New Arc Line Preview
A few years ago, I wrote a musical about the conflict between technology and magic in a steampunk-inspired setting. The magic elements were represented by characters from Arthurian legends. There’s nothing new when it comes to stories, but I was still excited to play New Arc Line. It happens to be about the conflict between — you guessed it — magic and technology. The steampunk setting is similar, too.Â
Spells, Soot, and Smoke
Steampunk sort of fell off the radar in fantasy circles, but it didn’t go away. New Arc Line is a classic-style CRPG, and of course, that genre continues to thrive. The recent Baldur’s Gate 3 gave CRPGs a boost in popularity. Unfortunately, it also set a pretty high standard. Not having a traditional sword-and-sorcery setting helps New Arc Line avoid some direct comparisons.
New Arc Line is just entering Early Access, so it’s still missing some content. You start by creating a human or elf character, with additional races coming soon. Picking a class is next. Then you choose to align with the magic users or the technologists and pick a specialty. That is the conflict at the heart of the game. I chose shamanic magic. The final step is assigning points to various traits. There’s enough explanation about each to avoid an early mistake.Â
Start at the Very Beginning
New Arc Line begins at the seeming end of the story. There’s been an explosion or other disaster that has nearly leveled the city. Wearing nothing more than a hospital gown, you need to gather your things and escape. Bodies are everywhere and injured litter the streets asking for help. Soldiers try to stop, kill, or arrest you. Magic portals allow movement between inaccessible spaces. Eventually, you’re taken into custody, accused of causing the deadly event, and given a sham trial. It’s then that New Arc Line’s real narrative begins, back in the hopeful time when you arrived.
The game’s tutorial prologue accomplishes several tasks. It introduces the game’s basic mechanics for movement and combat. The RNG that determines the outcome of skill-checked dialogue and combat actions couldn’t be more explicit than the literal dice on screen. New Arc Line isn’t hiding its venerable roots. The prologue also sets the tone and narrative conflict, which careens between drama and comedy. There’s some clever writing and some interesting narrative situations, like helping a playwright cobble together an authority-pleasing script. More negatively, the dialogue can’t entirely some bland exposition at times and mismatched tone. Speaking of tone, only the main quest is voice acted. There are some interesting choices.Â
However, the narrative premise is a solid one. Ancient magic practices became subsumed by technology and machines but never went away entirely. The mages remain and gather strength to become a disruptive political and cultural force against the technology-based ruling Syndicate. It’s too bad New Arc Line’s writing isn’t just a little more polished. The themes and ideas are there.
Needs a Shine
Aesthetically, New Arc Line has a very strong identity, bringing together steampunk and some retro-futuristic motifs. The environments are interesting to look at and full of detail. It’s definitely a world I wanted to spend time in, and has the potential for some really interesting stories and quests. The characters in the trailers and cinematics are, naturally, far more impressive than those in the game, which tend to be a bit flat-looking.
New Arc Line is clearly a AA game and in Early Access, so it’s still a bit rough at the margins. Character movement is a little unpolished and characters tend to negotiate the world with some difficulty. There’s no controller support, which I hope makes its way into the game at some point. By now, CRPG fans expect it.
New Arc Line’s turn-based combat is still unbalanced, slow-paced, and rudimentary, though in fairness I didn’t play long enough to see if it really deepens. Also, with only two races currently playable, a lot of content is still waiting in the wings. That said, there are several interesting spells and weapons already in place.
Magical Potential
While I’ll never grow entirely tired of standard fantasy settings, New Arc Line’s steampunk and magic mix is striking and refreshing. The narrative premise is one I’m already drawn to, which adds to its appeal. But premise and promise are only the foundation, and New Arc Line’s next task is to refine, polish, and expand some good ideas. I think that CRPG fans looking for something a little different will enjoy it. I look forward to watching New Arc Line grow and change.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
