Have you ever gone on an adventure just for the sake of it? That’s the premise of Atlas Wept, a game where you explore two stories of kids doing just that. It’s not always clear what the game is presenting as stories aren’t given quite enough exposition. Though with a unique take on the RPG genre, the game’s charm can find a way to cut through.

Atlas Wept isn’t a difficult game to learn and it’s easy to play, with adjustable difficulty and beginner-friendly design. The game adds some whimsy to its characters and unique aspects to its combat. Unfortunately, some of those elements work against it, dragging out combat longer than it needs to be. This is an adventurous game that tries to stand out in various ways, but the experience can be hit-and-miss, meaning the strengths can’t always stand out above its weaknesses.

Atlas Wept pursues two stories simultaneously. The first is that of Hal and Lucy finding a robot dog named Gigi. Gigi has lost his memories which starts a quest to retrieve them. The second is Dezi and Charlie trying to uncover the mystery of their world where people take things for granted. Both stories seem unrelated but start to blend as time goes on.

One downside here is that the stories don’t provide enough exposition in the beginning. Character motivations feel flat other than the goal of doing something different. It feels like you are watching two different adventures with no relation and wonder why you are constantly shifting between them. Stories don’t tell you everything up front, but had Atlas Wept provided more background information, it would have helped the player understand what’s going on. Telling two stories simultaneously is a difficult task and it’s great to see Atlas Wept give it a try. But the storytelling feels disconnected, unclear, and challenging to follow.

The game doesn’t offer a huge mystery or a twist that catches you off guard. Instead, its narrative tangles are formed by goals that don’t have obvious links to your main objective. Putting together a statue split into three parts doesn’t help jog Gigi’s memory. But you do it because the game won’t let you proceed otherwise. In these moments the adventure can feel forced, reducing your motivation to keep going.

Despite some narrative struggles, Atlas Wept shines with its beginner-friendly design, and its 2D retro environments are easy to explore. Save points are generously scattered around areas, with plenty of benches and beds to heal. Enemies don’t respawn allowing you to freely explore previous areas. It’s also not hard to tell what you can and can’t interact with, making it easier to spot precious items.

The beginning of the game is also littered with helpful documents and NPCs that give you advice. This helps you choose the correct skills in combat or focus on the right stats when upgrading. You won’t have to spend much time figuring out how to play and can dive right in. Should the game prove too challenging, you can always adjust the difficulty or make extended trips to heal. It’s all beautifully user-friendly and accessible.

Another standout area for Atlas Wept is its combat. The main appeal is enemy attacks are based on bullet-hell mini-games. Every unique enemy has their attack pattern which you must learn and avoid. You can also practice enemy attacks through training dummies, helping you improve your combat skills.

You play mini-games for your team’s attacks as well. Regular attacks have a timed mini-game which lets you attack more than once, with most spells requiring timing for maximum effectiveness. Combat demands your full attention because it’s easy to perform poorly if you make mistakes. It’s a good way of preventing combat from becoming stale because it rarely stays consistent.

Even your strategies evolve as you find new skills in the world. You learn about the importance of buffing and debuffing along with stunning enemies. Status ailments can be inflicted on enemies and your team, meaning every fight brings a new challenge as the game keeps you on your toes.

Unfortunately, combat also presents a double-edged sword which is its length. Thanks to the mini-games, fights are often drawn out. You don’t notice this in the beginning because you are learning how to play. But as the game goes on and enemies get harder, the mini-games start wearing you down. What started as a fun challenge becomes something you must do because there’s no ‘opt-out’ button.

It is possible to navigate around enemies, but a lack of enemy respawns means every bit of experience counts. Running away from enemies is difficult and not recommended, even during battle. This leaves you little choice but to fight all the enemies you meet, taking up precious time. Long combat sequences turn Atlas Wept into a slog, and it’s easy to forget the story since you spend so much time fighting.

The game does still manage to keep that 2D retro feel and not overload you with information. It’s a release you could pick up and play without much guidance and is great for those new to RPGs. However, its strengths don’t manage to cover up its weaknesses which is evident if you spend a good amount of time with it. It’s also not an RPG that you can play after a little break because it’s too easy to forget the story. Atlas Wept does a good job at making changes, but it can be tough to keep playing at times.