TL;DR:
Arcas Champions is a third-person ability shooter that blends fast-paced combat, unique movement mechanics, and fruit-based weaponry into a chaotic jungle battlefield. The theme is fun, the weapons are creative, and the game offers a solid foundation—but balance issues, bot AI problems, and technical crashes hold it back. The real question is whether it can carve out a place in an already stacked genre. Score: Too early to say—has potential, but needs polish.
Introduction
Arcas Champions throws players into a high-energy multiplayer shooter where trained ape warriors battle for dominance using fruit-based weapons. The game’s world-building is surprisingly deep, featuring warring factions fighting over a mysterious alien resource called Bastonium. While the lore is ambitious, the core gameplay is straightforward: shoot, glide, and outmaneuver your enemies in a variety of competitive game modes.
Currently in demo form, the game offers a glimpse of what’s to come, though I was only able to play against bots. And let’s just say… they weren’t exactly strategic masterminds.
First Impressions – The Good
Vibrant Art & Fun Concept
The theme and art direction are a clear highlight. The jungle setting is colorful, the character designs are fun, and the overall aesthetic makes Arcas Champions stand out from the usual military or cyberpunk shooters. Plus, the lack of blood and the fruit-based weaponry make this a more family-friendly alternative to traditional shooters.
Unique Weapons & Movement Mechanics
Gliding across the map, vaulting over obstacles, and using a variety of totem-based abilities make the game feel dynamic. The fruit-based weaponry is quirky but works surprisingly well, with each gun handling differently.
Multiple Game Modes & Maps
The game already includes Control Point, Team Deathmatch, and additional modes planned for launch. Having multiple maps at this stage is also promising, suggesting that variety won’t be an issue in the full release.
Smooth Controls & Intuitive Gameplay
The controls feel natural, especially for anyone familiar with modern third-person shooters. Movement and aiming are responsive, and outside of some camera hiccups (more on that later), the gameplay flows well.
What Needs Work
Dumb AI & Frustrating Design Choices
Since multiplayer lobbies weren’t available, I had to play against bots, and they weren’t exactly high-IQ opponents. They rarely played objectives, had questionable aim, and didn’t pose much of a challenge. This makes it hard to gauge how well the game will hold up in a real match.
Map design also has some questionable elements. Falling into water left me stuck for four minutes, unable to do anything. That’s the kind of oversight that needs fixing before launch.
Combat Feels Unbalanced
Either weapons are too weak, or enemies have too much health—because kills take way too long. There’s little satisfaction in gunfights when engagements feel drawn out and sluggish. Weapon balancing will be crucial to making the combat feel rewarding.
UI & Clarity Issues
Loot chests? Maybe. Maybe not. I found boxes that looked like chests, but there was no clear way to open them. Small details like this can add up to a frustrating experience if they aren’t made more intuitive.
The Bad – Technical Problems & Spawning Issues
Frequent Fatal Errors & Camera Problems
The game crashed multiple times during my session with fatal errors. This could just be an early-build issue, but it’s a red flag that needs immediate attention.
The camera also struggles indoors. Several times, I found myself inside a building but looking at the roof instead of my character, making it nearly impossible to see what was happening.
Spawns Are a Mess
I spawned inside the enemy team more than once. Spawning directly in the middle of combat with no way to react is frustrating and needs adjustments before full release.
The Real Challenge – Surviving in a Stacked Genre
Multiplayer shooters live or die by their player base. Right now, Arcas Champions needs to prove it can maintain a steady audience. If there aren’t enough players, lobbies will rely on bots—and as we’ve established, that’s not a great fallback plan.
Steam suggests it’s similar to Marvel Rivals, but at this stage, the comparison feels premature. If the developers want Arcas Champions to stand out, they need to fine-tune the mechanics, ensure consistent updates, and push community engagement. Otherwise, it risks getting lost among better-established games.
Verdict
Arcas Champions has the potential to be a fun, chaotic shooter with a unique theme and engaging mechanics. The movement system is satisfying, the weapons are creative, and the overall aesthetic gives it a fresh feel. However, issues with balance, poor bot AI, unclear UI elements, and frequent crashes make it a rough experience in its current state.
The game is still early in development, and fixes could elevate it into something special. But in a crowded genre, "good enough" isn’t enough. The developers will need strong post-launch support, balance patches, and a dedicated community to make this a lasting multiplayer experience.
For now, it’s available to wishlist on Steam and Epic. I’ll be keeping an eye on it, but whether it becomes a must-play shooter remains to be seen.
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