RWBY: Arrowfell Review: Uneven Anime Action

It’s probably worth mentioning right off the bat that the RWBY property isn’t one I’m overly familiar with. I’ve seen a couple of episodes of the anime over the years, and am aware that this isn’t the first attempt at creating a successful video game adaptation from the hit web series. Other than that, though, the universe of RWBY is not something I’ve had much exposure to so naturally, my thoughts may not be reflective of any readers who have a special place for this world in their hearts.

Having said all that, I’m a firm believer that a good video game adaptation should be strong enough in its narrative and gameplay that it has crossover appeal with those that aren’t fans of the source material. Unfortunately, despite being a fairly polished experience, flat combat ultimately leaves me doubting whether or not RWBY: Arrowfell will manage to find that wider audience.

An Accessible Entry Point

While fans of the anime will be happy to know that RWBY: Arrowfell has been confirmed as being canon within the wider RWBY universe, non-fans should know that this is one of those rare, refreshing examples of a video game adaptation of a wider property going to a decent amount of trouble to prove accessible for those less familiar with the world. What that means in practice is that RWBY: Arrowfell follows a fairly self-contained tale in which protagonists Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, having become qualified hunters, stumble across a strange technology that seems to be attracting monsters to their homeland. Known as Grimms, these enemies start appearing in packs across the world, and it falls on the gang to track down the source of the technology and investigate the mystery behind the invasion.

It’s nothing groundbreaking, but the tale does take some interesting turns and kept me invested throughout. I also cannot overstate how much I appreciated the efforts made to craft a tale that is intended to appeal to others besides the core RWBY audience. I’m sure that there is plenty here that will resonate more with existing fans, however, it still manages to serve as a perfectly accessible entry point for the rest of us.

Middling Combat

Unfortunately in the gameplay department, RWBY: Arrowfell is a somewhat less successful affair. Taking the form of an action platformer split across an admittedly impressive number of levels, the core gameplay loop sees the player taking the four hunters on various main story missions and side quests, taking on large numbers of enemies and hunting down collectibles.

Mechanically, combat is fine. Melee and ranged attacks feel punchy and responsive, while the four characters, which you can switch freely between, all handle well and with a decent amount of precision to their movement. The main issue is that for a game with four distinct playable characters, it’s really not in the player’s interest to use any more than one. See, each character can have their, health, defense, and attack power upgraded via skill points that are found dotted around the levels, but, skill points are not universal, meaning that you need to carefully choose who you want to level up. It becomes clear after a couple of hours of playing that trying to spread the skill points across all four hunters will leave you woefully underpowered for the challenges to come, and so the most pragmatic approach quickly leads you to invest heavily in one character alone.

It’s a shame that the game almost forces this playstyle upon you because each party member actually has a neat special ability that is totally distinct from the rest of the group. Ruby can dash across the screen out of harm’s way, turning herself invincible in the process, while other abilities include creating makeshift platforms to reach inaccessible areas or creating clones to help divert enemy attention. Each special move serves a very distinct purpose, and there are times in battle when it feels as though certain encounters are tuned to suit the use of a specific character. However, if you haven’t invested in that team member, it’s much easier to just brute force your way through a level using the main pick that you have invested in.

It’s incredibly frustrating because combat does feel good, it’s just the design choices with regard to player progression mean you effectively only utilize a quarter of the options you have available to you most of the time. This in turn, unfortunately, leads to things quickly growing stale long before credits are rolled.

Encouraging Exploration

RWBY: Arrowfell, fortunately, doesn’t completely waste the special abilities of its characters, as they also come in useful for general exploration as well as combat encounters.

For example, Ruby’s dash becomes a useful traversal tool that enables you to extend jump distances and access hard-to-reach areas, while Blake’s shadow clone enables you to control pressure plates to open doors. The light puzzle-solving element soon became my favorite part of RWBY: Arrowfell, as I backtracked through levels to access new areas, hoovering up skill points and scratching off side quests. Some might look at the level design as simplistic, and the truth is, it probably is when compared to other platformers or Metroidvanias. This only added to the addictive nature of exploration, though, as I was never stumped by a puzzle, or struggling to figure out where to go next, for more than a few seconds at a time.

If there is one area of the level design that does wear thin, it’s in the repetitive kill boxes that the player is frequently funneled into. Rooms, or sections of a level where you cannot progress until you take out a predetermined number of enemies, quickly become the go-to party trick and soon begin to grate. I’m not against the gimmick being used at all, it’s a common enough practice for titles in this genre and space. But, when it’s used to the extent that it is here, the tension such sections can often provide soon becomes lost as frustration seeps in.

Like Watching An Anime

Being a game based on an anime, you would expect RWBY: Arrowfell to have plenty of style, and I’m pleased to say it doesn’t disappoint. Between the impressively detailed and varied biomes, and top-notch character animations, it’s always pleasing to the eye. The art style, naturally, follows the look of the anime, as do the soundtrack and voice acting, to the extent that it feels like you’re playing through an episode of the show at times. Fans of the series are going to absolutely lap this up, but even for property newcomers such as myself, the artistic chops on display here constantly impress.

A Mixed Bag Overall

RWBY: Arrowfell is the definition of a mixed bag. Rewarding and fast-paced exploration does provide some satisfaction, but the combat, which makes up the majority of the game, fails to impress through the awkward way in which character progression has been implemented. If you’re willing to overlook that, then RWBY: Arrowfell serves as a perfectly fine distraction that I feel does just enough right with its narrative, presentation, and exploration to make it worth a look for action platformer fans.

Final Verdict: 3/5

Available On: Switch (reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC; Publisher: WayForward, Arc System Works; Developer: WayForward; Released: 15 November, 2022; Players: 1; MSRP: $29.99

Full Disclosure: A review code was provided to Hey Poor Player