Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore [Review]
Do you remember those old CDI Legend of Zelda games? Don’t worry; neither does anyone else. In fact, the games were so bad that Nintendo doesn’t consider them canon to the Zelda timeline and instead will be forgotten over time. Except that they’ve gained a bit of a cult following due to their disturbing art style, awful voice acting, and awkward controls. The small group of people that know about the game love it for all of its flaws. And this is where Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore comes in. It was developed by Seedy Eye Software (which is very funny) and published by Limited Run Games. This game is very obviously inspired by those three, now notoriously awful, Zelda games that most would rather be forgotten. It mimics its art style to a T but does not bring all the issues of the CDI with it. The game so the game controls just fine, as opposed to its inspiration, sort of. Sometimes the hitboxes are way off, like you have to swing your sword early to hit an enemy before they hit you, and oftentimes I find myself getting hit without even seeing the enemy move, or I wouldn't be too close to them and still get pelted. Also, everything on the screen, if it moves, will kill you.
The art style is beautifully done, and I know that isn’t what most people would probably describe the animations as. But, as an artist, I understand how hard it can be to mimic a style like that. Modern programs are too smooth to get those jagged and pixelated lines. I have no clue what was used to create those wonderfully awkward animations, but it was done so well. It feels like an old computer game. The backgrounds and the animations bring home the point home that this game is supposed to bring you back to that era without all the frustration those old games would bring you. And, I don’t mean difficulty; I mean the awkward controls and common glitches that would often plague older games. The general question is: IS that in the background? Can I jump on that? This is a great modern old game, as in, it looks and plays like an old computer game, but it doesn’t have nearly as many of the cons that would come with it. The music and audio design are very much like the rest of the game; they're reminiscent of the past, and I've got to say, the music is fantastic. The super awful and charming voice acting always caught me off guard. When a character talks, it, it is super silly, along with the moments of the characters, and there is also a character that is supposed to be poking fun at Link.
One of my favorite features of the game is how the random cutscenes work. If you attack people, a jewel, or a random object, a cutscene will start, leaving the game's background layout intact. It's really hard to explain since modern games, or even classic ones, to be honest, don't really do this at all.
This game is a fun ride. Clocking in at about 3 hours of gameplay, From the music to the general story and voice acting, I can easily say this game should be played by any Nintendo or Zelda enthusiast.
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore being a good game isn't what matters at all. This game nails everything it was trying to do and isn't ashamed to do so. Luckily for this game, it is good. Very good. I might add
This game is a fun ride. Clocking in at about 3 hours of gameplay, From the music to the general story and voice acting, I can easily say this game should be played by any Nintendo or Zelda enthusiast.