So it's a visual novel/turn based battle thing. Basically a sort-of X-Com with anime girls. Huh.

I had serious misgivings about installing this one, even though it was a free game. First impressions made it look like the sort of bad waifu VN I would feel ashamed playing, but it was a free game with high reviews. At least if it sucked I wouldn't have had to spend any money. So I decided to try it.

Turns out... it's actually quite good.

Yes it does have a number of immature anime things, and even playing the regular (censored) version of this there were more than a few suggestive moments and some very brief nudity. And yet all of this is set against a rather dark and serious backdrop: galactic warfare and all the horrible things that come with that. It gets particularly psychological and tense later on as your character ends up with nightmares about stuff that happens in the plot that comes back to haunt him in a PTSD sort of way. I'm not going to say more than that because spoilers, but all you really need to know is that the story kept me interested. And, during several moments, coming away fairly impressed by what these indie devs had done.

In short... don't judge this by its cover. There is much more here than a bunch of silly anime girls.

As for the characters, it's pretty good with a few bad eggs. It's pretty much a full roster of all the anime girl archetypes you can think of: the overserious workaholic (Ava), the genki girl (Asaga), the shy genius (Chigara), the tsundere (Icari), the massive pervert (Claude), the kuudere/Rei clone (Sola), and the trusty idealistic soldier (Kryska). But all of them stand out in their own ways, even if not all of those ways are positive (Claude is basically a pervert fanservice doctor and nothing else). There is a sizeable male cast, believe it or not, and some of them are actually interesting (Admiral Grey, Fontana) even if others (Arcadius) just seem like stereotypes.

Gameplay makes this a mix of VN decision-making (some of which are rather difficult and made me take some time to think about), tactical battles, and some management stuff as you upgrade equipment or do side-missions. The battles can be tough, sometimes absurdly so, but there's nothing technically wrong with them. There was one moment that annoyed me a bit concerning a story mission where I knew exactly what the enemy was planning, and yet I was not able to act on that knowledge because the story needed to convince me that this particular enemy was smart or something when, if this had been a strategy game, I would have torn him apart. At least the hair-raising scene after that battle ("Let me show you war") was worth it, and led to probably my most morally questionable decision I made in my playthrough.

Truthfully I found myself more interested in the story than the battles, and kinda wished I could skip them a few times because other things were going on that I was more interested in. At least in Key/Visual Arts' VN Little Busters! you got an option to skip the Baseball and Battle Ranking minigames if you wanted (but why would you? The Battle Ranking stuff was great! XD).

At time of writing, this game isn't finished. There's still more story being written so I can't really make an absolute recommendation on this because of that. But based on what I have seen so far, this game has real promise. :D

WHAT IS IT?

Its a story driven visual anime novel. Most of the game is text supported by frozen snapshots showing mostly girls in uniform. The story itself is massive but shallow regarding plot and excution. Gameplay distributes into a)reading b)selecting a path c)unit progress d)combat

a) reading (story)
Let me say that my younger self (a former anime geek) would ve been absolutely THRILLED if this would have been available in my time. It has everything a young male teenager would want.....girls, mecha, me being the hero, nudity, big boobs. Several decades later my mature self remembers how this feels but I cannot ignore the holes and unrealistic behaviour as well as technological improbabilities. Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is nothing more then a fairy tale in space. How any of the main characters would end up in their positions (captain, commander, fighter pilots) keeping the childish views and behaviour is beyond me....still....its amusing if only for its nostalgic value and I cannot help but wonder if the hero will "get" the girl :) It took me about 2 days to play through and even tho I would rate this "book" a 4/10 it was entertaining and easy to read...nothing to wrap your head around but then....its free so theres nothing to complain about really.

b) selecting a path
The first couple hours start promising. After the tutorial mission you are presented with a galaxy chart offering different systems you can visit. Many places dont open up before you talk to various crewmembers. Theres a hint of side-missions which would enable farming and a distraction but in reality the available content is extremely limited and becomes non-existant after a few hours when all you do is to follow the main story. All in all the game "tries" to present multiple paths but in reality its as linear as it can get.

c) unit progress
You start out with your flagship and collect Ryders (mecha) throughout the story. Each unit is represented with its own arsenal and abilities (support, assault, anti-capital, anti-mecha) and statistics providing numerical values in combat. Kills in combat provide a bounty which goes into your treasury as well as command points which are pooled for extra actions during battle. You improve unit stats by allocating funds to certain areas with each improvement becoming more expensive. This system gives you the opportunity to "specilaize" your units but money is extremely tight with no means to generate "extra" income (like repeating missions or an "open" environment which enables you to farm) you are dependant on getting optimal results in battles (re-playing them until you get it right) and a good "build" (dont waste money on upgrades you dont really need). Enemy units also become more powerfull and battles are always stacked against you. This can be extremely frustrating and forced me to take breaks in between to regenerate my motivation.

d) combat
Turn-based, hexagonal battle map with 2-shot battle animations. The combat system WANTS to look intimidating and complex but it fails as strengths and weaknesses are obvious and easy to exploit. Defensive play tops offensive in almost every skirmish and important command decisions are out of your hand as they are woven into the story so you are left with mop-ups or survival scenarios while the critical things (warp out of harms way, fire a torpedo down the death stars chute.......errrrr....I mean fire your main cannon directily into the enemies flagship planet destroyer nozzle) are displayed in text form. Combat eventually becomes repetitive, boring and also annoying where I find myself wanting to be done with it in order to continue the story.



Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is advertised as an anime novel and thats what it is. Gameplay is extremely limited as everything centers around the story which takes you by the hand and forces you into a "tunnel" to avoid any problems and distractions. I found myself flipping through the pages (clicking space) and reading the dialoges only to groan in annoyance whenever a combat came up. All you do really is click through available NPCs (order doesnt matter much) in order to relive memories and see how the story evolves. As far as I can see there is ZERO replay-value without multiple endings and maybe 2 or 3 side missions in the whole "game".


Now this might read like a crushing review but to be honest....its not that bad :)

First of all its FREE so what do you lose except time? The story itself is typical anime with a single male hero surrounded by young girls of various character (shy, dominant, offensive, rule-loving, unsecure, horny). You follow this crew to observe how they bond, their inner thoughts and how they try to find their place in the world. Everything is tailored to obeying orders, doing the right thing and fullfilling/finding a greater destiny. The universe is threatened by an "evil" opponent and you represent the only force of "good" with forces around you which you are unsure about (is the Alliance a force of good or out after after their own goals?). Mecha-design and exotic weapons appeal to the inner geek and the scarcly clad anime girls (young, boobs, uniform, colorfull hair, anime eyes) are what the typcial hormone-driven male kid craves (well...I did when I was young /grin) and THEY ARE ALL INTO YOU.

Yep....among the "hero saves universe" story theres enough left to observe how you run after your old love while being harassed and stalked by every other female in the game.

Characters are well drawn (the female ones.....the males......yech) but its all frozen snapshots. You get TWO erotic ones in case thats important to you (probably a quota thing).



Its not much of a game but its entertaining. All in all I would rate it a 6/10

Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is a completely FREE visual novel and strategy game. There's no catch. You just download it and you can play the entire game for free.

The story and gameplay are surprisingly good for a free game. There are several difficulty modes. I recommend playing on the default one; it's challenging, but not impossible. There are harder modes for those looking for a challenge and easier modes for those who just want to experience the story. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself because you can change the difficulty at anytime, even in the middle of a battle.

Honestly, I'd value this game at $20, but luckily it's FREE, so what are you waiting for?

Easily one of my favorite visual novels. This game is for the VN officionado who is looking for a little something "more". Sunrider offers difficult, gripping decisions that will test your willpower. Primarily, who will be my waifu!? There is a host of female characters for you to douse your loneliness with and they go beyond the typical harem tropes. You know, the tsundere, the tomboy, the A-Cup Angst, the cute girl with no emotion except that one time when she opened up but is still oblivious to the world around her, the insecure bashful one, the one who WANTS YOU NOW, the super peppy one, and so on.

While these tropes are in the game the fact that you rely on them in battle helps give them personality. Each of your potential waifus pilots a ryder (essentially a gundam) and you have to build their stats appropriately to fit them into your battle scheme. That's where the fun of this game is. The combat in the game is great! I found a lot of fun in building my ryders and testing their metal in glorious combat.

But being a commander in charge of the fate of the universe is stressful. That's why all successful star commanders know that you can't save the universe without a host of females to support you. A man is as only as good as his choice in romance options! But, alas, with so many waifu's and so little sexual stamina that's just one more obstacle for you to overcome.

This game doesn't hold your hand, but your potential waifu will.

Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is one of those games where you can definitely feel the love and care that went into its creation. The game's studio, Love In Space, have worked on a few titles all revolving around the same universe (same people different situation) but this is my first taste of their work. I have not finished the game but I can say I am very impressed.

The game is similiar to other hexagonal grid turn-based RPGs but with a visual novel twist. It's not quite a dating simulator and not quite a "choose your own adventure".

You play as Kayto Shields, recently promoted to command of your very own advanced warship named the Sunrider. The galaxy finds itself at war with the evil space communists and it's up to you, the good guys, to stop their evil plans! ok, so the plot is a lot more complex than that but to avoid spoilers I'll just leave it at that.

The game handles combat in a fairly traditional way. It's not a technical marvel by any stretch of the imagination with effects simply being layered over the image onscreen. What it lacks in flashiness it makes up for in character....characters.... The game takes your standard grid combat system and has you spend action points to move and shoot your enemies to oblivion with certain units having special attack and support abilities. The heart of your strength is the Sunrider itself but you also get a fleet of space mechs that you deploy at the start of every combat into whatever formation you desire. This is where the previously mentioned "character(s)" comes into play.

On your journey you manage to build up what many familiar with anime and dating sims will immediately recognize as your "space harem". These lovely ladies accompany you on your journey and lend their aid as fighters, medics, support craft, etc, and greatly benefit you when it comes to dealing out the whoopass. Thier personalities range from shy, goofy, stoic, serious, etc. Now while this is probably sounding a lot like a dating sim with some combat sprinkled in I will report, to either your delight or annoyance, that this game does not turn into one big tail chase. There are romances that develope over the course of the story but everything plays forth in a fairly straightforward manner. You do encounter several big decisions to make in your travels but since I have only gone through certain choices I cannot say if they redically alter the story or the crew's feelings for you.

After combat you receive funds based on the enemies destyroyed and how much damage you have taken. You then spend this currency at your R&R depertment upgrading shields and weapons. You can also stock up on special components and powerful limited-use weapons from a special shop. Overall the system works really well and you really feel a sense of progression as you see your meager fighting force become something to think twice about. Not that the enemy is going to do much second guessing as some stages turn brutal really fast. One moment you're mopping up the floor with enemy fighters and the next they're warping in space carriers and battleships. These guys don't mess around either. Positioning is everything and enemies can quickly overwhelm you. Multiple saves are a must as one bad decision can lead to death fast. Thankfully the game features multiple difficulty levels and you can even play on a mode so easy you just have to go through the motions and victory is assured.

The amount of work that went into this game shows and like I mentioned earlier this really is a labor of love. The game features an opening straight out of a game from Japan (with authentic Japanese vocals from an eroge singer) and very pleasant artwork. The characters are fully voiced during combat and this is really where the character shines through. While the voice acting is decent the lines the characters say during a fight are really charming and reflect the personality types well. Want to hear a quirky anime girl shout, "Imma firing my lazers!!!"? Play Sunrider.

I really have to mention the soundtrack which is very well done. It fits the tone of the game very well and even after multiple battles I still have yet to tire of it. The music that plays when you issue your super laser command especially gets my blood pumping.

To wrap this review up I have to mention the price. If you havne't noticed already the game is FREE. FREEEEE. You really don't even need to read this review. If you think it looks cool from the images and the description sounds cool then download it. The game loads super fast and is easy to pick up and play.

Before I end I will mention this game is only PART 1. The next part is releasing soon (as far as I know. Check their website) and should be available on Steam. It sounds like you will have to pay for the next game but this first part alone is about 20 hours of gameplay alone so have fun! I enjoyed it so much I downloaded their full-on dating sim spinoff game Sunrider Academy. Definitely a recomendation if you like the characters and want to see them all in a HS setting......and naked......if you're into that sort of thing. Both games have a restoration patch from the Love In Space website to restore censored content (not sure what was cut from Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius since it's pretty tame so far).

Sunrider: First Arrival is a Visual Novel style RPG Tactics, it is a science fiction type of game. Well, if you think this is just another of those lousy and cheesy anime game. You are wrong. Believe me, you are wrong. This is a tactics game, if you ever play Final Fantasy Tactics or Agarest: Generation of War, it is that type of game.

The gameplay mechanic is very fun i might say, you can upgrade your ship or your mecha crew, like you want to make it stronger, or deals much more damage. The thing that you can upgrade is a lot. The battle mechanic is simple but fun, basically you got multiple skill and type of attack, like long range beam attack, gun attack, laser attack, rocket, and you need to use the right type of attack at the right type of the enemy, if for example you are facing the cruiser with alot of armor, you cannot just use the gun attack because the gun attack deal less damage against the enemy with alot of armor, or if your enemy is a light mecha, you can't use a long range beam attack against them since they be able to dodge it easily.

Outside of the combat, you got some Mass Effect ish kinda interaction in your ship, you talked to your crew try to get to know them. The story is very good, i might say it is like Mass Effect in the way that there's some choice that seems right, but when you choose it some innocent people die because of it. The Lore is deep also, i don't think there's good or bad here, It just politics.

Soo, well its free. From the quality alone this game is very good that is on par with the game that cost 15 dollars. But it is free. Recommended to the highest level !!

Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is a visual novel and part turn-based tactical RPG game. It has a great story, a well implemented sound effects and really pleasant artstyle. The game offers different difficulty levels that you can change anytime so you can enjoy playing the game for its story or combat or both. The storyline choices rarely count for but it didnt bother me too much. Overall, Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is really an outstanding game and its FREE!!! So if you're not so sure about Visual Novels, I'd like you to try the game. Since its free you can try it out anytime and maybe you might end up liking it!

Let me put it this way...
I bought this game on a Wednesday evening.
I somehow managed to tear myself away from it to go to sleep on Wed/Thu/Fri and to work on Thu/Fri, but to make up for it, I played it overnight Saturday-Sunday. No sleep at all. (Hey, that's HARD when you're in your late 30s! I'm old, shut up.)
Monday, I called in sick just so I could finish it.

All 32 hours of my playtime were in 5 days (Wednesday eve to Monday eve).

I'll warn you, thought, the game is quite difficult. I started out on "captain" (normal[?]) difficulty, but after losing the 3rd mission a few times, I started over on "ensign" (easy[?]) and the game went from very often frustratingly hard to only occasionally frustratingly hard.

If you like turn-based strategy, play it. It's as simple as that.

My review for Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius (or Sunrider only, because Mask of Arcadius is the second episode of the game, and the first one, First Arrival, also included in this game)

So, let's get started.

Sunrider:

- Free (most important in my opinion)

- Turn-based strategy RPG battle, build your own space fleet with their various upgrades.

- Various difficulties, more challenge.

- Developer Console for the people who's here for the story only.

As for the Visual Novel

- Nice story, Like watching good movies or reading good stories, Sunrider impress me well.

- Various character, with their unique traits, and different background which makes the story more understandable and entertaining.

- The CGs (the visual illustration) are well done, beautiful, and with the good story, makes a great combination.

- Tailored stories, you choose your own path, and some aspect on the story might be different based on your choices.

8.8/10

The game is actually divided into episodes, like what Telltale games did to their games (The Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us, and Game of Thrones), I only tried The Walking Dead, and one episodes of Sunrider is more or less same like one episode in The Walking Dead. The good thing is the first two episodes of Sunrider is completely free, I don't know about the next episodes, though. By the time I wrote this review, Sunrider still on the 2nd episode.

Honestly I'm here only for the story, which is good. And I think next episodes there will be Dating Sim feature. If it's true then I'm looking forward to that.

Short review:

Fantastic game. If you've ever been a fan of either tactical strategy games or visual novels, Sunrider is for you.


Full review:

As a long time fan of both visual novels and strategy games, I found Sunrider to contain the best elements of both.

The strategic fleet management system eschews traditional RPG "leveling up" in favor of cash-based upgrades for your ships that can be partially refunded and reallocated. All of your potential to create success in the missions begins with how you spend your cash, so spend wisely and plan your upgrades around what you want your team to accomplish.

Once you enter the fray, you'll find a tactical battle system that is, in a word, challenging. At normal (or "Captain") difficulty, even as a 25 year veteran of strategic and tactical gaming, there were several missions that had me pulling my hair out as my comrades were annihilated one after another by the unrelenting tide of foes. But that made the satisfaction of eventually conquering those missions all the higher, and if you want a more casual experience or are only playing for the story, don't let the battles frighten you. Many easier levels of difficulty are available, including one that makes the battles a mere formality so that you can get on with the story.

And you'll want to get on with the story, as it is surprisingly deep and exists in a beautiful area of moral uncertainty that few games tackle as successfully. There are choices to make that will leave you feeling like Sunrider isn't just a game; in a game, the hero should always be able to do the obvious right things, save every princess, and slay every dragon. But in Sunrider, you may have to choose between the princess and the kingdom, knowing you can never rescue both. You may even be surprised to realize that the dragon isn't necessarily the villain. In that sense, Sunrider recalls the best moments of morally ambiguous visual novels like G-Senjou no Maou. It will make you question the nature of good and evil.

The obviously limited budget and tiny development crew would be easy to cite as drawbacks, but in my view they benefit Sunrider enormously. I can imagine many ways that throwing better graphics or higher production values at the game would just detract from its tactical and storytelling heart. The simple anime-style artwork serves its purpose and effectively connects the player to the mostly-likeable characters. If there's anything negative to say, it would be that the voice work of the combat lines doesn't add much to the game given the high amounts of repetition. I would have instead preferred to see voicework in the actual dialogue segments between fights.

It comes down to this: If you have ever had space in your heart (no pun intended) for story driven tactical strategy, play this game. You won't be disappointed, and it will cost you nothing but a little of your time.

Or a lot of your time.