American Arcadia

Release Date: November 15, 2023

Adventure, FPP, platformers, dystopia, indie games, 2.5D, side-scroll, alternative history, 60s and 70s, singleplayer

7.9

OpenCritic

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A cross between a first-person adventure game and an action platformer. American Arcadia is set in the titular metropolis, its people unknowingly participating in a reality show, where losing popularity among the audience gets them killed.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

American Arcadia is a creative cross between an adventure game and an aciton platformer. It was developed by Out of the Blue, also known for Call of the Sea.

Plot

American Arcadia is set in the alternate 1970s, in Arcadia, a retrofuturistic, seemingly idyllic metropolis. Unbeknownst to its citizens, though, they're all unwilling contestants in the most popular reality show in the world, their lives broadcast on TV 24/7. To make matters more, losing popularity among the audience results in death. Both of our playable characters must learn the truth about Arcadia and find a way out.

Mechanics

American Arcadia could be considered two games in one. When playing as the first character, the game is first-person, tasking us with exploring different areas, hacking devices and gathering intel. As the second character, the game is a side-scroller, tasking us with jumping on platforms, avoiding traps and escaping pursuers. There are numerous puzzles to solve and stealth segments to get through.

The story is conveyed through documentary-like cutscenes, which show interviews and interrogations.

Technical aspects

American Arcadia features cartoonish visuals, the bright color palette during the day contrasting dark areas traversed during the night. The game features an all-star voice cast, starring Yuri Lowenthal (Marvel's Spider-Man, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time), Krizia Bajos (Cyberpunk 2077) and Cissy Jones (Firewatch, Life is Strange).

Videos and Screens

[1:08] American Arcadia American Arcadia - Accolades Trailer

[1:29] American Arcadia launch trailer

7.9

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 75% of Critics. There are 21 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

Slant Magazine: 4 / 5 by Aaron Riccio

It’s indicative of the game’s clear messaging that despite multiple car crashes, a delirious dream sequence, a high-stakes infiltration, and more, the moment that most stands out is a relatively quiet one: Trevor sitting at a piano, playing an original piece that he’s composed. For all the time spent controlling him up to that point, this is the first time where Angela, and by extension the player, can see him as an independent person, one capable of making his own decisions (in this case, his art). That glimpse of his humanity is a moving little flourish that attests to American Arcadia’s belief that we all deserve freedom from coercion and an unreal life.

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Digital Trends: 4 / 5 by Giovanni Colantonio

American Arcadia turns The Truman Show into an interactive indie thriller you don't want to miss.

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Rectify Gaming: 8.5 / 10 by Will Hogeweide

In a landscape saturated with gaming options, American Arcadia stands tall as a beacon of originality and excellence. American Arcadia is more than a recommendation; it’s a mandatory sojourn into the heart of dystopian gaming brilliance. Step into the unknown, where every decision echoes through the corridors of a metropolis that conceals as much as it reveals.

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