Review: Ariana and the Elder Codex

In an alternate timeline, perhaps we would have recognized the PlayStation Vita as the ultimate platform and embraced it fully. In that reality, Ariana and the Elder Codex would be one of those mid-tier titles that lands in your hands at just the right moment, transforming into a personal favorite—a game you recall fondly, forging a connection with others who know it, much like the innocent camaraderie of strangers wearing the same band t-shirt at a concert.

This game fits that description perfectly: a 2D action platformer, structured into levels yet featuring Metroidvania-like exploration. Players control Ariana, a librarian tasked with venturing into the Seven Codices, magical books containing elemental forces, to repair them and restore dwindling magic to the world. Each codex acts as a distinct level, where the objective is to explore and mend the deteriorating rifts within them. As you find and repair these rifts—primarily combat challenges involving waves of enemies—the story of the book unfolds, guiding you toward its climax and final boss.

It's a straightforward, somewhat predictable game, neither groundbreaking nor severely flawed. Beyond basic movement, Ariana's attacks are mapped to three customizable buttons, allowing players to assign up to six spells (one per button, plus three more used with the right trigger) for offense and defense. Even the basic attack is a spell, which can be assigned freely or replaced entirely, as many spells have negligible cooldowns and no mana cost. Spells are elemental, with each element being weak to its opposite (e.g., water to fire and vice versa). Leveraging these elemental weaknesses against enemies is crucial for surviving battles and, more importantly, for meeting time requirements to achieve the best ratings in rift challenges. The difficulty gradually ramps up; initial codices are relatively easy, but as you progress, combinations of multi-elemental enemies become more frequent and complex. Yet, even in its easier phases, the game remains enjoyable, offering satisfaction in experimenting with various spell and item combinations. Players might find themselves relying on a couple of effective attacks until their utility diminishes due to enemy elements, level design, or simply boredom. Despite its minor imperfections, the game ultimately captivates, thanks to the evident effort and care poured into its design.

The game exhibits a certain craftsmanship, likely attributable to its developer, Hyde. This Japanese studio, though not widely known, has contributed to hundreds of games; a 2015 Polygon article cited over 200 projects. Hyde is one of those studios that often develop for third parties without explicit credit on game boxes or Wikipedia pages, akin to Tose, though slightly less invisible. Ariana and the Elder Codex is notably one of the few games where Hyde is explicitly credited alongside Idea Factory and Compile Heart. Further investigation reveals Hiroshi Aoki, a Taito veteran who directed the cult classic Bujingai, as the game's director. All these factors combined undoubtedly contribute to the noticeable experience and polish.

This is the kind of pastime that was perfect for a jacket pocket during the PS Vita era (I played it on a Steam Deck, which, despite being larger, clunkier, and having worse standby, is perhaps the closest modern equivalent). Today, such a game might struggle to find its niche. It's an enjoyable, light experience—as only a "Metroidvania-lite" can be—comfortable in its refusal to delve deeper than strictly necessary. It’s a fun, low-intensity adventure that never raises its voice. In a gaming landscape now accustomed to the ambitious scope of Silksong, the doujin brilliance of Blade Chimera, and the intense action of Dead Cells, there's arguably less room for a title like Ariana and the Elder Codex than there once was. However, as someone feeling nostalgic for the Vita, I found it genuinely lovely to encounter a game that feels almost like it traveled through time.