Artis Impact is a story-driven JRPG that, rather than following in the footsteps of its predecessors and becoming a massive time sink, offers flexible gameplay. It can be a short, focused experience, or it can let you get lost in the complexities of the city, freely exploring the map for hours on end.
Its narrative follows the classic JRPG tropes: a mysterious nobility whose role, whether they’re part of the problem or the solution, we must uncover; an ancient war between humans and AI that still lingers to this day; and a cheerful, happy-go-lucky human protagonist, accompanied by her grumpy counterpart: a bot named Bot.
The story begins when Akane and her companion, Bot, wake up after a sudden tremor. This event kicks off the introductory mission and the basic gameplay tutorials.
Early in the game, Artis Impact shines thanks to its absurd sense of humor, favoring entertainment over strict narrative cohesion—a style I must admit I really enjoyed.
However, as expected, the tone gradually shifts. As the story progresses, the comedy gives way to a darker, more melancholic atmosphere that dives deeper into the lore. Even so, the cheerful dynamic between Akane and Bot remains.
They constantly engage in dialogue throughout the game, revealing more about their personalities and what has happened to the world of Artis Impact.
Creating a compelling main character is no easy task, but Akane is undoubtedly a gem. She’s a cheerful, slightly goofy young woman who’s always thinking about helping others, although how far her kindness goes is something the player can influence.
The narrative is one of Artis Impact’s strongest points. The story features plot twists that, while not entirely unpredictable, were still engaging enough to keep me glued to the screen.
A multitude of side quests are scattered throughout the world, and it’s up to the player to decide whether or not to pursue them. These small stories appear at specific moments, hidden corners, or after interacting a certain number of times with the same object/character.
It’s a brilliant way to encourage exploration and storytelling, although I must admit there were times I felt anxious about missing something. I ended up circling the police station over and over, looking for any possible interaction, until I eventually got fed up.
Akane can acquire new skills simply by exploring the map, interacting with objects, or completing side quests. I think this is a brilliant idea for a narrative game like Artis Impact, it really makes you feel like you’re building the character gradually.
It’s a lovely way of suggesting that you’re not just changing the world, but that the world is also changing you. However, I’d have appreciated a Quest log in the menu to be able to clearly see what’s needed to advance in each of them. The game just focuses on the main story steps, making it easy to forget any side quests triggered in the meantime.
And while I loved the story, the most captivating aspect of Artis Impact is, without a doubt, its artistic direction. The pixel art, created by developer Mas, is a visual treat. But it’s not just that, the game also features delightful animations and comic book-style cutscenes that, somehow, come together in perfect harmony.
It’s clear that a tremendous amount of care has been put into the art. There are animations for (almost) everything, bringing life to even the smallest actions, turning on a faucet, pushing a trash can lid, and climbing stairs… and well-executed sound effects accompany each of these.
However, despite the lovely characters, interesting story, and stunning visuals, I feel the gameplay holds back the overall experience. The biggest issue with the game is its lack of feedback, clear guidance, and the presence of unnecessary elements that end up causing more confusion than anything else.
For example, early in the game, you can find several tutorial posters hidden around the city. I love this immersive way of teaching the player, but once you read a poster, Akane tears it down, and it becomes inaccessible. It would be incredibly helpful to have a dedicated section in the menu where you could revisit those tutorials.
Combat suffers from the same lack of clarity. There’s almost no information about the skills Akane possesses. When you level up, there’s no indication of what you’ve learned or which stats have increased, something that’s usually fundamental in RPGs.
Once you’re actually in combat, it’s equally confusing. I would’ve appreciated some feedback about what the enemy is doing, what I’m doing, and what Bot is doing.
At a certain point in the game, battles started to feel boring and repetitive. Most fights can be finished with just one or two attacks, which creates a major disconnect with the narrative.
After the battle, characters often talk about how powerful the enemy was, which feels completely at odds with how easy the fight actually was. I would have liked to see more challenging battles with strategic components, fights that, once won, would leave me with the satisfying feeling of having overcome a real challenge.
Because combat is so easy, there’s no real reason to spend time upgrading your stats or even buying potions and other healing items. Somehow, I always ended every battle with full health and mana. This made me feel like there was some kind of disconnection between different gameplay mechanics.
However, I can’t deny that a lot of effort has been made to create this game, and browsing the Steam forums, I’ve read that the difficulty of the combats in the demo was very different from the full version.
This means that Mas has been actively refining and rebalancing the game nonstop. Therefore, it’s highly probable that these minor issues will be addressed in upcoming patches.
Final Thoughts
Artis Impact is a game brimming with personality, boasting art that is truly breathtaking, and a meticulously crafted story where every character, and I mean every NPC, possesses unique interactions and a distinct personality.
The charm of Akane and her grumpy companion, Bot, makes it easy to get hooked, as their witty banter adds depth to an already captivating world.
While the combat may not be the strongest aspect, the game’s focus on character-driven storytelling and exploration makes up for it. Some minor gameplay issues, like repetitive battles and unclear feedback, may be present, but it’s clear that Mas has been actively working on refining the experience, with updates likely to address these flaws.
All in all, Artis Impact is an adventure worth experiencing for its humor, beautiful art, and the chance to dive into a world full of life and memorable characters, even if the gameplay still needs a bit of polish. You can get the game on PC through Steam
