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Is Arc Seed worth it in early access? The answer is not straightforward, and I had a difficult time reaching a conclusion. On one hand, I love the gameplay and aesthetics, and on the other, I feel it’s lacking in some areas that stop me from fully recommending it.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; allow me to explain to you first what Arc Seed is, while going through its gameplay elements.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for the purposes of this review, but as always, it won’t affect my opinion.
Your Mission in Arc Seed
In Arc Seed, you pilot different types of mechs to defend the Earth against alien invaders called Angels.
The game combines deck-building strategy and mech customization in a tactical roguelike experience. While it’s an exciting and unique concept with strong execution in some areas, its early access status left me wanting more.
Gameplay: A Slow Build That Pays Off
At first, Arc Seed feels slow. You start with a weaker mech and a limited deck, making the first few levels a bit of a slog. But, by pressing on, the game’s depth starts to shine.
After each encounter, you can choose a new card, and from my experience, every new card positively impacts your game plan. There is no wrong choice, although there is an optimal one.
Some cards synergize with your stats, so you’ll need to upgrade them accordingly:
- HP: Increases health and provides minor healing, though individual heals are cheaper.
- Shield: Useful for both defense and offense when paired with cards that deal damage based on your shield points.
- Battery: Critical for levels without power plants, as losing all battery results in instant defeat.
- Energy: The most important stat, allowing you to play more cards per turn and deal with your enemies quicker.
Once you’ve invested in your mech and built a solid deck, the gameplay becomes far more rewarding. Battles ramp up in speed and excitement, making you feel unstoppable as you tear through enemies with ease.
However, Arc Seed never lets you get too comfortable. From my experience, having well-rounded stats is the way to play.
The roguelike reset mechanic adds tension, but it’s frustrating to start over. While you get experience points to level up and unlock new perks, the unlockables never feel rewarding.
For example, it’d be great if we could keep some cards or stats from the previous run, making those initial levels more bearable after the 10th time going through them.
Setting: Fighting for a Dying World
Arc Seed battles take place in a grid, and each battlefield is a sprawling cityscape brought to life by gorgeous pixel art (my favorite is Nova-Lisbon). But, you’re not alone in these cities battling the Angels.
Each building has several citizens inside, who will be evacuated after each turn, if you don’t let the Angels get to them first—or kill them yourself accidentally.
The latter places a junk card in your hand, limiting your options. But, sometimes destroying buildings or moving them is a viable strategy if you’re in a pinch. This setting creates tension in each battle, especially as you progress into more difficult levels.
To be victorious, all you have to do is defeat every enemy on the map. To do so, you’ll rely on your deck. All cards take a certain amount of energy to use, and movement also drains your energy.
Some enemies run away from you, wasting your energy and batteries. It’s frustrating to deal with, so ensure you have long-range attack cards to counter them.
After a few battles, you’ll reach the end of the Act, where you face a challenging Boss fight with an astonishing pixel art cutscene. Beating the boss allows you to progress to the next Act. As of writing this, I still haven’t seen the end of it.
Is Arc Seed Worth It?
For fans of tactical roguelikes, roguelikes, and Evangelion, Arc Seed is absolutely worth checking out in early access. Just be mindful of the early level slog, and you’ll definitely have a blast.
Furthermore, since this is early access, the game will keep getting updates, adding new cards, new maps, new levels, and many more features. There are frequent updates, making me feel hopeful for Arc Seed.
To close things off, I just want to say how grateful I am to have received a review code from a Portuguese Gaming Studio (Massive Galaxy Studios). I had the chance to meet one of the developers at a gaming convention in my hometown, and it was a wonderful experience.
Wishing all success in the world for this small indie studio!