American Arcadia Review – A Smart, Stylish, and Surprising Narrative Triumph

American Arcadia Review

Truly innovative games are hard to come by. While many offer a unique mechanic or an unusual setting, it’s rare to see a title that successfully weaves multiple original ideas into a cohesive, standout experience. With its inventive use of perspective and smart narrative design, American Arcadia might just be that exception.

You play as Trevor, a resident of the retro-infused Arcadia. Life is mundane, and you’re the model citizen. But while following your daily routine, you begin to notice strange occurrences, subtle signs that something, or someone, is trying to reach you. Eventually, you uncover the truth: your world is a lie. You’re just a boring background character on a hit TV show, soon to be written off due to a lack of audience interest. With help from a disgruntled employee working behind the scenes, you begin a daring escape for freedom.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The delivery of the story is impeccable. Presented in a documentary style, it seamlessly jumps between action scenes and interviews where characters reflect on past events. This approach adds a unique and stylish flair to the narrative. Combined with excellent voice acting and a tight, humorous script, it tells a genuinely compelling story, one that captures the journey of a working man and his growth under extraordinary circumstances.

As Trevor, you will navigate 2.5D levels trying to escape or avoid the clutches of security, who are on the hunt for you. Chase segments involve scurrying up and around the environment. These often have an underlying puzzle element, which requires some trial and error to work out the optimum route. At other points, you will need to use stealth, hiding behind obstacles to reach your objective. Platforming is never difficult and is more of a vehicle to move the narrative forward rather than being the central reason to play. This leads to a refreshing experience which places the game’s plot at the forefront.

Interestingly, everything flips when you take control of Trevor’s helper, Angela. The perspective shifts to first-person and you must solve an array of puzzles to aid Trevor on his journey to freedom. There’s a slight espionage feel to these moments as you hack systems and aim to avoid detection in order to meet your objective. The game delves deeper into this notion with certain sequences where you control both characters at once. It truly offers some original ideas that help to elevate the experience.

Everything is Not What it Seems

Its originality doesn’t end there; at nearly every turn, the game introduces new mechanics, perspectives, and storytelling techniques that keep the experience feeling fresh and unpredictable. Whether it’s a surprising gameplay shift, a clever narrative twist, or an inventive puzzle sequence, the game constantly finds new ways to surprise and engage the player. This leads to a tightly paced adventure where every moment feels deliberate and meaningful.

The 70s-inspired aesthetic adds a ton of personality to the visuals. The strong use of orange and browns helps to make the environment pop and communicate the era in which Arcadia was designed. However, the further you delve, the areas and their designs do as well. The warm, cosy, man-made environments contrast with the stark reality of the situation, which is communicated with the design. It’s a clever storytelling device that further immerses you in the experience.

In addition to the strong voice acting, the music plays a large role. While rarely taking centre stage, the audio design helps to build a believable world. Era-related sound effects make each character’s section feel unique. The music swells at particular points to also add tension at key moments, further engaging you at each segment. I did encounter the odd audio hiccup where the same character spoke over herself when interacting with objects, however, this can easily be overlooked.

American Arcadia is a stunning narrative-driven adventure that tells its story in a unique and immersive manner. Brimming with innovation, each moment offers up new ideas that help to create a well-paced, engaging experience. For those looking for a fresh and unique take on interactive storytelling, this delivers a memorable journey that blends cinematic flair with clever gameplay twists.

***A PlayStation 5 code provided by the publisher***