Review by: Brittany Vincent

Lord of Arcana is a familiar, yet barebones release. It incorporates much of what makes higher-profile offerings a delight to play and doesn’t pretend to be anything more than an echo of successful games past. Take the portable Monster Hunter releases -- plenty of loot, accessible multiplayer, and pacing that makes it easy to see why the franchise is so popular. In contrast, Lord of Arcana drags along, forces you to grind excessively, and offers little in return. I can’t say I was surprised at this revelation, but during the course of my solo adventure, I was frequently enraged and ready to quit playing.

The game isn’t exactly built for solo players. Hailing from Horodyn, you assume the role of one generic amnesiac -- original, right? After a brief tutorial demonstrating the game’s full potential when you manage to outfit yourself properly, you’re stripped of any and all belongings. It’s a slow rise to prosperity, especially in a game that expects you’ll be teaming up with a few other willing buddies to tackle it. I, however, did not -- nor did I know of anyone in my immediate vicinity with the game or anyone who had even heard of it for that matter. With no online multiplayer or any way to find other players beyond your circle of friends or networking, Lord of Arcana is a lonely exercise.

It’s basically your run-of-the-mill RPG that requires plenty of experience to be earned, items awarded, and supplies collected to further your cause. In the game’s first village you’re outfitted by some generous townsfolk, but even the quests they provide are no cakewalk if you’re flying solo, and it only gets harder from there.

Quests vary from fetching different items, felling vicious foes, getting from point A to point B, and a myriad of other achingly mundane bullets on a Honey-Do list. You would think they would be simple enough to complete, return, and accept your reward, but the monsters standing between you and victory aren’t exactly a pushover. Grind all you like. “Starter” baddies like the quintessential goblins need entirely too many hits before they finally kick the bucket.

Whether you’ve been questing for one hour or five, the result is the same. I would assume these seemingly superpowered beasts are much simpler with another would-be hero present, but as I was not fortunate enough to find another player I was unable to find out firsthand.