Review: American Arcadia | Xbox

Ever wondered what would happen if The Truman Show had a baby with Portal? Well, wonder no more because American Arcadia has arrived on Xbox, and it’s one of the most cleverly crafted puzzle-platformers I’ve experienced in ages.

Welcome to Your Worst Nightmare

You play as Trevor Hills, a perfectly ordinary bloke living his perfectly ordinary life in the seemingly utopian city of Arcadia. He feeds his turtle Kovacs, trudges to his mundane office job, and watches telly in the evenings like millions of us do. The twist? His entire life is actually a reality TV show, and he hasn’t got a clue.

When Trevor starts receiving cryptic messages through billboards and hearing mysterious voices, his world begins to unravel in the most spectacular fashion. What follows is a thrilling escape story that had me genuinely gripped from start to finish.

Two Perspectives, Double the Fun

What sets American Arcadia apart from other puzzle-platformers is its brilliant dual-character system. Playing as Trevor feels like classic 2D platforming—you’ll be jumping, climbing, and sneaking through gorgeously designed environments whilst trying not to get caught by the show’s sinister “travel agents.”

Then there’s Angela (the mysterious voice in Trevor’s ear), whose sections are played in first-person as she hacks systems and manipulates technology from within the TV studio’s headquarters. During my playthrough, I found myself genuinely looking forward to switching between these two perspectives, as each brought entirely different challenges and gameplay mechanics.

The absolute highlight comes when you control both characters simultaneously—using the left stick to guide Trevor through platforming sections whilst using the right stick to hack drones and security systems as Angela. It’s multitasking gaming at its finest, and I honestly wish there were more sections like this.

A Visual Feast

Blimey, does this game look gorgeous! The art direction perfectly captures that retro ’70s aesthetic with its vibrant yellows, oranges, and browns. Everything from Trevor’s daft brown suit to the swanky hotel lobbies screams classic American television, and it all pops beautifully on Xbox.

The character models might look a bit puppet-like at first glance, but there’s something oddly familiar and comforting about them—like half-remembered childhood TV shows. The voice acting is absolutely stellar too, with Yuri Lowenthal (Spider-Man himself!) bringing Trevor to life with just the right mix of confusion and determination.

Challenging But Fair

The puzzles in American Arcadia strike an excellent balance between being clever and accessible. I never found myself completely stumped, but several had me scratching my head for a good few minutes before that satisfying “aha!” moment kicked in.

The stealth sections can be a bit fiddly at times—I occasionally found myself spotted by guards when I thought I was well hidden—but the checkpoints are generous enough that frustration never builds up too much. Some of the darker areas made it tricky to spot interactive objects, but this is a minor grumble in an otherwise excellent experience.

A Few Rough Edges

I did encounter the odd visual issue and lost my player in the blackness during my play through. Nothing game-breaking, mind you, but it does show that the game could have used a bit more polish before release.

Plot Twists Galore

Without spoiling anything, I’ll say this: just when you think you’ve figured out where the story is heading, American Arcadia throws you a curveball that’ll leave you questioning everything you thought you knew. The writing is genuinely clever, with subtle hints peppered throughout that only make sense once you reach the brilliant finale.

That’s a wrap folks!

American Arcadia succeeds brilliantly at being both a loving homage to The Truman Show and a fresh take on the puzzle-platformer genre. Its dual-character gameplay, stunning visual design, and genuinely surprising story make it a standout experience on Xbox.

Yes, it has a few technical hiccups, and some of the stealth sections can be a bit fiddly, but these are minor complaints about what is otherwise a fantastic game. If you’re after something that’ll challenge your brain whilst telling a cracking story, American Arcadia absolutely delivers.