RWBY: Arrowfell (NS) - Review

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Licensed video games don't have a great track history. For every masterpiece like GoldenEye 007 there are ten disasters like Superman 64. Yet WayForward, the development team behind RWBY: Arrowfell, an action game based on the hit animated series RWBY, has done some fairly good work in the area, turning in decent titles based on TMNT, Batman, Adventure Time, and others. Indeed, one of the indie studio's best games, Aliens: Infestation, is licensed. Can WayForward, then, do for RWBY what it did for Aliens?

Arrowfell takes place during RWBY Volume 7 and features an original, canonical story from show writers Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Eddy Rivas, in collaboration with WayForward. It follows the four members of Team RWBY — Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long — who discover a strange artifact that draws monsters called Grimm, endangering the people of the northern continent Solitas. Soon the team of newly-licensed huntresses are exploring the far reaches of Solitas to uncover an evil conspiracy.

While the story in Arrowfell is conventional and predictable, it's undeniably fun, both for followers of the series and newcomers. It's just nice to spend time with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, alongside NPCs like uncle Qrow, Penny Polendina, and Winter Schnee. The characters are charming and interesting, and, especially when it comes to Ruby and Penny, funny. There are even some new faces for fans who've already seen it all, including four tough-as-nails huntresses from team BRIR (pronounced briar). Best of all, many of these characters come to life courtesy of all-new animated cut-scenes from the makers of the show.

It's a good thing that the characters and world of RWBY are so appealing, because the core gameplay loop in Arrowfell is only passable. Designed by multiple members of WayForward's Shantae team, the game is a 2D non-linear action-platforming adventure with some light Metroidvania elements. As the heroic foursome, you'll search the cities, outposts, ruins, and tunnels of Solitas, fighting Grimm, searching for clues, and taking fetch quests from various NPCs. There are five chapters in total, and each one plays out roughly the same: travel to several locations from the overworld map in search of an item of interest, move through monster-infested stages, and finally face off against a chapter boss.

If there's an underlying motif to the gameplay in Arrowfell, it's "repetition". The fetch quest structure is the same throughout the game; the levels, while numerous, feel indistinct and samey; and the game leans a little too hard on tedious ambush rooms, where the RWBY team is locked in a single screen until it defeats every last spawning Grimm. It's never a drag, thanks to the game's snappy controls and fast-paced, breezy action, but also never anything special.

That's mainly because the game refuses to elaborate upon some interesting ideas. Take Semblances, for example. These are the special skills unique to each member of Team RWBY. Ruby can dash across gaps and through enemies; Weiss can summon platforms that disintegrate into deadly shards; Blake can summon copies of herself; and Yang can ground pound to break barriers and displace monsters. Since players can swap between all four team members at any time, each and every one of these skills is at their disposal, both in problem-solving situations and in combat. Unfortunately, the puzzles in Arrowfell are pushovers, rarely requiring outside-the-box thinking or dexterity, and the combat scenarios almost never demand constant swapping of characters. At one point mid-game uncle Qrow urges the team to use their "Semblances in tandem", but it's simply not necessary, especially if you max out one or two characters with Skill Points.

Skill Points represents another good idea not executed to its full potential. You'll find these items in treasure chests around Solitas or for sale from traveling merchants. You can use them to boost the stats of any of the four heroines in four separate categories: melee attack, defense, energy heal, and ranged attack. This level of customization is great, but some stats are simply more impactful than others. Blake with maxed out melee attack and defense should be able to mop the floor with any baddie, particularly when she can double or triple her damage output via her clone Semblance.

Then there's the Metroidvania angle, which is enjoyable but limited. During the adventure, each RWBY team member will receive upgrades to their Semblances. Using these upgrades, players can return to old locations and reach previously-inaccessible locations. It's more scripted and guided than your average Metroidvania, but delivers that sense of progress and shot of dopamine you're looking for in the sub-genre.

Even with the backtracking intrinsic to the Metroidvania format, Arrowfell is a brief game. I finished with a 95% completion rate at 5.5 hours. While there are more than 25 areas in Solitas waiting to be explored, they're all rather small. 

In terms of graphics and music, Arrowfell is serviceable. The character and monster models are enticing, but the recycled environments and assets get old after a while. Character portraits are great, however, and the animated, fully-voiced cut-scenes previously mentioned are a treat. The soundtrack by Dale North is fine, but forgettable. For the RWBY fans in the house, there's a new theme song by Jeff Williams with vocals by Case Lee Williams, both series regulars.

Arrowfell falls short of the bar set by games like Aliens: Infestation. It doesn't thoroughly unpack its good ideas, and relies too heavily on repetitive combat scenarios and fetch quests. Still, the game's focus on character swapping and backtracking exploration delivers decent results and the quirky characters of the RWBY franchise go a long way. Ultimately, Arrowfell is neither a good licensed game nor a bad one; it sits squarely in the middle of the pack.

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