ARISEN - Chronicles of Var'Nagal

Absolutely loved this, but it probably wont be finished so I don't recommend wasting money on another unfinished early access game.

ARISEN honestly felt like one of those games that could’ve been something really special. It’s a narrative-driven card game set in a dark fantasy world, where you use emotions as cards to shape the story, and that concept alone immediately hooked me. The writing was genuinely interesting, and the character designs were fantastic. The world had personality, atmosphere, and a tone that made me want to keep going just to see where it all would lead. The card system was also surprisingly fun. Using emotions to shape your choices and reactions made it all feel more personal and thematic, and it fit the narrative focus really well. I spent several hours fully invested, engrossed into the story and getting attached to the characters and the world. Unfortunately that’s where things fell apart. About 9 hours in, I ran into a bug that completely broke my save file and made it impossible to continue. And since the game is abandoned and no longer being worked on, there is no fix, no workaround, nothing. That was pretty heartbreaking, especially because I wanted to see where the story would have lead me. Because of that, I can’t really recommend buying ARISEN outright. It’s not worth full price knowing it’ll never be finished and might break on you mid-playthrough. That said, if you’re aware of the risks and grab it on a deep sale, there is something here worth experiencing. Just be prepared for it to end abruptly and leave you wishing for what could’ve been.

Played for a bit, got a little bored and soon forgotten about it. No real impact when it comes to relationships. Game looks pretty as well as the layout, but for me that's all there is to it. I need meat and potatoes with relationships. Without a feeling of impact or genuine relationships being changed through your actions, all there is left is something superficial.

Not finished, most likely won't ever be. The characters suffer from adoring you unless you go out of your way to hurt them or fail their missions, but that is common to most narrative games. If it is ever finished, I would like to know how it ends, so the plot is interesting enough to keep you engaged.

Absolutely and by far the best game I've played all year. Arisen tackles harmful tropes and stereotypes in the real world with grace and sympathy to those in marginalized situations. As a transman, I chose the feminine body-type with he / him pronouns, and I consistently found my character receiving misgendering treatment by those in power - but sympathetic advocacy from the NPC friends I'd made. It's true to the situation, authentic, and incredibly refreshing to have a dark-themed game that addresses such 'dark' themes with poise and an allied undertone. I can't get over how much I love this game; it's a new favourite.

This story had promise, but will likely never come to fruition sadly. I would not recommend spending the money on a game that will never be completed.

2 ans plus tard aucune information sur la suite de ce jeu. Le jeu n'est pas terminé et ne le sera probablement jamais.

My review is SUPER mixed. At time of this review there are a complete 3 acts. Pros: -Overall amazingly well written -Amazing character, background and CARD (I WANT A REAL SET OF THESE) designs all around! -interesting choice selection and making. The way you choose choices through cards and this unlocks new cards to help change how you react is so FASCINATING -interesting game mechanic of the potential to have an nemesis or enemy to lover or friends! Cons: -one or two ending playthroughs have some bugs unfortunately that soft lock you out of continuing -no way to skip over previously seen text or to return to certain points easily without replaying entire Acts -seems to be missing the final ending, of act 4? (this seems unclear) -unclear if ALL characters are romanceable? (I REALLY WANT TO ROMANCE THE LIZARD but unsure if i can!) This game has such amazing potential! I'd definitely give it a play with cons considered. Still worthwhile and very apparent ALOT of love and time went into this! just seems a little rough around the edges and struggling to get the means to fully complete! Though its definitely past just a beginning early access mode. Enjoy!