Skies of Arcadia Legends

"Squaresoft? Who needs Squaresoft?"

RPGs have become a popular standard in today's gaming community. If your even a casual RPG player, you've definitely heard of Squaresoft. Squaresoft is perhaps the biggest name in RPGs as of today, and as a matter of fact have been for the past several years. Well this game is not made by Squaresoft. It's made by Overworks. Yeah I know what you're thinking. Who the heck is Overworks? They are also the developers of Shinobi. But don't be mislead, this game is one of the most refreshing and enjoyable role playing games to come out in years. In my opinion it even surpasses most of Square's recent titles, as many others would agree.

Gameplay: 9/10
Skies of Arcadia is quite a unique RPG in many aspects. The most obvious is the fact that there is no actual “land”. The entire world map is composed of “islands,” which are basically floating chunks of land. You move around this world in airships, not by walking as in most other RPGs. There is no ground whatsoever; the whole game takes place in the sky. This concept is hard to explain in words, but you'll get the idea within a couple hours of gameplay. However, not only do you travel in airships, the game goes a step farther and allows you to actually battle with these. You can buy better weapons, get items to improve it's stats; it is almost like a character. This really adds a lot to the game and the ship battles are also very enjoyable. There are also foot battles as well, which are pretty much the same as most other standard RPGs. The combat system is quite different, however. Along with HP and MP, your party shares “Spirit Points” or SP. SP is required to cast spells and use Super Moves. Again, another aspect of the game that is hard to explain but it not difficult to pick up easily. All in all, the combat system is quite unique and enjoyable; most of the time.

This leads to the games minor flaws. The unique and enjoyable combat system is a double edged sword. While doing combat is fun, it does tend to get old, which is only made worse by the frequent random battles. The combat also plays out slow. The attacks and spell animations etc, take a while to watch, and after you've seen them hundreds of times it can be very frustrating. This problem is not as bad as it may sound. Later on in the game, random battles can actually become quite rare, weather it's by using certain items or other ways. Overall, it might bug you in the beginning-to-middle of the game, but it is no longer a problem after that.

Another frustration can also be the dungeons. The largest problem is that there are only 2 save points in every dungeon. Some of the dungeons are quite lengthy, so you may have to play for hours without the option to save. But don't worry; it is very hard to actually die in a dungeon, so you won't have to worry about starting over. Also, the second save point is right before the boss, so again there is no fear. As the game goes on, surprisingly the dungeons seem shorter. This could be perhaps because they are, or maybe you've learned enough techniques and become strong enough to breeze through them quickly. Finally, this game is not very difficult at all. Rarely, if ever, will you die. To some this may be good, but in the long run is it somewhat disappointing, especially when you can kill the final boss by using the same technique 4 or 5 times.

Overall, the gameplay is great and unique. Don't let the minor flaws outweigh the superbly done game system.

Story: 9/10
Basically, everything in the game revolves around the 6 moons of different colors. These play a vital role in the plot. To sum it up with out giving much away, there is a power corrupted government run by a man named Galcian, who is bent on taking over the world. May sound cliché, but the details make it quite unique. The story is slow at first but does pick up pace and by the end you will realize it was very well done.

Character Design: 9/10
One of the strongest points of the game, no doubt. Each character in the game has a distinct personality and a distinct look to them. Some of the names may sound generic, but that is not an issue. The enemies' personalities and actions make you quick to hate them (in a good way). You will most likely take a personal liking to a character or two as well. As for the player controlled characters, while they may lack the “coolness” that you would like, they're lines and actions were done well. You have a total of 6 party members, but can only have 4 in a party at once. However, until the end of the game, your party is forced with certain characters, 3 of which are always Vyse, the main character, Aika, Vyse's childhood friend and fellow air pirate, and Fina, a mysterious girl who plays a large role in the plot. Near the end of the game, you will get the option to swap out the 4th party slot with whomever you choose out of the remaining 3. Overall, a well done part of the game and this really counts.

Audio
-Sound: 8/10
The sound effects fit the game and are heard at appropriate places. However, the biggest gripe, which you'll be able to identify within only a few minutes, is the voices. The characters have short clips that are heard during the game and also while in combat. For the most part, these voices are horrible. It would be better if they weren't included at all, or at least an option to turn them off. This does not really hurt the core game but can become severely annoying.

-Music: 7/10
For the most part, the music suits the situations of the game well. There are several battles themes, though you will not be humming them when away from the game. During the boss fights, the music is dynamic and changes based on the health of your characters and the boss. This may sound cool, but it is really nothing spectacular. It will actually just get annoying. What's hurting the music the most is the quality. In order to fit the game on 1 disc, Overworks reduced the sound quality from the DC version. It may not seem obvious to a newcomer to the game, but fans of the DC version or those who have heard the original music will be disappointed.

Graphics: 5/10
The game was originally made for Dreamcast, so don't expect many improvements in the graphics department. By today's standards, the graphics are very dated. The lighting effects, such as during the spell and Super Move animations are nice to watch, but other than that, you will most likely not find the graphics “good”. The main characters look good, but all the others, such as the townspeople, have very low polygon counts and bad texturing. However, the graphics set the tone of the game, and accomplish what they set out to; nothing more. This is the least important category of the game. In fact, you can just disregard this section because the graphics have little effect on the overall game.

Overall: 9/10
In the end, Skies of Arcadia is one of the most unique and refreshing RPGs in a long while. For those that didn't get a chance to play the Dreamcast version, now is the time to go pick up a copy. And for those that have, there are several extras added to the game for your further enjoyment. If you are even a casual RPG gamer, I would highly recommend getting this title. Don't worry about the length; just to beat to the game is a good 40 hours, let alone find all of the many discoveries, complete all the wanted battles, obtain everyone's ultimate weapon, find all the crew members, customize your base, complete the side quests, and finally level up your party. It will keep you busy for a long time and is well worth the money. If you haven't already, pick up a copy as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/10/03, Updated 02/10/03