Arcana Heart 3

Arcana Heart 3, released on PS3 and X360, is the third installment of the 2D fighting series, very popular in Japan. Like the previous two parts of the series, which were released on Playstation 2, the console version of Arcana Heart 3 is an improved and enriched port of the game known from the arcades, as well as a debut of the title on platforms supporting HD resolution.

Mechanics

The controls and the overall mechanics should be familiar to all those who have already played 2D fighting games. One of the characteristic features of Arcana Heart 3 is the height of the arenas. Their construction allows our characters to perform exceptionally high jumps and fight in the air. If we think that controlling and making combo is too difficult for us, we can turn on a simplified fighting model, thanks to which we will be able to perform even the most complicated moves.

Game modes

Arcana Heart 3 offers several game modes. The first one is the story mode, in which, thanks to fully dubbed cut-scenes between battles, we will have an opportunity to get to learn the game's plot, which is a direct continuation of the story from the previous parts of the series. Arcana Heart 3 also has traditional modes like training, versus and score attack. The title also offers an extensive multiplayer mode where we can fight against players from all over the world.

When starting the game, we choose one of the 23 available female characters. Warriors can be divided into four categories, according to their attack strength and defense effectiveness - defensive, balanced, offensive and unique. The characters from the last category use so many unusual attacks and strategies that they can't fit into the other categories. After choosing a character, we have to select one of the 23 arcanas for her. Each of them is assigned to one of the tarot cards and offers its user extraordinary powers, which can increase the strength of attack and defense, and enable special attacks. Choosing the right combination of arcana and character for our playstyle is one of the keys to victory in combat.

Technical aspects

The graphics in Arcana Heart 3 should appeal to all fans of Japanese animation. Colorful and original characters fight in a variety of 2D arenas, and all this is made more attractive by various graphic effects accompanying the attacks.

Last updated on 06 July 2011