[Review] American Arcadia on PlayStation 5

American Arcadia from Raw Fury and Out Of The Blue dives into this weirdly colorful 1970s vibe. Imagine a retro-futuristic world that’s basically on TV 24/7. You’re riding along as Trevor Hills, some office dude at INAC – Industrial North Arcadia Computers – let’s just say he’s in more than he bargained for with this wild “contest.” Picture Tomorrowland if Disney went all out in the ’70s. Seriously, it kicks off with a character chatting it up with Mr. Walton, who’s all dreaming big over his Arcadia model. It’s like he wanted to out-Disney Disney. Throw in some Truman Show and bam, American Arcadia!

But get this, you’re being watched like 24/7! Kinda creepy, right? You gotta keep people entertained or, well, “retired” in a permanent way. Retirement’s got a new spin—they call it the Edge Travel Grant. Win it, lose everything. Just an office clerk expected to play star? Wild. You gotta find a way to snag some fans. Luckily, you ain’t in this alone.

Enter Angela Solano, stage tech savvy, who’s plotting your escape like a stealth ninja. She’s out there, tinkering with the world around you. You play as Trevor dodging through these 2.5D spots, but as Angela, you switch things up, get that first-person view. Kind of like slipping into a whole different dimension, right?

Playing Trevor, it’s all using the left stick, hopping around with the X button, fiddling with Square to check stuff out. Angela? You’re moving and snooping around cameras, jumping in and out of CCTV with a flick of the right stick. Adventure time with a tech twist.

Oh, and the trophy hunters, listen up! There’s shiny Platinum waiting, 16 Bronze, 6 Silver, 7 Gold. There’s quirky tasks like taking your sweet time getting outta bed, snooping a coworker’s computer, even a bit of a Frogger throwback moment. And they won’t spoil the rest! Sneaky, huh?

What’s American Arcadia, you ask? It’s this intriguing slice of flashy, broadcast Americana that refuses to let go. Trevor’s journey through the bizarre 1970s dreamland, all while trying not to get booted off the proverbial TV island. It’s out now, playing on PlayStation 5.

By the way, props to Raw Fury for the PS5 copy. Game on!