Skies of Arcadia Legends

"High above the ground..."

Skies of Arcadia graced the Dreamcast in late 2000. The game scored extremely well and garnered critical acclaim for its cohesiveness. Although Skies of Arcadia and Legends were more traditional turn base Japanese rpgs, Sega was able to produce one of the finest in its category. Skies of Arcadia Legends in a sense were a port, but had additional features and fine tuning done to it. Additional quests were added on to extend the game's longevity. The most important part was reducing the random encounters. Random encounters were a dominating force in Skies of Arcadia; so much so that it became problematic moving from one area to another.

Being one of the first and few rpgs on the Gamecube, Skies of Arcadia did well among internet chatter. Boasting the title of one of the better rpgs around, I was tempted to purchase the Gamecube port. Despite playing the Dreamcast version, I felt the magical vibe that I had felt with the original. I wasn't a huge rpg fan like I am today, so I owed it to Skies of Arcadia to jumpstart my affinity towards rpgs. I felt obligated to support Sega and purchase the port. And so I did.

Skies of Arcadia Legends followed our sky pirate protagonist. Vyse is a young man, who is full of energy. Of course, he led the pirate way. Stealing goods against an evil empire to make ends and looking cool at the same time. Vyse was part of the Blue Rogues, a group of friendly pirates so to speak. Vyse's partner in crime and buddy - Aika was present from the beginning. Later our 2 heroes will be joined by more heroes. There aren't an abundance of characters in this game, but in this case it added value to the overall experience because I fell in love with the few characters. At times of numerous characters, your attention might only focus on a few and neglect the rest and thus affect your overall experience with the game. The characters and storyline was the main hook in the game. Both aspects were extremely well fleshed out. Simply put, the storyline was epic. The characters were lovable and the adventure emphasized that.

Containing both unforeseen plot twists and characters developing interpersonal relationships with each other filled the game with charm and cohesion. After a while, one will sympathize for the cause that Vyse and the gang fights for. The game's plot twist keeps players on their toes and enhances the already well written plot. The storyline peaked rather early in the game and remained that way without dropping in quality. Every dialogue line from each character gave a little piece of the story. When the game was finished, the story melded together with precision.

The battle system in Skies of Arcadia Legends is a fairly basic one. It's a traditional turn base battle system. It does give you a few extra options though. For example, S-Moves allow players to utilize the players' characters to perform a special attack. Vyse on one hand would utilize his powerful sword to his advantage. With several teammates to help, the game really has a lot of depth. The very core of the battle system may be simple, but after a while, you will notice how much depth the system actually has. This is mainly due to the tough enemies and bosses.

Like most rpgs, there is a level up system. As you fight, you will gain experience. When this accumulates, you will move up a level. Like all rpgs, this is a requirement. Furthermore, there are plenty of land and air in this game to explore. Although the main quest is quite linear, the open space allows you to explore a bit. Even with the linearity, the game is still one of the most enjoyable games out there.

Early in the game, you will be introduced to a ship to help you travel from one place to another. The unique thing about this battle ship is its look and capabilities. The ship is a ship that should be in the ocean, but it has the abilities to fly high above the ground. Nevertheless, this helps the game build its culture. To spice things up, one can take the ship into battle. The best part is watching a somewhat interactive fight scene. The battle is also turn base in a sense, but there are different techniques used to make things interesting.

Using ships to battle ties in with the game's plot and environment and since pirates do battle with ships it makes things more cohesive. The only difference is real pirates fight in the seas. You will just fight in the air. What makes these air battles interesting is its strategic element. Now, there will be colors to indicate the danger so to speak for that turn. You then can choose an option for four turns. So if something comes up that shows you are not on the danger zone, or in an advantage, it would be a good idea to unleash an attack. If you're at a disadvantage, then you should choose an option to try to counter that. These types of battles are a nice way to divert from the other battles. You can also upgrade your ship, which adds depth to this already unique form of battle system. One small issue to note however is the ship's controls. For the most part it isn't much of a problem, but there are occasions where the ship's controls felt a bit sluggish.

Additionally, there is a new side quest in Legends. The side quests have some nice plot implications. There are certain prerequisites to try to finish this quest though. Following this quest has its benefits.

One thing that Skies of Arcadia Legends does well is its mishmash of different elements. At times, you will be dueling it out with enemies on a ship. Other times, you will be joined by likable teammates. There is also a segment where you have to fight by yourself. By having a somewhat limited cast of characters, it allows the player to really get involved with their story. The story might be cliché, but there are still plenty of plot elements and plot twist to make this story a truly engaging experience. The game's constant edgy experience was a major plus.

Going back to the random encounters – although it has been reduced, it is still a bit excessive. When you have to go back to get something for example, you find yourself running into too many random encounters. While you can run from battle, it kind of gets repetitive and time consuming. Trying to reach a destination in the shortest amount of time can be a bit of a nuisance at times.

Another positive for Legends is the well versed and challenging boss battles. While not all of the boss battles were hard, most of them were fairly challenging. It really made you strategize to try to win that battle. Another nice addition is the titles that Vyse can earn. By doing certain actions, it allows Vyse to earn certain honorable and demeaning titles. Some of these notable titles are based on certain things like battles fought. By having this feature, it gives hardcore gamers something to try to achieve.

To expand more on the combat system, it's quite a good system. It's very basic, but it doesn't have to be really complex. It keeps things simple, but making the battles harder. By making the battles harder, it makes things more strategic. And I rather have that than having a complex combat system with poor A.I. The system works well in this case. There are quite a few options for you to choose, but in the end, it doesn't take long to get use to it. Also, there are different types of crystals that change its affect against enemies. You can change these crystals as you please. Of course, like any Japanese rpgs, this game also has most of the same options – healing, magic, and item usage.

There are also plenty of continents and places to see. In addition to that, the game's puzzles felt very satisfying. The puzzles offered a nice diversion from the combat and story. The puzzles weren't too easy, but not too hard. It was a nice blend. The game just had a tremendously well balanced concept from the beginning to the end. Of course, the major downside was the random encounters, even if that issue was addressed in this new version.

The music in this game was fantastic. The musical score was simply well orchestrated. It was pleasant and matched the game's environment. Dungeons obviously have a musical score that felt a bit more dramatic, while traveling around towns or cities had a more pleasant tune. For the most part, the graphics were solid. It was obvious that this was only an improvement of the original on the Dreamcast. Some of the character models were a bit blocky. The improvements still looked good, but it isn't quite on the same level as many Gamecube games. The character models obviously could have used work. The environment was varied with numerous types of environments, but it was still a bit outdated in a sense.

The game is fairly lengthy. At my last save point, I clocked in at just below 45 hours. That is quite a solid play time for an rpg. The game is also quite fun, so the 45 or so hours spent is quite satisfying. Although it is a great game, there really isn't much replay value. Unlike something like FFX or Kotor, where playing a second time still feels like the epic experience that you felt the first time. That is what keeps Skies of Arcadia Legends from being a masterpiece. It's still a great game in its own rights though.

The life of a pirate...

Skies of Arcadia Legends are without a doubt the best rpg on the Gamecube. Legends and Baten Kaitos are two rpgs that give the Gamecube much needed value in the rpg department. Of course, there are some small issues like random encounters from keeping it from being a masterpiece. Even with that said though, there is still plenty to love. Skies of Arcadia Legends are not only one of the best games on the Gamecube, but it's also one of the best games across all 3 platforms. The game's adventure is fairly lengthy, and you will be having fun playing it. What else can you ask for from an rpg? The story is epic and the characters are lovable, so it really has all the elements to make an rpg great. After the epic adventure, you may even want to dress up as a pirate. The game is a bit of a rarity, so you may need to EBay it, but it is well worth the price.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/23/07