Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 - Game Review

Channel:

Veteran Game

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198

Published on July 3, 2023 3:00:02 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6QsEkcRW0

Game:

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story (2018)

Category:

Review

Duration: 5:13

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Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2 - Game Review

Hey there, fellow gamers! It's your host, once again, on this channel - Veteran Game. Today we are turning our spotlight to a unique blend of JRPG and build simulation genres, "Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story 2," developed by Agate Games and published by PCube.

As we step into the realm of this game, you might ask, what's new in this fusion of genres? Well, that's what we are here to explore together. So buckle up, folks, because we're going on a journey to a world where you'll take on the principal's mantle in an academy for aspiring Knights, Mages, Clerics, and Arcworkers. And if that doesn't sound interesting enough, let me add that you'll navigate this universe through an array of mechanics from classic JRPGs, mixed with resource management and construction paths from building simulation games.

The game greets us with a lengthy but direct tutorial, introducing main characters like the lone initial student, Rodno, and the diligent school secretary, Eve. Learning new skills in this game is a unique experience, thanks to the restricted but functional skill trees. The limitation of two skills per character might seem restrictive, but it curiously adds to the strategic gameplay. However, it's worth noting that other main characters primarily serve as narrative drivers rather than adding substantial complexity to your academy development.

As you journey through vibrant landscapes, ranging from mountain ranges to sprawling forests, you'll appreciate the effortless character movement and beautifully detailed world design. Exploration is simplified with a dash mechanic, and plenty of enemies, gold, and arcstone wait to be discovered. But beware, the game's map design may lead you on a winding path, pushing you to trace back steps to complete quests.

You'll find treasure chests peppered throughout the world, enticing you with gold, arcstone, and even blueprints of certain building types. The game elegantly interweaves exploration with progression, ensuring an exciting journey. The game's timeline keeps things fresh, advancing a month with each completed quest or management action, and introducing an element of timing into your planning and activities.

Visually, Valthirian Arc is a vibrant spectacle, replete with smooth character movement in the open world and stunning anime-based character designs. The world's textures may be simple, but they perfectly align with the overall aesthetic. Pair that with the calming background music that provides a relaxing ambience for your everyday principal duties and the dramatic tempo in battles, and you have an immersive gameplay experience.

That being said, the menu system does remind one of an expanded mobile game, with a linear structure that might benefit from added complexity. Despite this, the game navigates smoothly between quest management, student skills, building management, and research paths. The enemy design, which ranges from the blob-like Pyons to the Bantha-inspired Omnicorns, keeps battles engaging, often drawing inspiration from renowned JRPG series like Final Fantasy.

While grinding for gold and arcstone to build various structures and advance in research might seem repetitive, the game offers enough incentive to keep you returning. The reward of increasing your academy’s "Prestige" through student graduation is double-edged. On the one hand, it keeps the enrollment of new students exciting, but on the other hand, you lose the fully developed students with their skill trees upon graduation.

Additionally, the departure of students leaves a void in the narrative arcs, creating a bittersweet moment when students like Rodno, who you may have relied on for defeating tough enemies, leave the academy. The process of balancing relationships with other academies and managing regional danger levels introduces another layer of complexity, and the allure of high-quality research and building blueprints from boss encounters keeps you pushing forward.

But it isn't all smooth sailing, folks. During my exploration, I encountered a few issues, including a game crash and a creature quest that started me in a location devoid of the specified creature. However, these glitches were sparse and did not significantly disrupt the overall quality of the game.

In essence, Valthirian Arc beautifully ties the building and research management loop with the open-world questing and gameplay, making the process of graduating students season after season an achievement to be proud of. Even though the game clearly has roots in the mobile space, it makes a successful foray into the PC and console arena with well-implemented JRPG elements. The potential for deeper character development and in-game progression systems is palpable and is something we hope to see more of in future expansions or sequels.

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