Ariana and the Elder Codex just is.

It’s been a while since I played a game from Idea Factory. There was no specific reason other than just being interested in other games from other companies. Ariana and the Elder Codex came recommended to me when I started looking for a new Metroidvania. It just so happened to come from IF. Furthermore, there was nary a mentioning of Neptunia in sight. This game is standard fare with standard plot points, but some tedium and technical issues prevented me from enjoying it to the fullest.

The game stars Ariana. She’s a librarian, she’s a warrior, she’s a magician, and she’s the one in charge of restoring the Hero Codices of a magic organization simply called the Library. (She’s not a singer – don’t let her first name fool you.) Codices distribute magic throughout the world, but they’ve been recently torn apart. Codices are empowered by the four elements, as well as a fusion of them. To restore them, Ariana ventures within them to restore torn pages via defeating the demons that dwell within. Along with demons, each manuscript contains a sub-plot that reveals more about the origins of the Codex.

The story is straightforward and wastes zero time getting into the action. For those that want more, they can return to the Library and read book after book about the history of the world Ariana calls home. Wars. Magic. Demons. Humans. Science. All this and more is available to read if you want. It can feel overwhelming to digest all of it, but keep in mind it’s optional. Sadly, by that same token, the narrative feeds information by the spoonful after completing a stage. Dialogue is stale and copious.

Ariana’s restoration project transports her into a book where players partake in 2D platforming that emphasizes quick reflexes. Bizarre and kooky demons will bumrush her, and given her occupation, her tolerance for pain isn’t that high. Fortunately, she starts the game with a variety of magics and earns more as she continues to restore the Codices. Each Codex has various, elemental spells that can be unlocked, upgraded, and equipped. She can also equip a variety of accessories. Her health and base abilities will get upgraded as she levels up and discovers new areas in each book. She’ll also get classic abilities like a dash and double-jump. (As a Metroidvania, Ariana will come across areas that are inaccessible at first.) She can equip six different forms of attacking that can be swapped with the push of a button. I rarely used all six slots because I found myself sticking to a few favorites: a sword, a fireball, and a form of healing. It’d be rare for me to venture from my tried and true. This also applies to boss battles.

Each Codex is themed different, but gameplay in Elder Codex remains mostly the same. Enemies look the same. Environments look the same outside of different color schemes. Bosses are varied, but they’re bosses so they should be. The game is very pretty, but stages lack the variety I’m used to in Metroidvanias. Despite the game’s short length, the lack of variety weighs heavy. There’s also a personal complaint: attacks and hits don’t have that visceral feeling upon contact. From a technical standpoint, playing the Switch version on a Switch 2 led to some frustration due to the loading times. This is a game where you’ll be moving back and forth between sections. A ten second loading time can feel a lot longer. I’m not sure how the game runs on PlayStation 4/5.

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a short game; something that can be knocked out in a weekend. Aside from the above mentioned load times, the game is fine. And that’s it: it’s fine. There are better Metroidvanias, and there are worse ones. This game finds itself in the middle. It’s just kind of “there.” Existing. I liked the premise, but a lot of it got lost in the firehose narrative feeding. I liked the promise of multiple magics, but I ended up sticking with ones that killed the demons most efficiently. It’s a game with no risks which means no mishaps, but no rewards, either.

Overall, 5.5/10: Ariana and the Elder Codex stars a sweet girl in a bland, 2D Metroidvania experience.