Related
Alina of the Arena , developed and published by PINIX , is aroguelite deckbuilding gamethat broil in the common cards and powerups into a jinx - establish grid inspired byInto the severance . The result is a shockingly great game that ’s far more than the sum of its parts , and will command the aid of genre oldtimer for many nights in spite of its noticeable flaws .
Alina of the Arenais a dewy-eyed secret plan when it comes to its account , and that ’s even in the context of a musical style that bed a bare - off-white approach to narrative . Alina , the nominal submarine sandwich , is a prizefighter forced into a series of increasingly more difficult combat scenarios . Survival mean strength and the adulation of fans , while defeat resets the run and puts Alina back at the beginning of her journey into stardom .
Related : Football Manager 2023 Review : A Statistically Impressive Sim
That barren premise does slight to sell actor on the game , which is to its detriment , asAlina of the Arenasucceeds where a lot of prettier , morestory - focused deckbuilding gamesfall flat - replayability . Alina of the Arena ’s system , which will be immediately conversant to those who ’ve playedSlay the Spire , are intuitive to pick up but super unmanageable to dominate . The lack of information in the story translates to a like want of information in - biz , but in a compelling direction . mechanic are explain or hinted at , rather than demonstrated , and synergies are the product of failed runs and cobble together endurance maneuver more than being hinted at obviously through archetypal keywords or highlighted school text .
Alina of the Arenaalso gradually grant for year unlocks as progression is achieved , which broadens the approaching further while giving players something to take aim for among their many defeats . Classes are distinct enough without feeling like any of them are unfeignedly overpowered - if they feel that way , it ’s potential because they synergize with a predisposed playstyle , rather than a reliable unbalance - and they even result in a change in appearance for Alina . Aesthetically , the game is reminiscent of somethinglikeSalt & Sacrifice , with pixel art belying a down in the mouth but interesting worldly concern setting .
The other element ofAlina of the Arenathat is notable is its equipment organization , which complements build in each run but never feels like it ’s dead necessary for a amply functional deck of cards frame-up . Too often in deckbuilders with equipment subsystems , some playstyles sense lock behind weapon pearl that may or may not be too rare to count on , effectively obscuring an avenue to creative thinking behind RNG.Alina of the Arenalays its scorecard on the tabular array as player unlock them , and weapons are just meant to aid decks rather than be the lynchpin of a scheme . It ’s a surprisingly small but friendly mark inAlina of the Arena ’s favor , and something that becomes comfortably apprise after dozens of runs .
Related : Tanuki Sunset Review : self-coloured Skating , Great Music , and Good Vibes
Unfortunately , Alina of the Arenais far from a perfect game . The aesthetics , while interesting , do n’t quite have the samelevel of detail asInto the Breach , which can make for some tedious - look enemies . While the gameplay system is at last fun , its steep learning curved shape can be detrimental . A lack of in - depth tutorials for those who need to avoid running into the brick rampart of the secret plan ’s nuanced synergism a caboodle of time before ultimately attend the door would be greatly appreciated . And , in bitchiness of those synergism being a blast , they ’re ultimately not as deep as something likeSlay the SpireorMonster Train , which meansAlina of the Arenadoesn’t quite have the staying top executive of those two titans .
Ultimately , however , Alina of the Arenais an right-down blast , and that ’s what counts most in a genre filled to the brim with games endeavor to compete for the same ecological niche audience . While it ’s unbelievable to become the master deckbuilder distraction for players who patronize the writing style , it ’s a bang-up side quest , one that will take dozens of hour before develop old or stale . At just $ 14.99 USD , Alina of the Arenais well deserving the price of admission .
Next : Ghost Song Review : Where Action And Loss Meet
Alina of the Arenais available now on PC via Steam . Screen Rant was provide with a microcomputer code for the purpose of this review .
