynamix Collaboration | |
| Ambivalent Vision | |
| Vicious Labyrinth | |
| 2018 | Lanota Collaboration |
| Binary Enfold | |
| Luminous Sky | |
| Tone Sphere Collaboration | |
| 2019 | Groove Coaster Collaboration |
| Absolute Reason | |
| CHUNITHM Collaboration | |
| Adverse Prelude | |
| Sunset Radiance | |
| 2020 | Black Fate |
| Extended Archive 1: Visions | |
| Ephemeral Page | |
| Ephemeral Page: The Journey Onwards | |
| O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration | |
| 2021 | maimai Collaboration |
| CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| Esoteric Order | |
| Esoteric Order: Pale Tapestry | |
| Esoteric Order: Light of Salvation | |
| WACCA Collaboration | |
| Binary Enfold: Shared time | |
| Divided Heart | |
| Muse Dash Collaboration | |
| 2022 | Lanota Collaboration Chapter 2 |
| Final Verdict | |
| Final Verdict: Silent Answer | |
| O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| 2023 | Extend Archive 2: Chronicles |
| maimai Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 3 | |
| Cytus II Collaboration | |
| Cytus II Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| Lasting Eden | |
| Severed Eden | |
| Lasting/Severed Eden: Shifting Veil | |
| WACCA Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| 2024 | World Extend 3: Illusions[9] |
| Groove Coaster Collaboration Chapter 2 | |
| Absolute Nihil | |
| Rotaeno Collaboration | |
| Lucent Historia | |
| O.N.G.E.K.I. Collaboration Chapter 3 | |
| CHUNITHM Collaboration Chapter 4 | |
| 2025 | maimai Collaboration Chapter 3 |
| UNDERTALE Collaboration | |
| DJMAX Respect Collaboration | |
| Extant Anima | |
| Extant Anima: Chapter Experientia | |
| Liminal Eclipse | |
| Arcaea: Next Stage | |
| 2026 | MEGAREX Collaboration |
| UNDERTALE Collaboration Chapter 2 |
At launch, the game had only 30 songs; as of version 6.13, it expanded to more than 500. Along with original songs created from specific story packs, there are also collaboration packs from other rhythm games. On the Nintendo Switch version of this game, additional content is expanded with the purchase of DLC items from the eShop; it only goes up to the Esoteric Order pack. Each one mainly costs over $7,99, while the collaboration packs only cost about $5.99. There is also a notable rhythm game tie-up area called Crossing Pulse, which adds between one to two songs from a certain period.
On 13 July 2022, the Final Verdict pack was added to contain over five boss tracks and a sweet conclusion with Hikari and Tairitsu's main conclusion of the story. Because of the next part's overlap, they had to split into two sections, named "Act I" and "Act II", starting from the 4.9.0 update. There was also a mini-expansion called Final Verdict: Silent Answer, which is a bonus area that can be unlocked by playing songs after the unlock progression. Another update included was three collaborations with the Japanese indie label HARDCORE TANO*C, featuring producers who created original songs made exclusively for Arcaea. From the 5.7.0 update from 14 March 2025, the game included a collaboration pack featuring five popular tracks from UNDERTALE, including a Camellia remix of Megalovania by Toby Fox.
Development
[edit]Arcaea began as a single-developer project by Anton Prydatko, inspired by Japanese arcade rhythm games.[10] Prydatko founded Lowiro in the United Kingdom, though many of the musicians involved in Arcaea are Japanese indie or doujin composers, and the majority of its player base are also from Japan.[11]
It was important to the developers that the game's monetization method allow players to "own" their purchased content. Players can buy "packs" of songs and play them an unlimited number of times, unlike the "stamina" model commonly used in mobile game monetization, which restricts play time.[11]
Reception
[edit]Eric Ford of TouchArcade says that it has "an awesome art style combined with very upbeat songs and a nice twist to the traditional rhythm formula". But he also mentioned that some of the gameplay elements could make the game potentially difficult.[12]
Digitally Downloaded's Mike S. praised the game's aesthetic and music, and described its character art as "impeccable", though not memorable compared to other rhythm games. He disliked the game's requirements for unlocking new songs, considering them to be inappropriate for the game's paid release on the Nintendo Switch.[5]
Dani Maddox of Siliconera said the game's music was "just amazing", with a large range of songs and genres. However, she found the game's story mode to be poor, and encountered issues with controls in the Nintendo Switch version, such as the console's size when playing in touchscreen mode and the game being "finicky" with a controller.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ Brian (29 April 2021). "Rhythm game Arcaea heading to Switch". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (30 April 2021). "Rhythm game Arcaea coming to Switch on May 18". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ↑ "lowiro". www.lowiro.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
- ↑ "Arcaea for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
- 1 2 3 S., Matt (21 May 2021). "Review: Arcaea (Nintendo Switch)". Digitally Downloaded.
- ↑ "Arcaea on X: "To improve the early experience of Arcaea further and to make progressions smoother to people of all skill levels, 5.4 delivers a 4th new difficulty: Eternal (ETR)."". 29 February 2024.
- ↑ "Arcaea on X: "The long-awaited hour has finally come. Introducing Arcaea's fourth difficulty level: Beyond."". 28 May 2020.
- ↑ "Arcaea on X: "With the introduction of the 4th new difficulty "Eternal" in v5.4, song level ratings have been adjusted to clarify progression at intermediate levels."". 29 February 2024.
- ↑ "Arcaea on the App Store". apps.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2024-11-28.
Version History.
- ↑ Lawton, Tilly (29 June 2022). "Arcaea reaches a crescendo with its 'momentous finale'". Pocket Tactics.
- 1 2 ""Players really appreciate having constant access to what they've paid for"". Pocket Gamer. 28 July 2022.
- ↑ Ford, Eric (February 23, 2017). "Futuristic Rhythm Game 'Arcaea' Looks Not For the Faint of Heart – TouchArcade". Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ↑ Maddox, Dani (31 May 2021). "Arcaea's Nintendo Switch Port Holds Up, Somewhat". Siliconera. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
