Arto Review (PC)

I dash right out of the path of a powerful enemy attack, reaching the edge of this small platform. A witch is launching projectiles at me, forcing me to constantly move around, but it’s important to stay as far from the melee attackers around me as well. With space so tight, this means I need to take out a few of them quickly.

So I launch my character into a series of light attacks, all of which hit home before I dash once again. Thankfully, some opponent strikes can be parried, which I do to set up another chain of strikes that eliminates another one. The small space allows another melee type to land one big strike on me but I manage to find the space to get some health back.

The entire enemy group is dead and I brought color to this corner of the world. But it was a tough fight, so I decide to go back to Goya’s main island, explore a little more, and maybe get extra chroma to improve my abilities. And then I might try to make some extra progress in the neon Japanese world, where I have to battle enemies while also dodging futuristic vehicles.

Arto is developed by OrionGames and published by Freedom Games. I played on Steam on the PC. The title’s core gameplay loop is built around classic hack-and-slash concepts but the big draw is the world and how the main character transforms it.

+4more

The fantasy land players will be exploring has colors for gods and something called the Chromaclysm led to its desaturation. In familiar video game fashion, players will control Liv, the one being able to bring back life and color to the world. She has to travel to the lands of all deities to convince them to put aside their differences.

Each of the gods of this universe has an Arto, a work of art as a world that they created to suit their personality, and a champion. There’s conflict between them and there are hints of a deeper history and that Goya, the deity who created the player’s avatar, might not be entirely truthful about what’s happening. It’s mostly good writing but the game is trying to introduce a little too much lore very quickly.

Arto’s core gameplay is all about exploration and combat. Liv is nimble and fast, able to rely on a quick dash to both move faster across the land and avoid incoming attacks. She starts off using a sword that can deliver quick combos and can parry some enemy strikes. The game offers a clear visual cue when it’s more important to move rather than try to parry, although it’s easy to overlook it in the middle of a big battle.

Players also have a magical arrow to deliver some ranged strikes, which uses ammo that will be refilled using melee strikes. It’s a good addition for engagements that take place in larger arenas. But direct damage tends to be more effective. Live also has a healing power and she can gain new abilities using gathered chroma.

There are boss battles in Arto, each with a distinctive set of mechanics. I like their designs but they do not have health bars, which is a bit annoying when dying for the third time. Some areas also feature light platforming puzzles. They add a little variety but, most of the time, players will be moving and fighting.

Play Video

Regardless of what she’s doing, Liv will constantly spread color around her. White spaces become green, cliffs turn brown, and birds reappear on trees when they gain color. The same happens in the worlds of all these gods, in slightly tweaked ways. It’s a cool enough concept that I found myself moving through areas specifically to bring back color, even if there were no other enemies to defeat.

This visual transformation of the world is at the core of Arto’s appeal. It makes simple exploration feel good, especially when players discover a way to get extra chroma for their upgrades or another character who reveals a side quest. The core combat mechanics are also good and deliver some cool boss moments.

Spreading color around the world remains fun even as the rest of the mechanics can start to feel repetitive. I wanted the developers to do a little more with it, maybe by finding a way to change the levels even more under certain conditions.

Arto is gorgeous, not because of the incredible amount of detail but because of its variety and color-spreading mechanic. The first overland section isn’t the most impressive of the bunch, although I loved seeing the way the world reacted when our heroine moved through. Once players get into the underwater world, it becomes clear that every god has a space associated with a different style and that bringing back color plays out differently in each. The Arto centered around Japanese fantasy is my favorite of the bunch but all of them are impressive.

The sound design is not as impressive as the graphics. Characters are not voiced but they do mumble a little when players engage with them. Combat sounds aren’t anything special, especially given that players have to focus on visual cues to avoid taking damage. The soundtrack is good but it doesn’t stand out as much as the visuals do.

+4more

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion