New Arc Line is a solo RPG that presents a captivating blend of steampunk and magic, inviting players to explore a world teetering on the brink of technological and mystical upheaval. There is plenty to see and do in this bright yet grim world that attempts to harmoniously balance the cold logic of machines with the raw power of sorcery. Is it a steampunk symphony or more of a rusty gearbox? Read on to find out!

A Tactical Dance of Steel and Sorcery

Anyone who is even remotely familiar with CRPGs will immediately feel right at home the moment they step into New Arc Line‘s world. Despite looking shiny and new at first, it quickly becomes apparent that all is not well after all. The intrigue is immediate and the surface-level beauty only helps emphasise that. Once you look closer, however, you quickly discover just how much corruption is being pumped through the very arteries of the world you inhabit.

New Arc Line begins with a simple character creation screen where you can choose from one or two races (more will be added upon the full release), complete with a choice of skills, traits and attributes. Once complete, the game starts properly, with your character waking up atop a floating island of sorts with chaos and destruction raining down upon them. The cause of all the chaos quickly becomes apparent in the opening moments of the game – a dragon. It swoops around as you try to navigate your character to safety, destroying whatever it sees fit in the process.

Next, you head back in time to a point where you enter The New World (from The Old World). The New World is a stunning metropolis-like land full of cogs, engines and wheels galore. Despite their frequency, they all blend beautifully into the surroundings and seem like a natural part of the ecosystem from the onset. Your main mission is to reach the titular town of New Arc in order to discover a cure for your family’s terminal disease. Along the way you will encounter numerous missions, characters and side quests.

The heart of New Arc Line lies in its turn-based combat system, a strategic ballet where each move can drastically alter the tide of battle. Players must carefully balance the strengths and weaknesses of their party, leveraging the unique abilities of each character. The intricate interplay between magic and technology is a nice touch, adding depth and complexity to every encounter, which in turn encourages experimentation and creative problem-solving.

Beyond the battlefield, New Arc Line offers a rich and immersive narrative. The world is populated by a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and secrets. Players will have the opportunity to forge alliances, betray rivals, and make choices that will shape the fate of the world. The dialogue is well-written, and the voice acting is top-notch, bringing the characters to life.

A World Woven with Intrigue

As alluded to above, New Arc Line features plenty of combat, as well as magic and technology systems, and skill trees also. Players are able to craft spells and technological items to help them throughout their journey, and as there are several options already, there is a lot of fun to be had here. Players can be as creative as they wish in what they create and which skills, magic and items they will marry together in order to create some impressive skillsets.

In terms of combat, New Arc Line does a good job. Combat is fun and engaging, requiring you to think strategically. Attacks are all fluent and possess some entertaining flair/visuals during execution.

Choices are an integral part of New Arc Line, as the story hinges on it throughout. When engaging in conversations with people, you are presented with a number of options based on what you are talking about in order to steer the conversation in any way you see fit. The options are varied and there are plenty of them, although I often found myself confused, unsure exactly what it was that we were discussing in the first place. This happened just enough to become a slight issue, but this is probably something that can be fine-tuned by the full release.

Beauty is Only Skin Deep

New Arc Line‘s visuals are stunning, with intricate steampunk machinery and fantastical creatures brought to life with exquisite detail. The soundtrack is a masterpiece, with soaring orchestral compositions that perfectly capture the epic scale of the adventure. The combination of sight and sound creates an immersive experience that will transport players to a world of wonder and danger.

Despite the beautiful visuals, however, most of what you see can’t be interacted with in any way. This is unfortunate because the world is bustling with life and there are loads of interesting things to see all around you, but if you try to get involved, then think again. There are some NPCs who can be interacted with, which is sometimes fun but not always. Disappointingly, there are some NPCs who simply tell you to go away the moment you speak to them and then end the conversation. Amusing as this may be, loading an entire speech dialogue just to have the NPC tell you to sling your hook is quite annoying.

Where there is voice acting in New Arc Line, it is good and the characters sound exactly how you would expect them to. Not all characters are voiced, but this isn’t a bad thing because most don’t have very much to say in the first place!

A Journey Worth Repeating

With multiple endings and several side quests, New Arc Line offers a high degree of replayability. Players can also experiment with different character builds, which will increase on full release from those currently available.

Conclusion

While New Arc Line is still in Early Access, it shows immense potential. At the time of writing, there are a few niggles, such as occasions when the sound randomly cuts out for a few moments. However, the game did run well and never faltered. The characters aren’t particularly memorable, however I suspect that this may be fixed during Early Access. New Arc Line presents exquisitely detailed environments which are brimming with life and bursting with sound. Overall, New Arc Line has gotten off to an excellent start, with plenty to see and do. The world around you feels alive, and both the magic and technology development systems are well-implemented. With further development and polish, New Arc Line has the potential to become a truly unforgettable RPG experience when it is released in full.

Grade: 8/10