Arrog

Arrog was reviewed on a PS4

Arrog is a game about dying. About the soul’s final moments before it leaves this earth. Death is universally treated as a sad event. To say that the loss of a loved one is traumatic is a bit of an understatement.

The thought of saying goodbye to someone who passed away is terrifying, and it often results in feelings of guilt, depression and self-loathing. We beat ourselves up for their deaths, as if we could’ve swayed the hands of fate itself.  

Deep in the Peruvian jungle that Arrog is set in, life and death are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. When a person is buried, the people surrounding him cry, but they also sing, drink and have a good time. They realize that death is the price we’ve got to pay for having lived, and they cherish the thought.

Brace The Storm

You start out the game by guiding an old frail man through a violent storm. He soon succumbs to his death, and what follows is his soul’s return into the earth that gave birth to him. It’s an impactful story told through the old man’s sub-consciousness and memories.

Despite being abstract in both its mechanics and its storyline, Arrog resonated strongly with me. I found myself emotionally moved by the time the credits rolled. Inspired by Latin American folklore, your character is a hunter, and he hunts capybaras to survive even though they’re an endangered species.

It’s appropriate then that in death, he’s accompanied by a giant capybara. The rodent guides him and makes him understand that his death was inevitable; it shows him his dreams, his last thoughts and the people he left behind. You’ll grow to empathize with the main character thanks to the meaningful symbolism found in the game’s subtle art style.

The Wonderful Visual Style

An absolute audiovisual treat, Arrog’s pen and paper 2D graphics come to life thanks to the wonderfully mixed audio and the simplistic yet detailed artistic style of the game. The contrast between black and white is mesmerizing, and the dash of occasional color brings it all together. A soft glow effect gives the game’s visuals a dream-like aesthetic.

The black backgrounds represent the Peruvian jungle that the game is set in, while the white backgrounds represent the main character’s dreamscape as he slowly slips into oblivion.

Elementary Puzzles

The puzzles are simplistic, and there’s not much of them. Puzzles such as connecting the dots and memory tiles are brought to life thanks to the smooth animation. There’s only about a few variations of each puzzles, and the game keeps up the solid pacing by moving you quickly through them. I would’ve loved it if the puzzles were more challenging or if there was more of them.

30 Minutes for 3$, there’s really no reason not to recommend Arrog at such a price. It could’ve benefited the game greatly if it was a bit longer, but it more than makes up for the short length with its stellar pacing. Due to the abstract nature of the story, I immediately went for a second playthrough just to get a different perspective after I was done wrapping my head around it.

Goes without saying that Arrog isn’t a game in the traditional sense. It’s essentially an experience to be had rather than a fun time waster. The fact that I spent more time thinking about it than playing it is a testament to the impact it had on me. If you’re looking for something unique and different, then Arrog is definitely for you.

Overall,

Arrog is essentially an experimental mobile game, but an excellent one at that. Watching its animation on a big screen is surely the best way to experience it. The wonderful visual style of the game is a marvel to watch. The ambient sound effects are sublime as well. Everything you hear and see in Arrog is perfect, it’s such a shame though that the gameplay didn’t offer more than it did.

Playing Arrog is like staring at an abstract painting. It’s up to you to interpret what it means and the messages it’s trying to convey. If you’re looking to kill half an hour relaxing and treating your senses, then boot up Arrog. Turn off the lights, put on your best headphones and enjoy the next thirty minutes.

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Special thanks go to Nakana.io for providing us with a review code.

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You should play Arrog if you

• Would enjoy an abstract experience
• Enjoy 2D Animation
• Love The Monochrome Visual Style
• Enjoy Experimental Games
• Wouldn’t mind the short length
• Aren’t expecting any challenging puzzles

Arrog’s Score

8.5/10