Artis Impact Review - The Most Impactful Indie Game of the Year?

I’m sure at one point or another you’ve heard the whole “games are art” debate, and while I have always believed that they are, and do think that generally, games are taken more seriously today, plenty of naysayers still exist. To those naysayers, I always have a few releases preloaded into my brain that I recommend they check out—games that will almost certainly change their tune. From Journey to Inside, we’ve seen many games, specifically in the indie gaming scene, achieve incredible mainstream success through not only their gameplay, but breathtaking art and thought-provoking stories. On the surface, Artis Impact, a game that has been a labor of love for developer Mas over the course of the last four years, appears to look like a rather standard-fare pixel art indie release. Dig deeper, however, and you will discover a true artistic vision that few games manage to achieve.

You could call Artis Impact a turn-based RPG, but honestly, its RPG mechanics—while present—seem to take a backseat to its narrative-heavy focus and greater message. The story, which conveys those messages, goes places—LOTS of places. From sexism to mental health struggles, Artis Impact focuses on its lead female protagonist, Akane, and her partner in crime, a tiny AI computer cube simply known as BOT. The world of Artis Impact is not what it once was, ravaged by cataclysmic destruction. Much of this stems from AI machines who have begun threatening the few survivors that remain. Akane is now more or less a mercenary for hire, doing the bidding of a commander alongside a few close allies, well, if you can call the sexist asshat an ally anyway.

Some of you may already be thinking, UGH, is this gonna be a POLITICAL or self-described, WOKE game? And the answer to that question is a resounding no. Artis Impact tells its tale with tact, occasional humor, and a brutal honesty that serves as a reminder of that classic saying: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” There’s nothing here that comes off as preachy, nor anything that I would personally label as political, a term that these days seems to be tossed onto games with reckless abandon, in many cases, wrongly so.  Akane isn’t what I would describe as a “strong female lead,” rather, a fragile relatable character who isn’t afraid to fight back and is certainly capable of doing so—but even in the darkest of moments, she manages to find some humor, some light to help guide her forward. As she struggles with herself and the reality that her best friend may, in fact, be a cube, we learn her deeper layers, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the game. The moments where Akane is alone with her thoughts are some of the best moments of the entire game. In fact, she became one of my favorite characters in ANY game that I’ve played in recent memory.

Adding further impact to this well-written narrative, which is only softened a bit by some unfortunate grammatical errors, are choices that matter, along with multiple outcomes and endings—meaning you won’t see everything in one go. Some of the story paths that can be taken are so critical that they can change the player's overall perception of certain characters entirely. Many games have certainly attempted meaningful choices throughout gaming history, but not all that many have succeeded. Artis Impact does a nice job of keeping players on their toes, giving them satisfying—and sometimes tough—narrative decisions to make, and keeping the player's attention throughout its over 10-hour adventure.

While Artis Impact does its best to keep the narrative flowing forward, it does indeed feature turn-based battles, leveling of weapons, and many of the usual RPG systems you’ve come to know and love throughout the years—though simplified to a level where the game feels accessible to all. Those seeking a challenging or complex combat simply won’t find that here, making most encounters feel like a moot point. Sure, Akane does get stronger, but it rarely matters. Her bot also assists in combat, further adding to the interesting dynamic between human and machine in this title.

 Now, you might be saying, What’s the point of having such a beautiful-looking combat system if you can essentially just mash the same few attacks and abilities for hours on end? And well, that’s a question I am still trying to figure out. Part of me believes that the developer truly wanted players to see the entirety of their game, so they made it extremely accessible—and another part of me thinks there’s a deeper meaning here, perhaps a commentary on how sometimes things taking longer or having more complexity to them doesn’t always make them more impactful. I could be reading into that a bit, but these are the kinds of thoughts you can expect to have while playing, if you’re anything like me. Regardless, there’s no real strategy to the game’s combat, and for hardcore RPG fans, that could ultimately be viewed as a bit of a letdown if they don’t know exactly what they are getting into. Sure, there are some hidden proficiency skills to master, but not all that much else. That said, fans of the genre will love how the battles look and enjoy the different weapon leveling options and world map exploration. 

There are a few other systems here too, such as being able to improve on your living quarters, take on part-time jobs, or even enjoy a bubble bath. This gives the game a very light simulation flavor. I loved the different ways that Akane was able to interact with the world and how, in some instances, she needed to in order to kill time. There is a day-night cycle of sorts here and a bit of an awkward auto-save system, but I found the way that the game handles money to be the most fascinating. Despite what seems like the end of the world, a central banking system carries on, and your money can even collect interest or be withdrawn whenever you wish. Having money on you can sometimes be a bad thing; other times, you’ll wish you took out just a few extra dollars. Akane can also boost stats by both eating out and preparing meals at her quarters. It may sound like a lot, but Artis Impact is anything but complex outside of its story.

Artis Impact’s art and animations are stunning. Whether Akane is traveling by train or merely stepping through a door, each frame looks painstakingly detailed, offering some of my favorite pixel art of the year. The game is impressively void of life if that makes sense, where you feel the presence of a world that was. The soundtrack is evocative, haunting, cheery, and just about every other emotion, depending on the scenario that players find themselves in. The compositions featured here ended up being some of my favorite of the year. Comic book-style cutscenes truly steal the show, however, offering a closer glimpse at Akane and her many expressions. Do I need to go on? Artis Impact looks and sounds fantastic. The game ran well too, as I don’t recall hitting any significant performance issues or glitches on my PC. Performance on the Steam Deck leaves a bit to be desired, though still seems playable based on my brief testing.  The deck is not able to maintain a consistent 60FPS, often dipping into the 40s or lower depending on the scene. 

Artis Impact is, as the title implies, impactful. It’s full of memorable characters, beautiful art, poignant themes, and gorgeous music. While RPG aficionados may be let down by its overall lack of difficulty, those willing to explore its deeper meaning will discover a charming, visually interesting world with a story worth investing some time in.  That investment won’t be too steep, either, as the game doesn’t overstay its welcome with its approachable 10-hour runtime (assuming you want to see everything the game has to offer, which you most likely will). So, are games art? Well, I'll let Artis Impact speak for itself. 

GOLD - ESSENTIAL