Fighters Month: Arcana Heart 3

Game: Arcana Heart 3
Console: Sony Playstation 3
Developer: Examu
Release Date: 19th April 2011

Arcana Heart 3 can reasonably be described as a fighting game which is very typically Japanese in concept, design and visuals. For those used to such games it's just another entry in the genre, but to
outsiders it may look like a fresh and exciting experience. Personally I find myself in the middle of these two reactions, as I'm aware of such games existence but not experienced with playing them.

Players have a choice of 23 female characters, and 23 Guardian Arcana spirits which can be combined in any number of waysto support various strategies and movesets, although each character has their own default pairing with a guardian spirit. In Story Mode, players move through the plot from the view of their selected character, attempting to investigate strange happenings, collect celestial stones and ultimately foil a plot to destroy Japan.

The action in Arcana Heart 3 is an odd mix of slow movement and attacks with a homing mechanic that speeds gameplay up considerably. While it's possible to use a fast paced style by constantly making use of the homing mechanic, this does end up feeling as if you're abusing it somewhat.
There's a good variety of basic and advanced tactics that can be used, in terms of movesets, and combinations of characters/guardian spirits.

The game's controls are fairly similar to many other fighting games, with a few key changes; X serves as the homing button, moving players toward their opponent, and R1 serves as the Arcana button, enhancing attacks to do more damage while pressed down. Using this drains the Arcana meter, which is refilled by doing damage to your opponent.

One of the best parts of the game is the boss battle at the end of arcade mode, which requires players to hit five specific areas on the "secret weapon" which is poised to destroy Japan. Although a simple concept, it's presented excellently and gives a real sense of closure to the main mode's story. Graphically, the game is similar to other cartoon style fighters but has its own flair, expressed in the locations and backgrounds featured in the game. 

Overall Arcana Heart 3 is a fun, if slightly flawed fighting game which has some good mechanics and a good selection of characters and guardian spirits to pair with one another. Unfortunately the speed of fighting and variation of plots between characters means that the game seems decidedly average when it could have been so much more. The end result is a very playable fighting game, a couple of playthroughs of which will give enough of an impression to satisfy players that they've experienced all the game has to offer.

Rating: 73/100
Grade: C