Ark Noir (Resource Management Non-Field RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

"Ark Noir" is a paid indie game for PC.
This is a non-field RPG where you choose one of three main characters and your goal is to escape a sinking ship while uncovering the truth.
The game design relies heavily on resource management and luck, and is based on the premise of repeated attempts.
By repeatedly playing and gradually unlocking achievements, you can start the game with a slightly more advantageous initial state.

If you're interested in terms like roguelike, resource management, non-field RPG, and suspense, I recommend trying the free demo first.
One playthrough takes about 30 minutes, so it won't take an hour.
However, to see all the endings, you will likely need to play through the game multiple times.
I played through the game about 15 times, and it took me about 7-8 hours to see all the endings.

Download here (DLsite.com product page)
As of September 2020, the price is 990 yen including tax.

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Game Overview

"Ark Noir" is a non-field RPG where the objective is to escape from the sinking immigrant ship "Noir".
While making your way to the floor where the escape pods are located, you will help other passengers and investigate the cause of the sinking.
The game ends when your HP reaches 0.

About FR

In this game, the most important parameter is the value called "FR" (Fortune).
This parameter is like a currency that you'll use in various parts of this game.

For example, if you find a container to obtain an item, you pay FR to get the item.
You can obtain them continuously as long as FR allows, but if you use them all up, you might have trouble if you need them later.

In addition, FR (Flight Rescue) can sometimes be used as a means of assisting passengers.
Even if you don't have the necessary items to help, using FR might help.

Additionally, FR is consumed when fleeing from battle, and FR is also needed to recover HP in the rest room.
FR plays an important role in every aspect of this work.

FR can only be recovered through natural recovery with each movement and bonus recovery upon leveling up.
Because rapid and significant recovery is difficult, planned use is required.

About Perks

"Perk" is an English word that means something like "privilege" or "special offer,"To put its role in this game simply, it's like a passive skill.
These items are mainly obtained randomly when leveling up and play an important role in affecting the game's difficulty.
There are many perks, ranging from those that increase specific parameters to those that provide special effects.

Perks are unlocked by fulfilling specific conditions during gameplay.
The conditions will be revealed gradually, so it's a good idea to aim to unlock useful perks as early as possible.

Once a perk is unlocked, it will remain available throughout subsequent playthroughs.
When you restart the game, the number of initial perks you can acquire will also increase if you meet certain conditions.
If you can grant useful perks from the start, you'll be able to reach deeper floors.

About combat

The combat system involves choosing actions each turn.
Before you can choose your action, the enemy may get the first move, so you need to pay attention to your remaining HP.

The enemy's HP and defense are all displayed, so you know in advance how much damage your attacks will inflict.
We don't know what the opponent will do, but you can find out by using "Intuition," which costs 1 FR.
Even without using "Intuition," you can sometimes discover the opponent's actions through Perk effects or random chance.

Your actions in battle are entirely determined by the items you possess.
Furthermore, most items, such as weapons, healing potions, and support items, have a limited number of uses.
The items you possess directly impact your combat power and adaptability, so you need to have a trump card ready to get you out of a pinch.
This area shares a similar sense of tension with roguelike games such as the "Mystery Dungeon" series.

About the archive

During the game, you can view documents in the "Archive" by fulfilling various conditions.
Many of these resources provide information about the setting of the work and the backgrounds of the characters.
This story begins with the immigrant ship starting to sink, but various mysteries may be revealed by examining the archived documents.

About the main character

The main character can be freely chosen from three characters.
The main storyline of the game is basically the same for all three characters, but some interactions with other characters and the endings you can reach differ.

Alberto is a balanced type, Bruno is combat-oriented, and Caroline is luck-oriented; each has different characteristics.
Achievements such as unlocked Perks are shared across all characters.
If you get stuck, try changing your approach and challenging yourself with a different protagonist; you might discover something new.

About the ending

The game's main objective is to escape from Noir, and once that is achieved, the game will happily reach its ending.
However, the rank of the ending will vary depending on how many passengers you were able to save along the way, how much of the truth you were able to uncover, and so on.

Aiming for a good ending from the very beginning is extremely difficult.
It might be best to repeatedly complete the loop until you can escape with relative ease, and then move on to additional elements such as rescuing passengers.

You can also view the ending conditions and other information from the "Unlock" option in the menu.
Try to play with a specific goal in mind so you can see all the different endings.

Review (no spoilers)

It was a very engaging and challenging RPG.
Since you have to change your fighting style depending on the items you can obtain, you can't always fight the same way every time.
When I couldn't get any useful items, it was fun to try and make do with the cards I had on hand while managing to keep the exploration on track.

Resource management is challenging at first, but you'll gradually get the hang of it as you play through the game more.
Once you get the hang of it, you'll start to feel like you've improved compared to when you first started playing.
Even so, it's by no means an easy victory, and I think that exquisite balance of difficulty is what makes it so enjoyable.
No two playthroughs are exactly alike, but as you establish your own strategy, you'll surprisingly find yourself becoming more and more confident.

I think everyone goes through the experience of trying to save all the passengers in their first playthrough, only to run out of FR (Further Load) and run out of resources.
Once you get used to the game to some extent, you'll gradually be able to help the passengers.
When that happens, you start to feel your own growth, which makes the joy all the greater.

While luck plays a significant role in many aspects of the game's fate, it's also a game where the player's experience and repeated efforts will definitely pay off.
There will be times when nothing can be done, but it's very interesting to try and make do within those limitations.
If you're interested, why not try the free trial version first?

Strategy Notes (Contains Spoilers)

User experience with each main character

Albert
In terms of the story, the protagonist comes across as a classic, conventional type.
However, because it's a balanced type, it can also be said to be somewhat mediocre and difficult to use.
Since your combat strength is greatly influenced by the items you acquire, it's crucial whether or not you can obtain good items from containers.
Even as they grow stronger, they will continue to struggle in combat to some extent.

・ Bruno
Since it's combat-focused, I think it will be easy to determine an exploration strategy.
Once you reach a certain level, a chain hook alone is sufficient as a weapon, allowing you to carry more other items.
The difficulty of combat doesn't seem to be significantly affected by the number of items you have.
This character teaches you that battles become much easier when your ATK and DEF are high enough.
Since the FR (Front-Rear View) is low, it's necessary to conserve FR in order to carry out tasks such as crew rescue.

Caroline
This build relies heavily on luck; if you can draw powerful items from containers, it becomes much easier.
Conversely, even if you have plenty of FR (Fury Points), you'll struggle in battle if you don't draw good items.
Equipping "Unselfish" further increases FR recovery speed, allowing you to use it freely.
Since FR (Fast Rate) accumulates easily, I think it will ultimately be the easiest option.

Early game strategy

The early stages, before you acquire all your initial perks, might be the most challenging part.
In short, the important thing is to keep playing repeatedly with the goal of obtaining the "Initial Perk Slot +1" achievement.
The number of starting perks directly impacts the protagonist's strength.
The key unlocks in the early stages are as follows:

Reward: "Initial Perk Slot +1"
- Reach the third floor
This is the easiest condition to meet.
Even if it's a bit of a struggle, try to reach the third floor at least once.

- Rescue all crew members once each.
You don't need to help everyone at once.
Even if it's just a few people each lap, if you help different crew members each time, you can achieve it relatively quickly.

- Escape from Noir
Anyway, all we need to do is reach the fifth floor, so let's abandon everyone for now and move forward.
If you choose "Lone Wolf," which you get by letting your crew die multiple times, as your starting perk, your stats will increase significantly, making it easier to achieve.

- Accuse the perpetrator
Since it requires uncovering the truth to some extent and clearing the game, I think you'll only be able to aim for it relatively late in the game.
Having reached this point, I believe you'll be able to challenge yourself with a variety of things.

Useful starting perks

Depending on what you're aiming to unlock, I'll introduce some perks that I've found to be generally useful.
This list is limited to perks that are available in the initial perks.

・Attack Bonus 2, Defense Bonus 2
This perk increases attack and defense by 3.
It's simple, but it significantly improves overall ability.
Since increasing DEF is more important, I think it's best to prioritize DEF, and only invest in ATK if you have extra points to spare.

・ Attribute Bonus 3
This perk improves your overall stats.
If you're ever in trouble, just put this on and you'll be safe.
This has a very significant effect in the early stages of the game.

Big Bag
This perk increases the number of items you can carry by 2.
The number of items you possess directly translates to your combat strength, so there's no downside to equipping them.
If you possess accessories that increase your stats simply by owning them, you can further enhance their effects.

Devoted
This is an initial perk that gives you 2 experience points for each crew member you rescue.
If your goal is to rescue everyone, this is highly recommended as the rewards you'll receive are substantial.

Fast Learner
This perk lowers your stats, but gives you a 50% chance of gaining 2 experience points from winning battles.
If you can combine it with Attribute Bonuses to offset the disadvantages, the later stages of the game will become much easier.

Negotiator
This perk halves the FR cost of event choices.
It helps save on fuel consumption, making it easier to respond to unexpected situations and useful in a variety of circumstances.

Exploration strategy

For FR (Front Row) use in events, I think it's important to keep it at around 11 at all times, otherwise it's risky.
However, if you know that no events will occur for a while, it's fine to use them all up at a crucial moment.
Especially in the early stages of the game, you can expect status boosts from possessing items, so it's a good idea to collect as many items as you can from containers.
A situation where FR (Food Resources) is chronically in short supply is somewhat dangerous.

When leveling up, increase your stats in the following order: DEF > ATK > Others.
Reducing the damage taken will also lead to saving FR (Further Reinforcement).
If you can conserve FR, it becomes easier to acquire items, and there are many other advantages.
In battle, don't be stingy with items; fight in a way that minimizes the damage you take.

If your ATK isn't growing much, try fighting with firearms that aren't affected by ATK, or tools that ignore defense.
The trauma effect from firearms and the weakening effect from darts are effective status effects that reduce damage taken.
It would be a good idea to actively utilize it.

Review (contains spoilers)

The main storyline of the game is largely the same for all three main characters, but the gameplay experience changes considerably, so I wasn't bored at all.
It was interesting to see that each protagonist had a particularly close crew member, almost like a partner.
Alberto's name is Vera, Bruno's is Maurice, Caroline's is Noël, and so on.
Each story features a different protagonist, resulting in a variety of vibrant and diverse narratives.

As a journalist, Alberto's story focuses on uncovering the truth behind the sinking and the conspiracy.
It was the most classic and offered a suspenseful drama experience straight out of a movie.
However, as a playable character, I always felt like it was somehow half-baked.
However, I do think that Alberto is probably the one who can best enjoy the balance of this game.
I liked my relationship with Vera; it was like we were rivals who respected each other.

Bruno's ostensible purpose is to fulfill his duties as a sailor alongside Maurice.
In reality, it's a story about seeking revenge against Glenn for the sake of his mother, Eliza, but this isn't explicitly stated, so we need to infer it from the archives.
I personally think ending G, where they try to get Noel to wear the armor and escape, is a must-see.
Prioritizing saving the little girl's life over his own desire for revenge can, in a sense, be seen as an outcome where he overcame his vengeful feelings.

Caroline's story primarily revolves around family drama involving her sister and father.
When I first saw her, I thought she was a young lady who got by purely on luck.
However, the way she adapted to the emergency situation and blossomed her talents was reminiscent of Claire from the "Resident Evil" series.
In the ending, she exuded the aura of a beautiful and strong female politician.

Each of the crew members has their own unique personality and story, making them just as fascinating as the protagonist.
My favorite characters are Maurice and Guillaume.
Maurice is a memorable character, as he's the first crew member you encounter no matter who you play as, and the first one you're forced to decide whether to save or abandon.
His honest character and sense of responsibility are clearly evident in Bruno's special ending G.
It pains me to abandon him, but I think that kind of thing is necessary, and that's one of the great things about this story.

Guillaume is a petty villain, but I like his character because there's something endearing about him.
Stealing valuables from a corpse is wrong, but the fact that the thief closed the corpse's eyelids shows a certain pride, even for a petty thief.

You get the feeling that everyone, including the protagonist, has their own circumstances and is living their own life.
The entire work has a TRPG or gamebook-like atmosphere, and the fact that it could work as a game no matter who the protagonist is is a wonderful aspect of the setting.
I also fantasized about what abilities each crew member would have if they were all playable characters, and it was quite fun.
For combat-oriented characters, there's Maurice and Nicole; for luck-oriented characters, there's Noel, Donna, and Guillaume; and for balanced characters, there's Vera, George, and Victor.
If they differentiate each character with unique perks, it seems like it could work.

Those were just some rambling thoughts.