![Ark Noir [箱舟のノワール] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](/images/yt/il/ark-noir-game-sample-pcdoujin-z9eiw.jpg)
Ark Noir [箱舟のノワール] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
20What type of game would you recommend to someone who wants to get into adventure-style games or dungeon-crawlers on a budget? If you said something along the lines of Amamori Lab's "Ark Noir", then I'd have to say that's not a bad suggestion. Ark Noir is a pretty divisive title with a bit of an identity crisis as it can't decide whether it wants to be a visual novel, a dungeon crawler, a rogue-lite game of luck and survival, or a clicker title, and as it fails to be deep in any given context, it tends to alienate just as many people as it endears. However, if we dial back our expectations a bit and take it at face value, it's a decent beginner's introduction to said genres while offering a decent amount of replayability and flexibility.
Let's talk about what I find interesting about this game. For starters, even though the game was initially released in Japan, it has a nice Eastern-Western fusion in terms of the aesthetics with a interesting concept -- by combining aspects of Noah's Ark with Titanic and incorporating a third-party who is pulling the strings behind all the events who is out to eliminate everyone on the Ark to send their involvement in the crime to the bottom of the sea, the game has also established itself as a murder-mystery. While I won't go into detail on the plot, I like that the game has three main characters to choose from who have dramatically different playstyles and subtle differences in their stories and character involvements (as well as specific endings). I also like that while the game is initially difficult, progression is not wasted as you gradually try new things, learn more of what's going on, and unlock different perks you can use to buff your characters for the next playthrough as well as increase your perk slots for major discoveries. At its core, it's a resource management RPG and you will also find a variety of items you can use as you explore as well as fight enemies or help NPCs to level-up which you can use to increase your base stats, recover, or add additional perks to your arsenal.
As nearly every acquisition in the game is random, the game has a considerable RNG element, but the things that are within your control make a big difference. Each character has different starting stats; Albert is your all-around balanced character who can be played safe in any capacity but is a pretty boring choice for those familiar with rogue-lite gameplay while Bruno is the combat specialist who can become stronger just from leveling up (even without utilizing a buff or perk) and Caroline is a frail but interesting character to play with a heavy reliance on tools and luck to get through to the end. One unique stat amongst all characters is the "Fortune" stat which is extremely important as it's needed for nearly everything from manipulating events to resting to getting goods to escaping battles to changing your runs for alternate endings. In this regard, Bruno has a hard time initially getting enough fortune to acquire much, so most of his fortune is used for recuperation or events with additional items being a luxury while Caroline can safely run often with enough initial fortune and fortune regeneration to indulge on most things with fortune to spare.
Unfortunately, while this all sounds fine and good, the game doesn't capitalize on its themes like I would've hoped. While the premise is interesting, the story and dialogue is perhaps the game's weakest element. It's not atrocious, but the delivery is pretty one-note and most event's play out around the same time, so while each run is different in terms of survival odds, most runs will feature the same events over and over again. There are no good twists or turns and the plot takes a back seat to the gameplay, which is jarring as the dialogue comprises a significant portion of the game. The game doesn't have much in the way of art assets or music, but what's present is decent... this game has some of the most calm combat music I've ever heard.
At the end of the day, the game is cheap and worth the asking price. While the localization has some quirks, Playism did a pretty good job translating the game and it goes on sale pretty often, so definitely pick it up then if you're interested but on the fence. This is a video of the game in action showing one possible run (most runs can take about an hour or so with a fully decked out character). You can get it at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/739220/Ark_Noir/
Enjoy.
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