It doesn’t happen all that often we need to criticize a game for simply having too much story. In the case of Million Arthur, a game developed by Square Enix, that is one of the game’s multiple weaknesses. There is no real reason for this game to exist in VR form whatsoever, even though it has one of the better art styles in the game. The abundance of story and in-app purchases make this game worth passing up on, though. Million Arthur is only available on the HTC Vive for the time being.
Million Arthur is an Odd and Unusual VR RPG
Although we had high hopes for a VR RPG developed by Square Enix, the reality is very different. More specifically, the game itself has an amazing art style which we thoroughly appreciate. Sadly, that is the only good part about Million Arthur so far, even though we still try to play it again now and then. There is just nothing about this concept that even warrants a VR release whatsoever. The game falls short in every category other than the graphics department, which is a big surprise.
First of all, the choice to derive from a traditional RPG to turn-based card combat is something that will be frowned upon by many people. Granted, it is not easy to let people swing swords and block attacks in VR in the current form of technological capabilities. However, a card battle system could and feel a lot more interesting in VR, yet Square Enix fails to deliver on that front. In fact, one would almost think the developer only slapped on the same and outsourced all of the work.
The story of Million Arthur isn’t better by any means either. There are no really interesting characters or cinematics to remember. In fact, all of the cutscenes are ripped from the smartphone game with the same name, which is pretty lazy. With no real voice acting either, there is more time spent reading text rather than effectively playing. This can’t be the objective of a VR RPG, that much is evident. Sadly, it is what we have to deal with.
All things considered, this is a VR port of a smartphone game with no real upgrades other than different controls. Everything else looks and feels like a smartphone game. Certainly a missed opportunity for Square Enix, as this game could and should have been so much more. For the price of $39.99, we don’t get an enjoyable game. On top of that, there is an option for in-app purchases to buy more cards end make the game easier. Odd choices by a developer struggling to harness the power of VR.
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