• Latest
  • Trending
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review – An Offbeat Homage Done Right

The Sound Review

The Sound Review: A Long Way Down

Please Dont Feed the Children Review

Please Don’t Feed the Children Review: Destry Spielberg’s Ambitious but Flawed Debut

9 Kings Review

9 Kings Review: Seven Monarchs, Endless Strategic Possibilities

Ice Road Vengeance Review

Ice Road: Vengeance Review – Liam Neeson’s Diminishing Returns Continue

Squid Game Season 3 Review

Squid Game Season 3 Review: No Happy Endings Here

Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

1 day ago
Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

1 day ago
Love Island USA Hannah Fields

Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

1 day ago
Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

1 day ago
Love Island USA Season 7 Review

Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

Rematch Review

Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Saturday, June 28, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

    ‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

    Love Island USA Hannah Fields

    Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

    Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

    Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Share Viral Kiss as Dinosaur Franchise Roars Back

    Sovereign

    Offerman’s Radical Turn Powers July Thriller Sovereign

    Brokeback Mountain

    Eastwood Anecdote Reopens Debate Over Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar Upset

    MasterChef

    Sri Lanka Fires Up Its First MasterChef as ITN Takes Format into 71st Territory

    Low Life

    Disney+ Dives Into 1970s Treasure Hunt With K-Drama Low Life

    Denis Villeneuve

    Denis Villeneuve Takes the Helm of Bond 26 in Amazon’s Franchise Reboot

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Sound Review

    The Sound Review: A Long Way Down

    Please Dont Feed the Children Review

    Please Don’t Feed the Children Review: Destry Spielberg’s Ambitious but Flawed Debut

    Ice Road Vengeance Review

    Ice Road: Vengeance Review – Liam Neeson’s Diminishing Returns Continue

    Squid Game Season 3 Review

    Squid Game Season 3 Review: No Happy Endings Here

    Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

    Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

    The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

    The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

    Got to Get Out Review

    Got to Get Out Review: The Most Interesting Broken Game on Television

    The Bear Season 4 Review

    The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

  • Game Reviews
    9 Kings Review

    9 Kings Review: Seven Monarchs, Endless Strategic Possibilities

    Rematch Review

    Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review: Forging a Path Through the Past

    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

    ‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

    Love Island USA Hannah Fields

    Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

    Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

    Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Share Viral Kiss as Dinosaur Franchise Roars Back

    Sovereign

    Offerman’s Radical Turn Powers July Thriller Sovereign

    Brokeback Mountain

    Eastwood Anecdote Reopens Debate Over Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar Upset

    MasterChef

    Sri Lanka Fires Up Its First MasterChef as ITN Takes Format into 71st Territory

    Low Life

    Disney+ Dives Into 1970s Treasure Hunt With K-Drama Low Life

    Denis Villeneuve

    Denis Villeneuve Takes the Helm of Bond 26 in Amazon’s Franchise Reboot

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Sound Review

    The Sound Review: A Long Way Down

    Please Dont Feed the Children Review

    Please Don’t Feed the Children Review: Destry Spielberg’s Ambitious but Flawed Debut

    Ice Road Vengeance Review

    Ice Road: Vengeance Review – Liam Neeson’s Diminishing Returns Continue

    Squid Game Season 3 Review

    Squid Game Season 3 Review: No Happy Endings Here

    Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

    Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

    The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

    The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

    Got to Get Out Review

    Got to Get Out Review: The Most Interesting Broken Game on Television

    The Bear Season 4 Review

    The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

  • Game Reviews
    9 Kings Review

    9 Kings Review: Seven Monarchs, Endless Strategic Possibilities

    Rematch Review

    Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review: Forging a Path Through the Past

    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review

The Hobby Review: Trading Card Nostalgia Now Big Business

Bleeding Love Review: Raw Family Drama Carried by the McGregors

Home Games Reviews Games

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review – An Offbeat Homage Done Right

Reawakening Gaming's Most Notorious Oddity

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
1 year ago
in Games, Nintendo, PC Games, PlayStation, Reviews Games, Xbox
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

Remember those wacky Zelda games on the Phillips CD-i system back in the ’90s? The ones with the choppy cutscenes and awkward voice acting that somehow wormed their way into meme culture? Well let me introduce you to Arzette and the Jewel of Faramore, a new action-platformer that takes inspiration from those infamous CD-i titles and crafts something that’s way more fun to actually play.

See, the devs at Seedy Eye Software took a look at those old Zelda games that most folks see as total disasters, and thought hey – maybe there’s something here we can build on! So they’ve created the kingdom of Faramore and princess Arzette as a spiritual successor with similar old school visuals and story beats. But instead of subjecting you to bad controls and irritating gameplay like the CD-i titles, they focused on smoothing out issues and making Arzette legitimately enjoyable minute-to-minute.

You’ve still got charmingly awkward cutscenes, wacky character banter, and quintessential early ’90s style. But now it comes packaged with good platforming mechanics, engaging progression systems with upgrades, and aPlot that moves along at a nice clip in 4-5 hours. So if you dig retro homages or have a soft spot for those memeable CD-i Zelda titles, Arzette seems well worth taking for a spin!

Get Your Platforming Fix With Slick Controls

When it comes to gameplay, Arzette keeps things old school but smooth. We’re talking classic side scrolling action-platforming, where you guide Arzette through levels taking out baddies, avoiding hazards, and tracking down essential items and upgrades. Definitely takes me back to many an afternoon glued to the family SNES!

Unlike those notoriously clunky CD-i Zelda games though, the controls here feel responsive and intuitive. Running, jumping, attacking – it’s all a breeze. The hit detection seems fair, and Arzette controls more nimbly than Link ever did on the CD-i, that’s for sure! So mechanics-wise, it’s solid retro platforming fare.

There’s a nice sense of progression too as you gain new movement abilities that let you access previously blocked off areas. Finding the right tools to open up new parts of levels and pathways taps into that addictive Metroidvania loop we know and love.

And an added dimension comes from lighting beacons to dispel darkness, plus tracking down the shards of the Jewel of Faramore itself. So expect plenty of backtracking and revisiting areas as you work to 100% stages.

Now, I’ll admit that constantly retreading old ground can start to drag after awhile. Since the levels are pretty expansive, crossing familiar territory again and again slows down the pace. The layouts can also be confusing to navigate at times.

But unlimited lives and generous checkpoints keep frustration at bay when you do run into pitfalls or tough enemies. And that snappy, responsive platforming makes up for the occasional repetition. After 4-5 hours rolling credits, I was ready to put down the controller, with no tedium or boredom setting in.

So all in all, Arzette delivers entertainment and challenge enough for a light weekend diversion. The platforming fundamentals beat out the backtracking nitpicks, keeping you engaged to jewel recovery end!

Step Into a 1990s Time Warp

Get ready to take a trip back to the early ’90s the second Arzette boots up! We’re talking nostalgic pixel art visuals and a soundtrack overflowing with electronic samples and synth beats. It’s like digging up a long lost Sega Genesis or TurboGrafx-16 relic!

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review

The devs clearly took inspiration directly from those infamous Phillips CD-i Zelda games in bringing Arzette’s world to life. You’ve got the same hand painted looking backdrops defining levels, chock full of odd angles and visual quirks. Sprite work sticks to a similarly simplistic style as well. Don’t expect lush HD graphics here – but the retro lovingly recreated vibe oozes charm.

And those wacky animated cutscenes are a real trip! The stilted animation and overenthusiastic voice acting mirror the YouTube meme fodder perfectly. You can tell the devs had a blast poking fun at and paying tribute to those awkward Zelda FMVs. Now, the frequent interludes can run long and may grate after one too many. But appreciate them for what they are, and the humor and nostalgia mostly land.

Of course, your mileage may vary on some references and in-jokes depending on your history with games and hardware of the time. The soundtrack in particular stands out – late 20th century electronic music was an acquired taste! But tune your ears to the dev’s passions here rather than your own preferences.

Minor quibbles aside, Arzette’s sights and sounds shine as a portal back to gaming’s awkward yet experimental adolescence. It sticks the landing in recapturing the era’s esoteric technical charms. So sit back and soak up that early CD-ROM vibe in all its low res, sample heavy glory!

Get To Know Princess Arzette and the Quirky Citizens of Faramore

Alright, let’s talk story and characters! Our lead is Arzette, crown princess of the fantasy kingdom Faramore. When the demon lord Daimur shows up looking to plunge the land into darkness, Arzette takes up sword and shield (well, bombs too) to assemble the magical Jewel of Faramore and take him down. Pretty textbook videogame fantasy setup.

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review

But the citizens Arzette meets offer much more color. These folks bounce between nodding references to the CD-i era Zelda games and striking out with their own distinct vibes. Like the affable King Amadeus with his…unique laugh. Or the elder Treewalker, guardian of the Misty Thicket. The tone stays earnest yet lighthearted throughout.

And that bouncing between homage and originality extends to the writing too. Sure, a few too many corny jokes might land with a thud. But it swings for a balance between quirky character moments and legit laugh out loud gags. Plenty of subtle dry wit mixed in as well, catching you off guard.

Really, the referential stuff ends up feeling like a bonus rather than the main appeal. The team at Seedy Eye fill Faramore with enough charm that Arzette’s journey succeeds on its own creative merits, not just connections to ancient YouTube memes. These characters and their stories are plenty engaging, with welcome doses of humor carrying the spirit of those CD-i titles forward rather than just recreating them outright.

So expect to find friends in strange places across this bright, humor filled realm – enjoying their company as much for who they are as what they represent. Arzette and company offer heart and laughs enough to power through multiple playthroughs!

An Homage Done Right – Arzette Deserves Your Attention

So after joining Arzette to take down Daimur and light up Faramore, what’s the final verdict here? Well, if you have any fondness for those wacky Phillips CD-i Legend of Zelda games, then Arzette will undoubtedly delight. The team at Seedy Eye clearly crafted this adventure out of sheer affection for Link’s infamously shoddy CD-i outings. And their passion pays off with an experience that both respects the past and also builds something new.

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review

Of course, your mileage may vary if you lack context on all the era specific references. But let me tell you – even if the nostalgic elements fly over your head, Arzette still succeeds as an enjoyable game in its own right. The accessible action platforming, colorful cast, and breezy 4-5 hour runtime make for a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Do similarities to 30 year old YouTube meme fodder enhance the experience? For sure. But the heart, craft, and care on display shine regardless if you catch every nod and retro in-joke or not. Arzette’s world brims with humor and spirit enough to capture your attention even if the CD-i connections fade.

Arzette represents a rare beast – an homage that respects its maligned inspiration without losing its own identity. It reminds us that there’s magic to uncover in gaming’s most notorious failures, if you approach them with an open and playful perspective. Give this quirky, passionate jewel quest a shot and see where its earnest retro charm takes you!

The Review

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore

7 Score

At around 4 hours long, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore succeeds as an amusing retro-inspired homage to the infamously bad Legend of Zelda CD-i games. While some references may confuse players unfamiliar with that era, enjoyable action-platforming, vibrant visuals and music, and affable characters still make Arzette an appealing small-scale quest. Approach with an open mind towards its silly tribute inspirations, and you're bound to have a good time.

PROS

  • Smooth, responsive controls
  • Faithful recreation of early '90s graphical style
  • Humorous writing and entertaining characters
  • Perfectly captures spirit of CD-i Zelda games
  • Great animations and voice acting for cutscenes
  • Level design encourages exploration

CONS

  • Can be repetitive backtracking through levels
  • Soundtrack may grate for some players
  • Some jokes and references are overly niche
  • Core gameplay is fairly simple
  • Map system is lackluster
  • Technical issues like frame rate dips

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: AdventureAdventure gameArzette: The Jewel of FaramoreFeaturedFighting gameJake SilvermanLimited Run GamesPlatform gameSeedy Eye Software
Previous Post

The Hobby Review: Trading Card Nostalgia Now Big Business

Next Post

Bleeding Love Review: Raw Family Drama Carried by the McGregors

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Smoke Review

    Smoke Review: The Year’s Most Unpredictable and Unsettling Show

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Marshmallow Review: These Woods Hide Unexpected Secrets

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Waterfront Review: Kevin Williamson’s Return to Murky Family Waters

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Outrageous Season 1 Review: Champagne and Cyanide

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Squid Game Season 3 Review
Entertainment

Squid Game Season 3 Review: No Happy Endings Here

19 hours ago
Love Island USA Season 7 Review
Entertainment

Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

1 day ago
The Bear Season 4 Review
Entertainment

The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

2 days ago
Surviving Ohio State Review
Movies

Surviving Ohio State Review: The Weight of Witness

2 days ago
Countdown Season 1 Review
TV Shows

Countdown Season 1 Review: Assembling the Parts of a Soulless Machine

2 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version