Solo leveling ARISE is based on the popular Solo Leveling manhwa and is a game-specific ARPG. Does the game differ from the typical cash-grab structure and deliver a significantly more engaging experience based on the original content, keeping in mind the tradition it must uphold? After weeks of playing, this is my reaction.
Is this game all that Solo Leveling fans had hoped for? Do the panels from the manhwa give you the epic sense of being an S-ranked Hunter? Or are you dismissed in the E-ranked prison of mobile games hoping to capitalize on popular Internet Protocol (IP)?
Fasten your seatbelts, collect your weapons, and prepare to enter the Gate of this Solo Leveling Arise review, where I’ll describe what the game does well and where it falls short.
Story: A superbly performed exact adaptation
Solo Leveling Arise follows closely to the manhwa’s panels, in comparison to a lot of other anime games. The primary plot will follow Sung Jinwoo’s climb to power, while side storylines will focus on lesser people like Lee Joohee. This might seem strange, but I like the comic panel sequences.
Netmarble’s voice acting is also excellent since the anime cast reprises their roles. Aleks Le, one of my most beloved voice actors gives an excellent performance as Sung Jinwoo. The rest of the cast likewise performs an excellent job.
A unique experience
Sung Jinwoo is the story’s major character, and he remains so throughout. This means that Solo Leveling Arise takes an innovative approach to gaming. While most gacha-based games eventually abandon their starter character, who is frequently the protagonist, Jinwoo remains the major playable character.
Everything you achieve in the game is going to make him stronger. His level also corresponds to your account level. Sung Jinwoo will also have control of his own set of special talents and will play the on-field character for the majority of the key plot objectives in Solo Leveling Arise. Most of the weaponry in the game was created for him.
The nicest thing about the whole thing is that interacting with Jinwoo never gets boring. Because of his ability to access additional occupations as you level up, the gameplay seems fresh and engaging.
I will go ahead and say it. More gacha games use this mechanism since it represents your main character’s development throughout the plot. It seems more genuine when they defeat tough opponents during cutscenes.
Beginner Awards: Revealing the System’s Treasures
The majority of gacha games give their users a few gifts when they first launch. This also applies to Solo Leveling Arise. To give you the strength to tackle the difficult material, you will receive a ton of resources, pull cash, and login bonuses.
You will get a free SSR, Woo Jinchul, and his trademark weapon simply by signing in to the game. A sequence of trials in Solo Leveling Arise will also provide you with a powerful SSR weapon for Sung Jinwoo. Overall, the game makes sure you obtain enough ordinary cash to hit the gacha pity at least once and is generous with its premium currency.
Additionally, there’s an event occurring right now where you may obtain a duplicate of Cha Hae-signature In’s sword.
Upgrade System
The upgrading mechanism in Solo Leveling is annoying since everything is time-gated. Since the Hunters’ maximum level is dependent on Sung Jinwoo’s maximum level, you must first level him up. After that, you must farm for artifacts by completing Encore Missions or clearing Gates. Because events don’t provide you more, you can only obtain three free Encore Mission Keys every day, which reduces your ability to farm as a free-to-play player.
Gates provides upgrade materials, but getting them requires a lengthy RNG procedure. Every five minutes, you can refresh the Gates. There’s very little possibility that you’ll find purple Gates that drop resources. You have to pay premium cash for infinite refreshes if you’re in a rush.
I think Solo Leveling: ARISE has one of the worst upgrading systems of any current gacha game. The good news is that you can disable auto-battle, which is a great way to block out the painful experience of farming.
Graphics
Solo Leveling: ARISE’s visuals are excellent, matching the quality of contemporary gacha games with a combat-heavy focus. The creators went to great strategies to accurately replicate the unique boss and monster lineup seen in the first solo leveling manga (manhwa), including their battle techniques, rather than using generic opponents. Despite the lack of outside variation, the characters in the game have been nicely portrayed and their movements are suggestive of their skills, so there’s a fair amount of visual mystery.
While the visuals are not as impressive as those of gacha giants such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, the work put into Solo Leveling: ARISE’s graphics is not to be overlooked. As someone who prefers visually appealing games, Solo Leveling: ARISE got my eyes pleased.
Gacha System
Solo Leveling: ARISE’s gacha system isn’t flawless, but it’s also not entirely bad. The game made the mistake of treating weapons and Hunters equally, failing to differentiate between weapons meant for Jinwoo and those meant for Hunters. It’s challenging for free-to-players to organize their pulls with this setup. Still, the game provides some respite with a typical 50-50 pity system that ensures the Hunter will be on rate-up at every second pity.
Also, Solo Leveling: ARISE has attempted to make the SSR grind easier by giving rate-up events that provide a large amount of Rate-Up Draw Tickets as well as the character’s trademark weapon every time a new SSR is rated up. It is uncertain how frequently these events will occur, but the fact that they exist is already an important win given the cheap quality of most gacha games.
Monetization
ARISE is open about how it can be sold. Ads are everywhere, and you’re frequently attacked with pop-ups promoting new package offers. Even the appealing Quick Summon that welcomes you into the Ballroom is a paid feature.
With the use of premium money and exclusive advantages—some of which are paid for (like auto Gate Mining) and others of which are only available in-game in limited amounts (like Essence Stones)—it is possible to get around any time-gated mechanism. Additionally, there is an important variation in quality between SRs and SSRs, so depending on your luck or financial situation, you could perceive a power differential. In the end, Solo Leveling: ARISE may be played for free if you have patience—this is typical of most gacha games, in my opinion.
Conclusion
The game Solo Leveling Arise isn’t flawless. Although it has a few annoying glitches and questionable marketing, it still surpasses other mobile gacha games based on well-known anime IPs.
It has the amazing capacity to become an S-rated gacha and could even compete with them. However, the developers will decide how the story plays out and what strategies they employ to keep their player base engaged. As I mentioned, the game gives you just enough difficulty without being overly helpful, satisfying your need for an enjoyable hack-and-slash RPG experience for smartphone users.
Would I suggest it? Yes, without a doubt, particularly if you enjoy manhwa. There are many things that Solo Leveling Arise provides well, and let’s hope that Netmarble creates trips that are truly memorable for all Shadow Monarch aspirants.