I grew up in arcades. My fondest memories include a group of older teens teaching me to play DDR, stomping random challengers off a worn Soulcalibur II cab, and a first date that involved beating Time Crisis 2 together. Friendships forged in neon, mad scrambles to beat high scores, the thrill of a new cabinet showing up… these are joys of a bygone era.
My childhood arcade, Challenges, in Atlanta’s perpetually-ailing North DeKalb Mall, has long since closed. But in Arcade Spirits, a campy, evocative, and heartfelt love letter to arcades, the joy lives on. This is the best game I’ve played in a very long time, and perhaps the most achingly human depiction of gaming culture I’ve ever seen.
A Wild Depressive Episode Appears!
I’ve struggled with depression and suicide ideations since I can remember remembering. Most games depict it in a way that reminds me of the famous Office quote: “Isn’t depression just a fancy word for feeling bummed out?” Only Depression Quest and The Missing have grappled with it in a way that feels heartfelt and lived, at least to me. Now, I can add Arcade Spirits to that short list.
Set in a world where the game industry crash never happened, players take the role of somebody deep in the throes of depression – the gender (or lack thereof, as the game includes non-binary pronouns as an option), chosen before the game starts. They’re aimless, jobless, and living with their childhood friend, the sweet and objective best girl Juniper. Juniper forces the player to download an app called “Iris,” which helps users determine potential successes in careers, relationships, and just about everything else. It also compulsively advertises pizza bagels. Oh, and it’s sentient.
The player is then led to the Funplex – an arcade that’s on the out-and-out in the face of its bigger corporate competitor. With a motley crew of lovable misfits, the player has to not only pull themselves out of their depressive spell, but has to turn Funplex into an indie hotspot in the face of bigger competition. Seen Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo – or UHF, even? Yeah, kind of like that.
Also, there's weird sci-fi stuff thrown in, but to talk about it would be a big spoiler so, uh... I won't. But it's extremely good.
Heart With A Side Of Bazinga
My biggest concern about Arcade Spirits, going into it, is that it was going to be what I’d call a “bazinga-ass” game. I think you know what I mean – a bunch of dumb gamer jokes meant to make players say, “Ha, I get that reference!” It’s one of the lowest forms of humor out there, and most “gaming humor” games fall victim to it.
Arcade Spirits mercifully avoids this pitfall, in part by making its cheeky game references actually cute and clever. But the main selling point, to me, is the diverse cast of eclectic characters that represent different facets of the gaming community. The shy, retro-obsessed tech nerd, the secret gamer, the crowd-pleaser who loves attention and has a million friends, the enthusiastic and kind-hearted cosplayer… you’ve met these people. You know them. Maybe you are one yourself – I know I am.
But where Arcade Spirits sticks the landing is in its nuance. The main cast never feels like a collection of stereotypes or rejected CTRL + ALT + DEL characters, and instead, are shown using video games to deal with their myriad everyday struggles. An esports icon goes in-depth about the microaggressions she faces as a woman of color in esports; a cosplayer muses on their gender dysphoria through the lens of cosplay; an affluent champion of an old arcade game grapples with his imminent death due to a long-standing condition. These are just three characters, and not even the ones I romanced, but they’re given so much room to breathe, and so much time to develop.
Unlike so many other dating sims, romancing someone doesn’t gate you off from other aspects of the narrative. It’s a refreshing change of pace.
Love Isn't A Game
Consent is a huge theme of Arcade Spirits. Right from the get-go, you can turn off romance and just focus on the story before the game starts. Every step of the way, the game reminds you that if you’re not interested in dating, it’s fine – enjoying the companionship of your friends with some light flirting or none at all is a valid option here. That level of inclusivity is refreshing, as somebody who’s been playing VNs since she cut her teeth on Bible Black in high school.
Should you pursue romance, the game also structures it in a brilliant way. While it offers meters for your affection level with different characters, it actively encourages you to not date based on an algorithm if you don’t want to. From there, your relationship isn’t the ending to the game. In fact, it’s a precursor to some of the biggest narrative challenges the player faces, which in turn puts your budding romance to the test. It’s a brilliant structural move that doesn’t treat people as a prize to be won, which I’ve written about in the past, and that’s a great message.
Plus, the romance options are great. Every character is a winner, and getting to know them is a real joy. While I’m personally not inclined towards the two super masculine characters, the game endeared me enough to save them for a future playthrough. My choice romance route was with the shy Naomi, who is a) very much my type and b) reminds me of my girlfriend, so of course, I dated her. The way the game humanizes this introverted and sweet tech nerd brought a consistent smile to my face, and (mostly) steered away from bad gamer jokes.
I will admit, though, that when she asked to be my “player two,” I had a guttural reaction.
Gamers Rise Up
But then, isn’t that what this community is? A diverse bunch of weirdos from different walks of life, all freaking out about our passions? This community makes me feel the most love I’ve felt for anything, and also irate at its never-ending circle-jerking and obsession with low-quality memes. Oh, and harassment campaigns. Those also suck! But at its best and most inclusive, gaming is an outlet for people to be weird together and have fun doing it. That’s what it’s all about for me, anyway.
Arcade Spirits understands that. It’s a game with a goofy premise told with the utmost sincerity and conviction, buoyed by its believable cast and comforting aesthetic. If you’ve ever loved a video game – like, truly loved one – this is the game for you.
A Switch copy of Arcade Spirits was provided to TheGamer for this review. Arcade Spirits is available now for PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.
Arcade Spirits