Ariana and the Elder Codex Review
Anime-styled Ariana and the Elder Codex mixes fast-paced magic combat and Metroidvania exploration.
Ariana and the Elder Codex. Credit: HYDE / Idea Factory / Compile Heart
Idea Factory and Compile Heart’s latest anime-styled game is HYDE’s action RPG Metroidvania Ariana and the Elder Codex. It’s fast, approachable, and consistently fun, with strong combat and a genuinely charming cast, even if the adventure itself never becomes especially memorable.
Ariana is tasked with entering and repairing the mysteriously defaced Seven Hero Codices kept in the Library. Magic has vanished from the world, and she’s the only librarian with the skills to mend the books and bring it back. Each codex becomes its own themed world with self-contained story arcs. Ariana’s conversations with other librarians and the smaller side stories tucked throughout the codices add a lot of personality without dragging down the pacing. I was usually more focused on the combat and exploration than the narrative itself, though the world-building consistently gave me a reason to keep pushing forward.
There are over 30 spells and abilities to mess around with. Ariana can equip six spells at once, and swapping between projectile attacks, support magic, mobility tools, and elemental effects keeps fights active without turning combat into menu management. Boss fights are especially strong. Several fill platformed arenas with layered attack patterns that force you to stay mobile instead of standing still and trading damage.
Ariana and the Elder Codex. Credit: HYDE / Idea Factory / Compile Heart
Dashing and chaining movement abilities give traversal a satisfying flow. The level design rarely surprised me; exploration never developed the same sense of discovery as stronger, denser Metroidvanias. Enemy variety is also pretty thin, and combat encounters lose some of their surprise even as your spell options expand.
The graphics in Ariana and the Elder Codex aren’t a technical showcase, though the presentation still has a lot of style. Spell effects pop during combat, bosses have memorable designs, and I love the inked, outlined drawing style used inside the codices. The character designs themselves are less memorable, though the writing does a lot of work to elevate and distinguish them.
Ariana and the Elder Codex never pushes beyond being a very good version of familiar ideas. Still, fast combat, flexible spell builds, and consistently enjoyable boss fights made for a fun 15 hours. I don’t know that it would have held my interest much longer than that, but I had a good time with it.
Ariana and the Elder Codex
Strong boss fights and flexible spell builds carry Ariana and the Elder Codex through weaker exploration and repetitive enemy design.
