If I were to describe Artis Impact in a single sentence, it would be “A nostalgic love letter to old JRPGs, wrapped in a cute and appealing art style”. Artis Impact is a JRPG produced by independent Malaysian game developer Mas, who began his journey back in 2019, culminating in the beautiful game which is the topic of this article. As stated by Mas himself on the game’s FAQ page, Artis Impact was made using RPG Maker MV with Aseprite for some, if not all the artwork, animation and sprites found throughout the gorgeous game.
The game takes heavy inspiration from games such as Terranigma and Harvest Moon (SNES), combining a world full of intriguing intrigue and wonder paired, and a light-hearted and easy-going nature to provide the best of both for the Players. It features fun casual dialogue with the townsfolk, as well as aclassic turn-based combat system, reminiscent of the Final Fantasy games. All this paired with some ear-wormy 8-bit music.
The Premise
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where machines referred to as AIs have nearly ruined everything. People live in fear of the AIs and seek the Lith to save them. Speaking of the Lith, they are an organisation that our protagonist Akane belongs to, with the goal of combatting the AI threat.
Akane is a Lith warrior who, despite her cool and elegant appearance, is a bubbly and cheerful person. Accompanying Akane is Bot, her little robot companion, who serves as a partner both narratively and mechanically. Though subtle, their relationship full of cheeky banter and humour is really worth paying attention to.
While the story kicks off immediately with having to deal with the A.I threat, it is far from its focal point, which is Akane herself. Evident in the game’s “Daily Life” system, the game encourages exploration and learning more about Akane first, and dealing with the AIs later. Each interaction and side-quest has the potential to either be a life-changing revelation about Akane, or just a pat on the back. With the sheer amount of talking and options to choose when interacting with the world, there’s bound to be countless scenes and events for the player to experience.
However, given the sheer amount of dialogue available, there’s bound to be some that, while not bad, definitely could use some improvement. These mostly take the form of hanging storylines from side-quests, or pieces of dialogue that tease a grander revelation, only to never be followed up upon. To be fair, though, this could also be due to me having yet to find the right combination or sequence of events that complete these story clues.
That aside, it is pertinent to note that it is impossible to finish the game or experience every outcome in a single sitting, which is kind of a given due to the above. Fortunately, the game allows you to have multiple saves of the run you’re doing, in order to try out other outcomes and get different scenarios.
Aesthetics – Visual & Audio
From the get-go, Artis Impact immerses you into its beautiful world. Beautiful and detailed art, combined with a soundtrack that hits all the right notes with its sweet and expressive sounds, provides for a great experience and immersion into the world of Artis Impact.
Beginning with the artwork, a majority of the game takes the form of pixel-art as mentioned above. However, the game also features shifts in styles here and there depending on the occasion. Artis Impact creatively blends together different art styles as part of its storytelling – in one instance, you are in a pixel-art overworld; in the next, you’re face-to-face with a manga portrait of a grizzled veteran.
Personally, I really enjoyed the monster designs in the various encounters throughout the game. The ever-changing nature of the visuals the game provides also presents a truly immersive and unique experience. Did I also mention that much of the art found in the game is hand-drawn?
As for the music, it evokes similar feelings to anime endings, which make you just want to gaze into the distance to ponder life. It truly is an amazing asset to the game, as the feelings of melancholy and nostalgia it evokes really hit where the heart is.
Gameplay
Artis Impact’s gameplay is rather simple, as it features the classic JRPG turn-based combat system. True to its JRPG style, Artis Impact allows players to customize Akane’s kit as they progress through the story with various upgrades to her sword, which can be found throughout the world and after defeating certain enemies or completing missions. Players can also customize Akane’s companion Bot to enhance its supportive abilities, such as healing or buffing. Aside from that, Akane can also learn new skills obtainable similar to how to obtain the abovementioned upgrades.
Aside from that, the game also features a housing system for Akane to make base at when travelling, and players can help Akane to customise her houses as well. However, as everything has a cost, players will have to help Akane complete part-time jobs on top of her main one as a Lith-warrior.
Overall Feelings
Artis Impact truly is a game that fans of old school JRPGs should give a go. The artwork and the music are, personally, the assets that carry the experience. However, the story itself is intriguing, with a vast world ready for exploring and fun little exchanges between our main characters and the NPCs. Though the game could use some work with its dialogue and how it follows through with side-stories, everything else remains charming and enjoyable.
For a first attempt, it is well deserving of praise. Hopefully, there will only be more good things to come for Mas’s future projects.
This article was contributed by TJ.
