Turn-based fantasy RPG Arco packs big, branching decisions into a small and stunning not-Western world – now I see what all the fuss was about

GamesRPGTurn-based fantasy RPG Arco packs big, branching decisions into a small and stunning not-Western world – now I see what all the fuss was aboutWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGTurn-based fantasy RPG Arco packs big, branching decisions into a small and stunning not-Western world – now I see what all the fuss was aboutWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Panic) Oncea lovely demo in Steam Next Festand then the catalyst of discussion ongood games selling poorly, “simultaneous turn-based” fantasy RPG Arco has now become one of my favorite finds of the summer. I say that, but I’m late to the party; the game’s been out for nearly a month and has already seen its fortunes reversed largely through word of mouth, with glowing critical reviews and now “Overwhelmingly Positive"Steamuser reviews (it’s also on Switch) rocketing the game tothe top of OpenCritic’s 2024 hall of fame, and also to a point that the developers feel much more confident in its financial success. After a few brisk hours, which represents a solid chunk of this 10 - 15-hour game, I can add my own thumbs-up to Arco’s growing collection. This is a lush, clever RPG that punches well above its weight. A Western, but not really (Image credit: Panic) I’d hoped to play more of Arco this week but then vertigo and a migraine teamed up to double lariat my temples. A few chapters in, with much of the game’s overlapping revenge stories still to be revealed, I’m not short on things to love. Arco is obviously good in many ways. Sharp pixel art brings color and character to a fantasy-lite Mesoamerican world and its inhabitants, who are largely split between natives and colonizers. Arco is grounded and familiar, but six-legged bison, exploding cacti, magic trees, and the occasional teleport have kept me on my toes. A fine balance of predictable effects and unpredictable causes gives every section of the world, separated almost Super Mario-style as stages on a path-strewn map, a sense of mystery. Indie Spotlight(Image credit: Janbeh Games)This dating sim about playing cupid in a haunted house as a cute little ghost has stolen my heart as well as my left sock. Indie Spotlight (Image credit: Janbeh Games)This dating sim about playing cupid in a haunted house as a cute little ghost has stolen my heart as well as my left sock. (Image credit: Janbeh Games) This dating sim about playing cupid in a haunted house as a cute little ghost has stolen my heart as well as my left sock. Interacting with that world is a treat. There’s a toy-like quality to Arco that puts it somewhere between old-school adventure games and modern RPGs. The first thing I did was pet a donkey, and then pet it again, and again, and again, spamming my way through prompts waiting for something to happen – until something did. Arco seemed to offer a knowing laugh as the donkey fussed at me, and from that moment I just wanted to poke and prod this game to see what happens. Environments hide useful items, observations split between cute dialogue and important context, and plenty of hidden encounters. Curiosity is encouraged and rewarded and sometimes punished. (Image credit: Panic) Elsewhere in our travels, I encountered some local mountainfolk. “For the love of all gods, just don’t wave,” Zoka advised me. Arco is a hostile place, so this time I heeded his advice with no questions asked. If I hadn’t hired him, I can guarantee that I would’ve waved at these folks, presumably committing a massive faux pas and igniting a fierce battle that I frankly don’t have the healing items to pay for. I wouldn’t say Arco is a brutal game, with quick saves and do-overs aplenty, but it is capable of killing you very quickly, and with that said I can finally talk about the combat. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Turn-based, but not really (Image credit: Panic) “Simultaneous turn-based” sounds oxymoronic but really is a perfect description of Arco’s combat system. There’s a bit of Real Time With Pause to it, but with more clearly defined turns. Each turn, you use an ability to attack or move, popping cooldowns and/or spending mana (Magia) points, and then everything plays out in real time. Any incoming attacks or projectiles, their paths visible through a preview of enemy actions, will miss if you move out of the way, so movement, including carefully curving your path around bullets, is crucial. As with many RTWP games, kiting enemies is also important. You can use items as needed, move normally to regenerate one Magia, or wait in place to regain three Magia. This creates a back-and-forth tempo where reacting only gets you so far; you need to plan ahead, predicting enemy behavior and formulating attacks around it. Budget your strongest moves, find time to regain mana, focus down dangerous targets – it’s classic RPG tactics but feels like a bullet hell game animated on threes. It’s like a kinetic version of bouncing enemies around stages in Disgaea, or a tactical spin on the “time moves when you move” hook of Superhot. The way you sync up movements and attacks even reminds me of Resonance of Fate at times, and that’s a deep cut. Earning XP and unlocking increasingly powerful and costly abilities ramps up the complexity, and while kiting two or three enemies is easy, Arco loves to throw mobs at you out of nowhere to switch up the rhythm. The kicker is a stroke of genius: the mistakes and regrets of the narrative you’ve charted are woven into combat through a Guilt mechanic that summons ghosts which can move and attack during the paused section of your turn, forcing you to think and act quickly. This ghastly timer adds a wonderful bit of narrative through gameplay, as well as a counterweight to the immediate gains of taking the evil route, which – like in real life – is very often the easy and exploitative route. Arco maintains this and other delicate balancing acts without even blinking. It’s a smart, tightly designed RPG with nothing but respect for your time. It’s a wonder and a shame that it ever struggled to find an audience. Here are 25 of thebest RPGsyou can play right now. 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Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”