Explore a wooded island, fight monsters, and free lingering souls—just be back home in time for supper!

Helmed by a trio of talented individuals, Finland’s own Third Spirit Games shares a story of courage, loss, and childhood discovery with their debut game, Arietta of Spirits. Published by Red Art Games, Arietta of Spirits follows its titular twelve-year-old on a top-down journey through the veil that separates the realms of life and death. It’s summer vacation, and Arietta’s family is on their way to visit her grandma’s cabin—only Grandma won’t be there this year. Her soul has already departed this mortal plane...or has it? Take up your sword and join forces with spirit guide Arco in this single-player action adventure across an island of lost souls.

GRAPHICS 9.5/10

Fantastic pixel graphics bring a lush and heartfelt world to life.

The amount of detail that pixel artist Matti Ervasti portrays with only a few squares of color is astounding. Characters are almost as expressive in sprite form as they are in their dialogue box portrait, which is something I’ve rarely encountered in my twenty-five years of gaming. I also found myself lingering at a mossy log bridge by a waterfall dotted with fireflies just to enjoy the magical scene. Not even Octopath Traveler made me pause to admire its charming locales, so kudos to Ervasti. The game’s colors are applied very wisely: the cool blue of spirit guide Arco is the perfect companion to Arietta’s mass of scarlet hair. The animation is also very smooth, making the characters, environments, and special effects lively and exciting.

SOUND QUALITY 8/10

Retro sound effects and real-world ambiance make for a winning combination in this audibly rich adventure.

Arietta of Spirits seamlessly blends the nostalgic sound effects of old-school video games with the realistic ambiance of waves crashing on the shore, birds twittering in the forest, or droplets of water echoing through a cave. The soundtrack is primarily composed of piano, drum kit, horns, and strings often plucked in the chipper pizzicato style, while the main theme is a heartbreaking piano piece that draws your attention to the game’s somber subject matter. Most of the music sets a relaxing tone as you traverse the island, intensifying only when entering into a major boss battle. I appreciated the amount of fine-tuning allowed in the audio settings: the volume of the music, sound effects, and ambient noise can all be tailored to your personal preferences. 

GAMEPLAY 6.75/10 

The classic RPG formula of exploration, battle, and collecting power-ups is certainly tried and true, but Arietta’s combat could use some upgrades of its own.

Although I’m a big fan of Arietta’s hasty pace as she treks across the island, I have some issues with the combat in this game. Before Arietta’s first foray into the forest to gather apples for her mom, her dad gives her a wooden sword so she can fight off any angry wasps she might encounter. Keeping with the game’s semi-realistic universe (in which children aren’t pre-trained for battle), Arietta only has one attack: a single sideswipe. Other than rolling and summoning a spirit shield, this is her only move. Another awkward aspect of combat is that Arietta can only face up, down, left, or right, which is a problem when you’ve got a bogey coming in hot at two o’clock. This inability to face enemies head-on requires a lot of extra maneuvering to land blows effectively. Arietta’s wooden sword becomes spirit-infused early on in the game, but other than this initial improvement, there are no power-ups or replacements for her stubby starter weapon. All of these handicaps add up, relegating you to Arietta’s single, basic attack—a move that’s pretty useless if you’re not right up in your enemy’s grill. Combo moves and power attacks are like salt and pepper on the steak of battle (so to speak), and the lack of both makes this game’s combat a bit bland for my taste.

CHARACTERS 9/10

There are only a handful of characters on the island, but I liked every one of them. The dynamic between Arietta and her parents is wholesome yet believable. I appreciate the fact that Arietta is only allowed to wander off and explore if she helps out with a few chores first, takes her cell phone, and gets back by dinnertime. This concept is a refreshing departure from the norm when it comes to juvenile adventurers, especially considering characters like ten-year-old Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (who has no parents at all) and fourteen-year-old Sora from Kingdom Hearts (who runs off at night without a word to his mother).

Arietta herself is a down-to-earth, helpful little girl who ultimately decides to take on the burden of rescuing lost spirits like her grandmother. Arco, her spirit guide who looks like some kind of adorable otter Pokémon, gives off the comforting aura of a cautious yet encouraging instructor. Other minor characters include Minerva, the mysterious herbalist, and Midri, the cheerful spirit merchant; but my favorite is Gibb, a grouchy carpenter who wants nothing more than to be left alone (a sentiment I can certainly relate to now and then). Through their interactions with Arietta, this unique cast reveals our protagonist’s compassion, determination, and humor.

STORY 7/10

The story grows organically but ultimately feels a little short-changed.

Arietta’s emotional journey follows a natural progression. During a family trip to her deceased grandmother’s cabin for summer vacation, Arietta awakens from a disturbing dream only to come face-to-face with a friendly blue spirit. Arco, a celestial guide from the spirit realm, informs her that some unfinished business is tying Arietta’s grandmother to the physical plane. In order to help her grandmother break free, Arietta must become a Bound, an intermediary between the spirit realm and the world of the living. 

Although I can appreciate the absence of filler, the story felt like it was leading up to something more significant than its actual culmination. Stakes remained small until the final level, so the impact of the climax was somewhat lost on me. It felt like the end, but it was still so close to the beginning that it seemed out of place. The final scene teases an almost certain sequel, so perhaps the entire game would have been better suited as the prologue to a larger story.

OVERALL 8/10

While the combat and story are somewhat lacking, Arietta of Spirits is full of beautiful art, fluid animation, and memorable characters.

I enjoyed Arietta of Spirits overall even with the few areas that could have been improved. The addition of combo attacks, more precise controls, and projectiles (or at least a weapon upgrade with more extended reach) would have made the battles more exciting and satisfying. The game is also quite short for its price tag, topping out at around six hours even with the optional fetch quests. I also would have loved to spend more time with Arietta and Arco. Then again, sometimes it’s nice to breeze through a story without spending dozens of hours on long-winded side quests. Arietta of Spirits is not a game-changer by any means, but it harkens back to a beloved era of single-player adventures and provides a visually pleasing way to burn a few hours. If you enjoy small stories with strong female leads and aren’t looking for a deep dive, this game is the perfect fit.

Arietta of Spirits was released on August 20, 2021, and is available for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC via itch.io and Steam. The version reviewed was version 1.2.7.0 on Nintendo Switch. The reviewer purchased this game at full retail price. This article contained Amazon affiliate links.