We were taken in by Arcade Spirits when it first arrived on the scene in 2020. Granted, for a comedy it posed little humour, but it was wonderfully nostalgic and came complete with a great visual style. Hopes are therefore high for Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers – as this promises to be much more than an old school retro romance.
Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers follows on from the original Arcade Spirits to once again drag the player into a visual novel world that is full of love and pixels. A game that is focused on the romances which have been created in an every day arcade, the alternate timelines which this brings offers much.
It’s priced at £16.99 and sees you playing the role of a gamer on the hunt for esports success. It’s the First of Discomfort 2 Pro Tour which you are playing in, but in order for glory to come your way, you’ll need a team capable of providing it. It’s here – and at the Good Clean Fun pizzeria / arcade hangout that you frequent – where those dreams can be made.
Throughout Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers you’ll be tasked with taking on and defeating numerous rivals, as you look to conquer tournaments, build up the best relationships and uncover some hidden secrets as you progress. And whilst this may just be another one of those visual novels that are fast powering through the gaming scene, there should be enough about Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers to separate it from the others.
Should you have played the original, you’ll be glad to know that you can bring forth the decisions you made in that game into The New Challengers, as you work a new character creator, design your own rivals and enjoy the variety and balance that the game brings.
There’s a ton going on in fact, and whilst our full review is up, live and ready for your perusal, in short the key features you need to worry about include…
- Customizable Characters – Design your own character and rival using a massively expanded character creator. Choose your pronouns, shape your personality, feelings, and preferences, then see them reflected in the story. Alter your character and change your pronouns after every chapter to see what reflects you best!
- 9 Romance Paths & Multiple Endings – Choose how your story plays out while interacting with a diverse group of lovable individuals. Build your own championship legend and let your relationships blossom into beautiful friendships… or perhaps more?
- Become an Esports Champion – On top of the gripping and often heart-warming tale, The New Challengers throws a sense of classic arcade competitiveness into the mix. Take on the world in Fist of Discomfort 2, a tactical fighter interwoven within the narrative.
- Amazing Voice Cast – Enjoy an incredibly unique visual novel with a distinctive art style, and cast of colorful characters bursting with style and personality. Experience the emotional highs and lows alongside a stellar voice cast which includes SungWon Cho (ProZD), Fryda Wolff, Simply Undrea and many more!
- Continue the Story – Played the original Arcade Spirits? Import your previous choices and keep an eye out for returning faces and a few hidden surprises.
Pick up the visual novel goodness of Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers from the usual stores. This one is playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S via an Xbox Store download (fully optimised and with Smart Delivery in place), PC, PlayStation and Switch.
Game Description:
More Than Just a Retro Romance – Balance social life with the intensity of running an esports team in a retrofuturistic world where arcades dominate the gaming scene. After the success of the award-winning visual novel Arcade Spirits, Fiction Factory Games are back with a ground-breaking standalone sequel.
