Solo Leveling: ARISE Review

is a mobile-first but PC-friendly action-RPG game developed and published by Netmarble. It's based on the immensely popular manwha-turned-anime, which follows the journey of humanity's weakest hunter, Sung Jinwoo, as he embarks on a quest that sees both his world and the planet turned upside down by what is uncovered along the way. It's an incredible story, and one that features a number of emotional beats that might not be expected given its title and genre — but at its best, it's a frenetic action property with memorable fight scenes and power-scaling moments.

stays true to its source material in a number of ways. First, it's unapologetically a fan of its own origins, with a gritty, detailed story mode that adheres to the manwha's narrative religiously. Second, it takes the action and speed that characterize many of 's biggest battles and infuses its RPG elements with the same sort of chaos, delivering great set pieces on bosses and a decent-to-good daily grind. Finally, it nails the world and setting of, seamlessly blending many of the administrative and political agencies at play into gacha mechanics that don't feel forced.

is its source material's biggest fan. The fondness for the original story and the care with which it is handled and implemented into its systems is a rarity even on console adaptations; that it's present here on mobile and PC is a nice treat. It's also baked into one of the primary means of progression in story mode, where players take on the role of Sung Jinwoo as he assembles a team of hunters to aid him in understanding the Gates and what they mean for humanity.

Each story mission is based on a key moment in lore. Whether it's the earliest days of Sung Jinwoo as humanity's weakest hunter or far deeper into his adventure, when he becomes humanity's cheat code against otherworldly threats, the missions will feature dialog and sometimes panels from the manwha to emphasize what's happening. Perhaps the biggest detriment of 's story mode is