Ara Fell is an impressive entry in the RPG Maker library that functions as a competent homage to retro-console JRPGs with its own signature flourishes. While it may not do things particularly different than its influences, it has a strong character that helps pull you through many of its limitations.

Art direction is one of the game's stronger points, as it has beautiful environments and spritework that really make the floating islands of Ara Fell feel "lived-in." The various caves and dungeons look far less compelling than the outer environment by comparison, but thankfully the game moves at a brisk enough pace that you're never in one area for too long.

From a gameplay perspective, Ara Fell is rather straightforward, almost to a fault. When considered within the vacuum of JRPGs though, Ara Fell doesn't really make any missteps, and in fact does some things quite creatively. It doesn't quite reach the level of Theia in its customization options, but they are there and can help you effectuate more unique strategies for the battles. I also really enjoy much of the added QOL here- recharging mana in between turns, and resetting HP and MP between fights make this game far less of a slog than its predecessors.

I really like Ara Fell not because I think it's doing anything different that its influences, but because I think Lita does a great job of filling the shoes of the great JRPG protagonists before her. Stegosoft hit a homerun with her, in my opinion. She feels more relatable and endearing than your average stoic hero, something that I always really enjoy (Final Fantasy X's Tidus comes to mind as a great example). Well into the midpoint of the game, Lita still grapples with the fact she doesn't want to do what she is fated to do, processing exactly as a normal teenage girl would. I don't want my heroes to be perfectly adapted to every situation, I want them to be like Lita: a little silly and unreliable, but tough and scrappy when the chips are down.

JRPGs want to be character-driven because its an important part of making the case for their long runtimes. Consequently, I much prefer a protagonist with a defined personality that clearly informs how they interact with the world around them. You can still have a good game with a silent protagonist, but they became far less interesting compared to the rest of the cast. Your party members in such games can be rich, dynamic characters whos actions within your relationship are the product of complex personalities and backstories; but the pendulum is weighted squarely in that direction. These characters do all the heavy lifting while you are simply a blank slate, perhaps consigned to a series of pre-determined dialogue choices. I find it far more interesting when a character can be their own person.

When I see Adrian and Lita's young romance play out, I find it compelling because its how two dorky young kids would act with each other. I can't really feel the same way about the relationships the heroes have in, say, the later Persona games or Fire Emblems because the dynamic is ultimately completely one-sided.

While the plot is as standard as it gets, Ara Fell works when you account for its scale because of how likable its characters are. While many of the named characters heavily rely on certain tropes, there is almost always some flavor to them that I find so endearing. Seri Kesu is a great example. A senior mage, who gives off a iron-walled unapproachable vibe- until she has conversation with a librarian from her childhood, in which its revealed she was a clumsy little nerd. I just love stuff like that. Where they might lack depth; Lita and her companions make up for it in character. They are colorful, strong-willed and funny; in the way you might endear yourself to the protagonists of a Saturday morning cartoon, I find myself experiencing emotional connection to them.