Info about Arcadian Atlas:

Official game description:
  
Two lovers brought together by war, torn between the queen they’ve sworn fealty to and the charismatic princess who’s risen up to take back the throne. Civil war engulfs a kingdom as battle lines are drawn and swords unsheathed.  
Amidst the conflict, a convergence of fate—a rogue magician seeking to unravel the land’s secrets meets a young girl, the second heir to the throne. With the power to create and destroy worlds in their hands, the two will fight to escape their past and become something more.  
As the kingdom burns and powers more ancient than the soil resurface, stand your ground and fight for the fate of Arcadia!  
You’ll need allies you can trust in this endless war. Recruit troops, customize their classes, and train your army to engage in deep tactical battles.  
**CAVALIER TREE** – the powerhouse class, undaunted in battle with their heavy armors and sharpened swords. Cavaliers can upgrade to Inquisitors, turning enemies undead and crippling them with Holy attacks; or Ronins who can enter deadly trances and sacrifice control for huge bonuses on the battlefield.  
**WARMANCER TREE** – magicians who have made pacts with creation’s most basic elements, Warmancers study the ways of searing flames, slowing ice, or unpredictable lightning to decimate foes. With enough training they can become Sorcerers, agents of chaos that take magic to wild extremes on the frontlines; or Druids who have learned to channel powerful natural forces and lay deadly magic traps.  
**RANGER TREE** – lethal at a distance, Rangers seek higher ground and rain down destruction or fire powerful elemental shots across the battlefield to stun and cripple foes. Honing their skills can upgrade them to Hunters with the ability to lay traps and dive bomb unsuspecting troops using their animal companion, or Reavers who dispatch their foes with a well-placed stab and then disappear into clouds of smoke.  
**APOTHECARY TREE** – the resident mad scientist, mixing special brews that restore the weak to health or burn whole swaths of the battlefield in explosive acid. Apothecaries can upgrade to Monks that chain together rapid punches and channel arcane energies to heal and harm, or Shamans who can manipulate the forces of life and death or sacrifice their allies to damage foes.  
*   Explore the Land - Travel through the vast and beautiful landscape of Arcadia, battling across dozens of maps including ancient ruins, seaside villages, snow-capped mountains, and verdant forests.  
*   Engage in Strategic Battles - Utilize 150+ unique combat skills to shift the tides of the battlefield. Deploy tactical traps, use magic to buff your soldiers’ abilities, and exploit your enemies’ weaknesses to gain victory.  
*   Rally the Troops - Build an army from 12 different classes; customize their mastery across 25 unique skill trees; and arm them with weapons, armor, and powerful accessories to amplify their abilities.  
*   Experience the Masterpiece - Enjoy the exquisite ambiance of Arcadia with an inspired jazz-infused soundtrack and detailed art nouveau-style character portraits.  
*   Discover the Epic Narrative - As fates intertwine, the heart-wrenching stories of Vashti, Desmond, and all of Arcadia unfold in this rich tale of war and magic across 70+ unique campaign encounters.

Release date: 27 Jul, 2023

Categories: Tactical RPG, Single-player Story, Character Customization, Character Progression, Exploration


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Solid & Enjoyable Indie RPG (weight 0.56): Players generally find the game to be a solid, enjoyable, and engaging indie tactical RPG experience. Many feel it offers a unique and complete experience, with a good balance of gameplay, story, and length.
- Beautiful Pixel Art Style (weight 0.31): The game's pixel art style is highly lauded for its beauty, uniqueness, and expressiveness. Reviewers specifically highlight the detailed character sprites and well-crafted environments.
- Strong FFT Homage (weight 0.3): Many players note the game's strong resemblance and homage to classic tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics. It successfully captures the aesthetic, feel, and gameplay style of these beloved titles.
- Well-Designed Battle Maps (weight 0.09): The battle maps are commended for their variety, good verticality, and overall well-crafted design, contributing positively to the tactical gameplay.
- Impactful Cutscenes (weight 0.07): The game's cutscenes, particularly the ending, are highlighted for their beauty and effectiveness in conveying the story and evoking strong emotions.
- Improved Localization & Controls (weight 0.06): Recent updates have significantly improved the Japanese translation, localization, and controller support, making the game much more playable and accessible.
- Passionate Small Dev Team (weight 0.06): Players recognize and appreciate the passion and effort of the small, four-member development team, noting that their individual expression shines through in the game's design.
- Charismatic Characters (weight 0.05): The characters are generally perceived as unique, charismatic, and well-mixed, contributing positively to the overall narrative and player engagement.
- Promising Start & Value (weight 0.04): Initial impressions of the game were generally positive, with players finding the game's cost acceptable for the experience offered.

Common complaints:
- Technical issues and unpolished gameplay (weight 0.99): Players report numerous technical issues including frequent game freezes, crashes, and slow loading times. The overall gameplay experience is hampered by clunky controls, sluggish movement, and unpolished animations, making the game feel unfinished and lacking in quality-of-life features.
- Poor UI and lack of information (weight 0.59): The user interface is widely criticized for being unintuitive, clunky, and lacking essential quality-of-life features. Players struggle with menu navigation, unreadable fonts, and difficulty selecting units or targets in combat. Crucially, the inability to rotate the camera and the lack of clear information on enemy abilities, ranges, and battlefield elements significantly hinder strategic play.
- Weak and unengaging story (weight 0.49): The game's narrative is described as generic, unengaging, and poorly paced, failing to immerse players or develop interesting characters. Dialogue is often criticized for being forced, poorly written, and sometimes incomprehensible, further detracting from the story experience.
- Shallow and unbalanced combat (weight 0.42): The combat system is criticized for being overly simplistic, lacking tactical depth, and feeling clunky. Players note issues with unit balance, particularly the ineffectiveness of melee characters compared to ranged units, leading to repetitive and unengaging battles.
- Unfitting and immersion-breaking music (weight 0.3): The game's soundtrack is a major point of contention, with players finding the smooth jazz music completely unfitting for the medieval/fantasy setting. This incongruity frequently breaks immersion and fails to convey the appropriate tone for battles or dramatic moments.
- Shallow class and progression (weight 0.23): The class and character progression systems are seen as shallow and uninteresting, offering limited customization and experimentation. Players feel that class choices have little impact, and the overall balance between classes is poor, particularly disadvantaging melee units.
- Lacks depth compared to genre peers (weight 0.21): Many players feel the game falls short when compared to established tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics. It lacks the depth, strategic complexity, and robust progression systems expected from the genre, leading to a less satisfying experience for fans.
- Underwhelming and short experience (weight 0.18): Overall, players express significant disappointment and feel underwhelmed by the game. It is perceived as short, lacking in content, and failing to deliver on its initial promise, leading some to request refunds.
- Inconvenient save system (weight 0.14): The game's save system is inconvenient, lacking auto-save features and mid-level saving options, forcing players to restart significant portions of gameplay upon failure. This, combined with the absence of random battles for leveling, creates a frustrating experience.
- Tedious equipment management (weight 0.12): Managing equipment and troops is described as a chore due to missing quality-of-life features like auto-equip or easy troop switching. Gear often feels uninspired, offering only flat stats and little meaningful customization.
- Asset recycling and poor leveling (weight 0.11): Players note significant asset recycling, including character sprites and portraits, which contributes to a feeling of lack of polish. The leveling system is also criticized for being poorly designed and overly restrictive, putting characters on rails.
- Poor map verticality and camera (weight 0.11): The game poorly utilizes verticality and elevation in its battle maps, rendering these mechanics largely meaningless. The inability to rotate or tilt the camera further exacerbates issues with terrain visibility and strategic overview.

Gameplay feedback:
- Automatic Leveling System (weight 0.24): The game features an automatic leveling system where characters, especially main story characters, gain a level after each battle, regardless of participation. This design choice effectively eliminates the need for traditional grinding.
- Class Promotion System (weight 0.21): The game incorporates a class promotion system where basic classes can advance into one of two specialized advanced classes. This system, reminiscent of Ragnarok Online or Vandal Hearts, offers customization but restricts access to previous skill trees and gear upon promotion.
- Limited Battle Opportunities (weight 0.08): Battles are limited in number, primarily tied to story progression and contracts, with no option for free battles. This design choice, combined with limited revives, emphasizes strategic planning over repeated engagements.
- No Consumable Items (weight 0.04): A notable design choice is the absence of consumable items and a traditional inventory system. Healing and other effects are primarily managed through character abilities and gear.
- Versatile Apothecary Class (weight 0.04): The Apothecary class is the sole source of healing and is highly versatile, capable of healing, resurrecting, buffing, debuffing, and attacking, making it a central support unit.
- Skill Point Allocation (weight 0.04): The game includes a skill point allocation system for character development and allows players to recruit additional party members, enabling specialization within the team.
- Underdeveloped Side Parties (weight 0.04): The character-building aspect for side parties is underdeveloped, with limited and non-repeatable side missions offering little opportunity to expand or customize these units.
- Experience Redistribution Option (weight 0.04): The game offers an option to redistribute experience for story units, providing some flexibility in character development. However, story-related units do not possess unique classes.
- Reaver Skill Transitions (weight 0.03): The Reaver class exhibits unique skill behavior, with some abilities transitioning to melee range while others maintain their original range, even when not equipped with a bow.

Performance notes:
- Mixed handheld device compatibility (weight 0.06): While the game generally performs well on handheld devices like the Steam Deck and Rog Ally, there are specific issues with resolution and UI scaling on the Steam Deck. This indicates good overall compatibility but highlights areas for optimization on specific devices.
- Numerous technical bugs and crashes (weight 0.05): Players report a significant number of technical bugs, including crashes, which negatively impact the gameplay experience. This suggests a need for stability improvements.
- Jittery graphics performance (weight 0.03): Some players experienced jittery graphics, even for a turn-based strategy game where high frame rates are not typically critical. This suggests potential optimization issues or visual glitches that detract from the experience.

Recommendations:
- Recommend only on sale (weight 0.46): A significant number of players recommend the game primarily if it is purchased on sale or at a discount. This suggests that while the game has merits, its current price point is a barrier for many.
- Wait for future updates (weight 0.37): Several players suggest waiting for future updates, patches, or additional content before purchasing or fully recommending the game. This indicates a belief that the game has potential but needs further development to reach a satisfactory state.
- Good for TRPG fans (weight 0.33): Players who enjoy tactical RPGs, especially those reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, are more likely to recommend the game. It's seen as a good fit for genre fans, particularly if they are looking for a shorter experience or a gentle introduction.
- Desire for more content (weight 0.09): Players express a strong desire for more content from the developers, including sequels or expansions. This indicates a positive sentiment towards the game's core concept and a hope for its continued development.
- Will revisit game (weight 0.04): Some players indicate they will return to the game later or continue to follow its development, suggesting a lingering interest despite current issues.
- Camera rotation needed (weight 0.03): A specific quality of life improvement requested is the ability to rotate the camera.
- Combat speed option (weight 0.03): A specific quality of life improvement requested is the ability to change combat speed.
- Message fast-forwarding (weight 0.03): A specific quality of life improvement requested is the ability to fast-forward messages.
- Research before buying (weight 0.02): One player advises potential buyers to research the game thoroughly before purchasing to ensure it aligns with their preferences.
- Mute in-game music (weight 0.02): A specific suggestion was made to mute the in-game music and play an alternative soundtrack for a better experience.

Other player notes:
- Divisive music choices (weight 0.06): There's a mixed reception regarding the game's music. Some players feel the soundtrack, particularly the jazz elements, doesn't fit the fantasy setting, while others find it matches the game's overall tone.
- Needs quality of life tweaks (weight 0.03): Players suggest that implementing quality of life improvements would significantly enhance the overall gameplay experience. These tweaks could streamline interactions and reduce minor frustrations.
- Popular character 'Poncho' (weight 0.03): The character 'Poncho' resonated strongly with the player base, generating significant positive engagement and discussion.
- Regional pricing error (weight 0.03): There was a reported issue with the game's pricing in certain regions, which developers have acknowledged as a regional error.
- Missing in-game credits (weight 0.02): A minor but notable oversight is the absence of credits within the game's menu, which is a standard feature in most games.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.32): Players expressed disappointment due to the game's overall lack of polish, numerous technical and design flaws, and missing essential features like proper saving and unit selection. Many felt the game failed to meet expectations, offering shallow combat, uninteresting skill trees, and a predictable, poorly written story, especially considering its price and inspirations.
- Frustration (weight 0.27): Frustration stemmed primarily from poor combat mechanics, clunky controls, and frequent game-breaking bugs and crashes. Players also highlighted issues with the user interface, lack of quality-of-life features, and unbalanced gameplay, which collectively hindered the overall experience and immersion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.19): Satisfaction was reported by players who found the game to be a solid and enjoyable tactical RPG experience, often comparing it favorably to Final Fantasy Tactics. Positive aspects included a well-put-together class system, engaging story, beautiful art, and responsive developers, contributing to a sense of completeness and value.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players found enjoyment in the game's engaging story, interesting combat system, and appealing visual style, including character designs and music. The game's ability to evoke the feel of classic tactical RPGs, particularly Final Fantasy Tactics, also contributed significantly to a fun and engaging gameplay experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance was caused by specific minor issues such as an unsuitable soundtrack, distracting blue text in dialogue, and frequent or poorly implemented loading screens. These elements, while not game-breaking, detracted from the overall player experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement was generated by the game's engaging narrative and the anticipation for its unfolding story and political landscape. Players looked forward to experiencing more of the game's content and seeing how the plot developed.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was expressed due to perceived incompetence in game mechanics and what players considered an insulting price for a seemingly lazy or underdeveloped product. This strong negative emotion suggests a significant mismatch between player expectations and the game's delivered quality.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arose from simplistic skills, a rough gameplay feel, and a lack of engaging combat preparation or interesting equipment. These factors contributed to a repetitive and unstimulating gameplay loop.
- Delight (weight 0.01): Delight was a result of enjoyable surprises and small details within the game, such as the inclusion of a raccoon character. These unexpected positive elements contributed to a pleasant and memorable experience.
- Emotional connection (weight 0.01): Players formed an emotional connection with the game through its engaging story and a particularly impactful emotional ending. The narrative elements resonated deeply with players, creating a memorable experience.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret was specifically tied to players' decision to back the game, indicating a feeling that their investment was not worthwhile. This suggests a significant disappointment with the final product compared to their initial support.
- Unfulfillment (weight 0.01): Unfulfillment was caused by underdeveloped character-building mechanics, leaving players feeling that the potential for deeper character progression was not realized. This suggests a desire for more robust and meaningful character development systems.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy was a general positive emotion derived from the overall gameplay experience. This indicates that despite any specific flaws, the core gameplay loop provided a fun and enjoyable time for some players.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion stemmed from poorly connected class advancements and unclear character relationships. This indicates a lack of clarity in the game's systems and narrative, making it difficult for players to understand key elements.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation was expressed for the developers' efforts and the game's perceived potential, despite its current state. This suggests players recognized the ambition and hard work, even if the execution fell short in some areas.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Desire was expressed for more content and greater depth within the game. This indicates that while players might have enjoyed what was present, they felt the game could benefit from further expansion and more intricate mechanics.
- Disinterest (weight 0.01): Disinterest was caused by the game's short length, suggesting that the limited content failed to hold players' attention for an extended period. This indicates a desire for more substantial gameplay time.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope was generated by the development team's promise to patch missing quality-of-life features. This indicates that players were optimistic about future improvements and the game's potential to address current shortcomings.}