Idea Factory, Compile Heart, and Hyde’s latest action RPG is more of a Metroidvania game with its 2D combat and magical attacks. Called Ariana and the Elder Codex, it features satisfying combat and a surprisingly deep story. While its backtracking and progression system doesn’t compare to the greats of the genre, there’s still a lot to like here.
Ariana and the Elder Codex makes a strong first impression thanks to its smooth gameplay. Combat feels fast, and movement is fluid, allowing you to quickly dodge enemy attacks and use your own combos to dish out damage. While the fights are generally on the simpler side, as only the hard difficulty will give you much of a challenge, there are plenty of different spells (with varying cooldowns) and depth to be found within the system, with enemies being weak to specific elements.
As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock an array of additional moves that boost your platforming ability. From a double jump to a satisfying dash, you’ll be able to use these abilities both in combat and in the levels you’ve already completed to find more secrets and upgrades. While it all feels great, levels weren’t always all that interesting to go back to, as a lot of the hidden areas are relatively minor, and it felt more like a way to bolster the runtime than a game really built around being a Metroidvania.
Another issue is that the combat encounters can start to feel repetitive after a while. While the game isn’t extremely long, as you can beat the main story in a little over 10 hours, a lot of enemies are reused and slightly altered. So, while the different stages might look different visually, you’ll still feel a sense of déjà vu. Thankfully, boss fights shine throughout as these multi-phase battles really require you to think and put your skills to the test, so they wind up being a high point compared to the regular skirmishes.
The biggest surprise to Ariana and the Elder Codex was how much story is packed into the game. Get ready to read (or skip) a lot of dialogue, as there’s a lot of world building and dialogue that you’ll come across. Written well and featuring a really likable protagonist, there’s a lot to get out of its fantasy setting which has you playing as a librarian who must enter books to repairing their connection to magic. There’s some really fun ideas at play and just being in the world is a definite highlight.
Ariana and the Elder Codex Review: Final Verdict
Ariana and the Elder Codex is an enjoyable Metroidvania game that is bolstered by having a deep story and fun combat. While the action can get slightly repetitive due to repetitive enemy encounters, it has a really solid core, and a lot of work has gone into building its enjoyable world. I’d love to see these gameplay ideas expanded upon in a sequel down the line.
SCORE: 7.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7.5 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS5 copy for our Ariana and the Elder Codex review. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.
