ARISE (2024) has been the talk of the town since its release by Netmarble in early May. Adapting the already popular Solo Leveling series, fans and gamers have been waiting with anticipation. But how much of the hype that has been built up is reflected in the gaming experience? After spending about a couple of hours playing it, the author found that while the game offers excitement and a variety of interesting features, there are still some aspects that feel under-optimized. For more insight, let’s explore the full Solo Leveling review: ARISE below!
A Game Adaptation of a Manhwa
Solo Leveling: ARISE takes players on a mesmerizing journey through a world filled with mystery and danger. Adapting an accurate story from Chugong’s manhwa Solo Leveling, the game features an epic tale of a Hunter named Sung Jin Woo, who strives to become the strongest among them. The story is told in a comic style with evocative voice acting that makes the gaming experience even more enthralling. Through a skillful combination of original manhwa panel cuts and stunning CGI scenes, Solo Leveling: ARISE manages to retain the essence of the familiar story while giving it an exciting new twist.
Not only that, Solo Leveling: ARISE also manages to expand and deepen the world of Solo Leveling by developing side characters that were previously less explored in the manhwa version. As such, players can get more deeply involved in the story and understand the more complex dynamics behind each character. This gives a new dimension to the gaming experience, making it more satisfying and memorable.
For fans of the Solo Leveling anime adapted by A-1 Pictures, Solo Leveling: ARISE offers a deeper and more complete experience. With content that extends beyond the anime’s first season, the game promises a broader adventure and a more in-depth story. As such, Solo Leveling: ARISE not only fulfills the expectations of fans who have been looking forward to this game, but also provides a satisfying and entertaining experience for players who are new to the world of Solo Leveling.
Engaging Game Gameplay
Solo Leveling: ARISE offers an engaging hack and slash gameplay experience with a variety of exciting game modes. Users can enjoy a variety of cool combos and smooth animations, while forming a Hunter team to face challenges on their journey. A unique feature called Army of Shadow enriches game strategy by summoning NPCs to assist in battle.
However, despite its exciting features, Solo Leveling: ARISE is hampered by a common problem faced by free-to-play (F2P) action role-playing games (ARPGs): repetitive gameplay. Despite the fantastic combos and stunning skills presented, players will eventually start to feel bored due to the lack of variety in game mechanics. The less challenging enemy difficulty and lack of variety in the level objectives add to the boredom in the long run.
In addition, as a F2P game, Solo Leveling: ARISE requires players to perform intensive level grinding, which can increase frustration levels for some players. The lack of innovation in gameplay also contributes to this frustration. Thus, despite its great potential, Solo Leveling: ARISE may not fully meet the expectations of players who want a fresher and more immersive experience in its gameplay.
Cool Visuals
In terms of visuals, Solo Leveling: ARISE is undoubtedly the winner. The graphics and animations are stunning, with every detail from character designs to cutscenes and animations crafted to perfection by Netmarble. The utilization of CGI visuals gives a great cinematic feel, while the arrangement of comic panel pieces in the story mode adds a deeper aesthetic value.
One of the most striking aspects is the character animations and battle effects. Not only are they captivating, but they also deliver an immersive experience, creating an atmosphere that feels as if we are directly involved in the world of Solo Leveling. Users can feel the power and skill of the Hunters through their moves displayed with cool and realistic effects. Thus, in terms of visuals, Solo Leveling: ARISE clearly exceeds expectations and makes the gaming experience even more enthralling and satisfying.
Gameplay-appropriate Background Music
In Solo Leveling: ARISE, Netmarble not only paid attention to the visual and gameplay aspects, but also paid special attention to the accompanying music. As has been recognized, background music plays a crucial role in enhancing the gaming experience, and Netmarble managed to do it perfectly.
The background music in Solo Leveling: ARISE is not only epic, but it also manages to bring the atmosphere to life in every moment of the game. From the opening of the game to the gameplay, the music used manages to build tension and excitement that matches the feel of the story. The music listening experience in this game is not inferior to the quality of the anime adaptation, making every moment in the game even more intense and captivating.
Thus, Solo Leveling: ARISE not only provides a stunning visual and gameplay experience, but also an equally enthralling auditive experience. The epic and majestic music quality is one of the factors that add value to the overall gaming experience.
Game Balance
Solo Leveling: ARISE has taken the approach of being a free-to-play (F2P) game, which means that while it can be downloaded and played at no cost, it relies on freemium features for profit, such as regular content updates, the need to farm materials for upgrades, and gacha mechanics to obtain desired items or characters. However, despite offering these features, Netmarble manages to manage them wisely.
Netmarble manages to maintain a balance between freemium features and the integrity of the gameplay. Despite the elements related to in-game purchases, Solo Leveling: ARISE still provides a complete and interesting gaming experience. Netmarble also succeeds in presenting a storyline that is fun to follow, as well as implementing the iconic abilities of the Hunter in an engaging gameplay.
However, the presence of freemium features in Solo Leveling: ARISE raises some concerns. Some players may feel tempted to spend in-game money to gain certain benefits or advantages. This can create an imbalance in the competition between players, where those who are willing to spend more money can have a significant advantage over others.
Nonetheless, Netmarble’s success in managing freemium features in Solo Leveling: ARISE illustrates that the game is more than just a tool to encourage microtransactions. Although there are elements of in-game purchases, the overall play experience is not compromised by them. This shows that Netmarble has managed to create a game that is complete, immersive, and fun for fans, without having to sacrifice gameplay quality or integrity.