Archvale looks a bit like an even more retro-styled Zelda title, but players will quickly notice this isn't just a Zelda clone. At its core, Archvale plays akin to the more recent indie game Hades and a bit like Dark Souls. Sounds wild, right? Well, here's why this dual formula works so well in Archvale and why it quickly becomes a challenging but addictive game.

As a small "hero," your little warrior quickly is tasked with stopping an evil threat and must do so with whatever weapons they can find. You'll notice that, like Dark Souls, your character has a stamina bar—represented by little green orbs—that allow you to roll and dodge almost all threats. You even have a stock of health potions that can heal several of your hearts but can only be refilled at fountains that act like bonfires from Dark Souls. However, the Hades element comes into focus when combat begins, and you see a bunch of enemies looking at you as if they want to rip you apart!

Like Hades, Archvale allows players to move around various attacks—that come in bullet hell format—and equally use several weapons such as swords and spears. Each weapon gives players a distinctive feel. Spears have more damage than a sword but only hit forward and are narrower in their area of attack. Likewise, swords have arcs to them in their attacks but are shorter in reach than a spear and do less damage. There are also ranged weapons like bows and magic tomes which aren't super strong but give you the means of attacking from afar! Just like Hades, Archvale requires a bit of practice to find your perfect weapon, and sometimes you'll want to switch weapons when the need arises.

We will not lie, Archvale kicked our butts here at Honey's Anime, and we consider ourselves pretty good at Dark Souls-like games. Enemies are aggressive and rarely care if they are overwhelming you in sheer numbers. Add to that the bullet-hell element and Archvale requires quick reflexes and even faster reaction times. Archvale will kick you and make you die multiple times, even in the earlier dungeons. Be prepared to rage a bit while playing!

The Legend of Zelda, released back in 1986, wasn't like the more recent games where they explain your goal and present you with a deep story. The original was very vague and just gave players enough information to know you're a hero and you need to save the world. Archvale captures this mysterious feeling by letting the players talk to NPCs and explore the world to see the story and how your actions will affect this strange world.

Archvale is…a pretty simple retro-looking game with small sprites and simple NES visuals. That being said, if you love that retro style, you’re going to adore Archvale. However, don’t expect Hades or Zelda level of graphics…Archvale doesn’t even come close to those titles.