Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark – Review

So we have all these flashy tactical RPG games saturating the market and sometimes it’s simply too hard to choose from the umpteenth release. This 6 Eyes Studio production will take you back to the old school tactical turn-based system which has given most of us hours of entertaining and challenging gameplay. It ticks boxes, read on to see why.

Story

The story is quite overused in this genre. That being said, these types of stories are a known and comfortable recipe which has worked over the years.

Our heroes are quickly revealed to be part of an order striving to maintain justice called the Arbiters. They are under the command of a council of The Immortals which is a gathering of ancient beings who have been part of a mystical battle against a beast which would have destroyed the world. Kyrie, an Arbiter captain, figures out there is a deep root of corruption in the order. She and her companions set out to stop the corruption and prevent another cataclysmic war to ravage the lands. The story does get complicated and twisting into some twists which fulfilled our need for narrative.

Though cliché, the story is told well and the main characters are quite entertaining and have proper personalities reflected in the dialogues.

Graphics

Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark goes back to the simple graphics. A basic character portrait during dialogues puts a face to the name. There are some detailed elements to maps like tents, trees and other really great artwork, though the character sprites are pixelated and while it is  to be expected from this genre, it provides an odd contrast that the player needs to be able to look past.

Dialogues are paired with anime-styled facial expressions which actually emphasize the characters’ message in a way that can either be seen as silly, funny or weird. It truly depends on the preference of the player.

More effort could have been put into combat effects considering the plethora of spells and moves available. All in all, it’s not bothering, though it might seem dull for some players.

Sound

The music is quite nice. Heroic tunes are paired with combat and it’s pleasant to listen to. Mostly consisting of pipes and percussion, it’s a nice aspect to just chill out as you progress through the game. Well done, Jan Morgenstern.

The effects and ambient sounds are quite rudimentary. They aren’t special or accurate. They’re all simply sound effects based on the type of action. Though it is really satisfying to hear bones crunching when hitting foes with a battle hammer.

Gameplay

Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a tactical turn-based RPG where the goal of the game is to navigate through the story by successfully advancing and beating the tactical battles. This is the golden part of the game and what dresses to impress. There are so many little mechanics that provide such an added experience to the game.

Aside from the main characters, the player is able to create new characters which are fully customizable. You choose how the sprite will look, which portrait they will have, what name they will carry and most importantly which skills they will wield and so on, so forth. There is a near endless amount of combinations that can be used in order to overcome challenges on the map.

There are 20 unlockable classes and about 200 abilities that can be mixed to your heart’s delight. Add to this mix different kinds of weapons and equipment and you can personalize your party to completely fit your needs

Combat is as multifaceted just like the customization of characters. Attacks from the flanks or the rear will deal more damage than attacks from the front. Magic are area effects with friendly fire, and you are able to end up healing an enemy if you don’t plan ahead. Planning your moves and anticipating the enemy’s moves will be crucial for anyone wishing to play this game to its proper challenge. Don’t worry if you wish to experience the story however, the difficulty can be adjusted to suit your playstyle without making the combat any less interesting.

Characters progress through an experience system based on the type of skill they use in the class they’re currently marked as. As they gain in levels you get more access to passive skills, spells and abilities. These can in turn be bought by spending AP which you gain from using the character. These AP are also earned at a 50% rate for benched characters you might not have used in this fight.

Maps can be replayed as sometimes they hold chests you were originally unable to get so you can end up grinding specific battles for AP or loot. All in all, since most of the games entertainment comes from the strategic combat this isn’t a bad thing at all.

Finally, there is a neat tutorial that will guide you through the basics and though the maps can be quite big and daunting, the learning curve is not as steep as it may seem and the strategic moving and attacking will become clear quite quickly as you keep playing.

Conclusion

Fell Seal: Arbiters Mark is a without a doubt fantastic game with an immense replay value and a true sense of accomplishment once you complete a new part of the story. Definitely recommended for people who loved Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Tactics and that style of games. It deserves all the praise it can get.

VikingTeddybear

View My Other Posts

"What the-..?" said the hero to the finger pointing over his head.

Related Items

AWAKEN: Astral Blade – Review

PC, PS4, PS5, Reviews

GreedFall 2: The Dying World – Preview

PC, Previews, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Hop into Strategic Toad-Based Combat with Toads of the Bayou

News, Trailers

Keep the Heroes Out!…..digitally!

News, Trailers