I love a finely crafted role-playing game (RPG). When created with care and love from a developer, it can be a very immersive and relaxing experience. And there are plenty of options on the market, from Nihon Falcom to Square Enix, Bioware, and the list goes on. The developers for these well-known games do a good job, but new developers are joining the market all the time with games that are just as good. Today’s review is focused on a game created by one such developer: Stegosoft Games. This is the one and only Ara Fell.

                Based out of Washington D.C. and founded in 2013, Stegosoft Games focuses on crafting 16-bit RPGs. The developer’s first major project was a game called Ara Fell. The game originally started out as an RPG Maker project, but it was reborn in the Unity Engine. There, it received improvements and was adapted for multiple different platforms. Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition was released in 2020 for just about every modern platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and mobile devices (Apple & Android). These developmental improvements resulted in a retro-styled RPG with modern updates in all the right places.

                Ara Fell was published by Dangen Entertainment and written and directed by Evelyn Rose Hall. The score was composed by Louise Heaney, Michael Donner, and Richard Lewis, and the programming was done by Joey Frost Peters. The plot is as follows: The seemingly peaceful world of Ara Fell floats high above the clouds. However, that peace is disrupted when an ancient war between the elves and vampires threatens to plummet the land into the ground. It is up to a small, unlikely band of heroes to save the land!

                The game’s writing is pretty straightforward. The setting is rather unique, and while the main plot plays out how you would expect, there is a certain level of self-awareness for this predictability. In both its gameplay mechanics and storytelling, Ara Fell pays homage to the great RPGs of the past while also recognizing the tropes that go along with the genre The strength of Ara Fell’s writing is in how it subverts the classic formula and delivers a couple of swerves as far as characterization goes.

                So, how is the actual gameplay? With any video game, and especially with an RPG, enjoyable gameplay mechanics are necessary to warrant the time sink, and Ara Fell is successful in this regard. The gameplay loop of Ara Fell is presented in a turn-based battle system, meaning the game doesn’t progress until the player inputs the character commands. When not in battle, you’ll be exploring the world, which has a variety of environments and a great number of hidden secrets. You won’t be purchasing weapons from a shop like many other RPGs, but will instead use resources found within the world to upgrade your character’s arsenal. Exploration is at the heart of the game; if you enjoy searching every nook and cranny of your game worlds, then Ara Fell will be a delight to you.

                 Ara Fell is also easy on the eyes and ears. Stegosoft specializes in 16-bit adventures, and the sprites in Ara Fell are beautiful. They may be retro-styled, but there is much charm to be found and a wealth of animations for plotline characters. The character portraits, while a bit simple, are also charming. The game’s score may be small, but it is mighty nonetheless. There isn’t a battle theme for standard battles, which was a stylistic choice by the game developers. Instead, the standard overworld theme loops for normal battles. The score’s battle themes are reserved solely for boss fights, which makes them far more memorable.

                While there is a wealth of additional content to explore in the form of side quests and optional bosses, Ara Fell isn’t a very long RPG. The main quest can be completed in approximately 17 hours, and that number is likely to increase to 20+ hours depending on the difficulty you are playing on and the optional quests you choose. Despite its short length, however, Ara Fell comfortably runs its course. The game is paced well and comes off as a very cozy RPG that doesn’t demand too much from the player. If you desire a more intense experience, I would recommend playing on a higher difficulty.

Ara Fell is inspired by the great 16-bit RPGs of the past, and in my opinion, it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessors. It pays homage to what came before while also bringing new attributes to the table and proving that a well-structured, 20-hour RPG can be just as enjoyable as 60+ hour RPGs. I point to Ara Fell as not only a relaxing RPG, but as a fine game period. I highly recommend checking out Ara Fell, and I very much look forward to seeing what game Stegosoft delivers next!