Wild Arms Alter Code: F

"Alter[ed] Code F[un] -- A Fresh New Remake for a Somewhat Stale Series"

Let’s face it: in this day and age, even companies which once conformed to extremely high standards are selling out when it comes to ports (read: NINTENDO). With each passing day, and each new console, developers find more and more ways to repackage, rehash, and resell their products despite a majority of the gaming community still familiar with the first inception. While this does allow new gamers-or those who missed the bandwagon the first time around-the chance to play “brand new” entries in their favorite franchises, it sadly provides little to no entertainment for the majority of gamers who want a bit more than some generic weekend porting project; gamers who begin to question paying substantial sums of money for a product they already own. Thus it is with extreme confusion and excitement that one considers the drastic lengths Media Vision went through in order to ‘rehash’ the seven year old Playstation game, Wild Arms, and try and make a “quick” buck off it, under the “new” moniker ‘Wild Arms: Alter Code F’. This isn’t some weekend project but rather an all out recreation of the original tale.

For starters, just a brief glance at pictures of Alter Code F will dispel any belief that the porting process went along quickly. In fact, after playing Wild Arms, astute games may indeed find themselves wondering why Media Vision bothered to reuse any elements from the original game considering that just about every aspect of the port is brand new. The most obvious change is, of course, the graphic engine. Instead of opting for a hurriedly prepared, crappy update (a la Hudson’s recent Tengai Makyou II), Media Vision completely scrapped the 2-D format and instead redesigned the engine to conform strictly with 3-D standards. Opting to go without the unique cell-shading that gave Arms 3 its distinctive look and feel, Code F nonetheless retaines use of the sepia-toned texture “shading” which makes the characters and world seem to have more of a look to them. The graphics themselves seem much more crisp and polished and now include things as trivial as boxes being marked with their contents.

The only real downside to the new graphic approach is the adage that too much of a good thing can in fact, be bad. For one thing, character designs are quite lacking this time around, not because series fans are quite familiar with them, but rather just the opposite: so radically altered is the art direction for Code F that even those fans familiar with the Wild Arms manga will do a double take, despite the series artist drawing them! For whatever reason, instead of opting for the anime-inspired dynamic art style used in Wild Arms 1-3, artist Wakako Ooba chose to use a format that fits better into an extremely shojou manga. It is quite a disappointment really, as previously each new entry in the series would depict characters of more and more flare and creativity, however in re-sketching the original bunch, much of the cartoon aspect got brushed aside. It’s particularly interesting when one considers that Namco’s Tales series fell down this same pothole as the games became more and more popular: each new release becomes characterized by an increasingly simplistic shojou format and each new release becomes characterized by an increasingly decreasing approach to making the artwork stand out among the billions of other similar looking art which truly remain faceless as customers walk around Tokyo bookstores.

And therein lay perhaps the greatest flaw with Code F, the transition into a much more realistic presentation: Unlike Wild Arms 1-3 which made no qualms about being a “cartoon” (least of all Advanced 3rd), Media Vision suddenly decided that the series needs to conform to different standards now, realistic ones, specifically. In fact, if there is any one game Code F resembles, it would be Media Vision’ other main PS2 entry, Legaia: Dual Saga, to such an extent in fact, that if one familiar with said game can picture it set in Fargaia, they will inadvertently ‘discover’ this one. From the very first seconds of playing, gamers familiar with Dual Saga will notice numerous similarities: emaciated characters of little detail, huge environments of a seemingly bland nature, a generic approach to exploration etc. Without intending to be disrespectful and unappreciative of the massive undertaking this port required, there is nonetheless a subconscious belief that Code F actually does in fact, use the Dual Saga game engine. It is somewhat difficult to say that Advanced 3rd also would be as realistic, for the cell shading format served as a constant reminder that despite the characters being proportional to reality, they appeared even more cartoon-ish then they did super deformed.

It is important to note, however, that just because the graphics are far less interesting this time around does not mean they are neglected. Careful players can spot even the tiniest details littered throughout the environments, even things as trivial as boxes being labeled of their contents. It’s not that the game does not pay attention to everything in it, but rather that ‘everything’ is seemingly ordinary to begin with. The game allows players to select from three different vantage points, essentially reduced to “far”, “normal”, and “close” (selected by pushing the right analog stick up or down) however all seem equally flawed: On the world map or in towns, all three of the perspectives are lousy, depicting the characters as small twigs, pretty much on all three views. In houses and dungeons however, the “far” perspective zooms so far out as to make navigation difficult, while the “close” option zooms in to such an extent that the player is unable to see more than a few steps ahead. The “normal” view has a few issues as well, but seems to be the most balanced of the three. Why the creators continuously decide against a true 3-D approach/dynamic camera angle is truly a mystery, as in this day and age the only function of the right analog stick should be to manually adjust the camera, not play around with its focus.

Alter Code: F revolves around a diverse group of travelers who, for a variety of personal reasons, traverse the barren desert which is their world of Fargaia. Plant life long since eradicated via a tumultuous event in its history, Fargaia teeters on the verge of destruction, plagued all the more by those who would seek to use up the scarce remaining energy which still remains. Hidden in labyrinths of days gone by are a variety of treasures from the last dominant society. Much of these finds, from the forbidden ARMs (Ancient Relic Machine) to the mythical Golems hold powers reaching far beyond the means of human ability and power. Nestled into this sad equation is an evil syndicate who seeks to see to Fargaia’s demise via the resurrection of a horrific evil long since considered departed. It is therefore up to the player to assume the roles of the main characters to make sure that Fargaia’s future continues to exist; to make sure the world becomes more than a barren wilderness. While Media Vision did not seek to reinvent the game, it certainly did rewrite it to an extent. Even those familiar with the original’s story will note some pleasant surprises. Whereas Wild Arms, for example, starts off by requiring the player to select from (and then play through) three different scenarios, Code F instead presents them in a truly linear fashion: first is Rody’s scenario, second Zach’s scenario, and third Cecilia’s in that order. In fact, even after beginning the game most proper the linearity still remains: Whereas the original allowed players to control the three characters separately until they met up shortly after, Code F centers only on Rody; Zach and Cecilia are already in the meeting place.

Along this line of change are the arguably drastic (depending on how familiar the player is with the series) alterations made to the game play itself. Completely throwing out the system used in the original Wild Arms, Code F instead directly utilizes that of Advanced 3rd, which translates into using skill ‘points’ gained by leveling up to increase statistics rather than via purchasing and wearing equipment. Also returning is the realistic integration of bullet based weapons and their subsequent necessity to be reloaded after expending ammunition. Even worse (or better, depending on the gamer), the sonar-type GPS system once again returns, requiring new areas to be ‘discovered’ on the world map. To the majority of gamers who probably overlooked Wild Arms, or simply had no idea it even existed in the first place, these changes represent nothing more than a continuation of the concepts from Advanced 3rd. For those who fans of the original game, however, may be more than a bit disappointed, and indeed their gripes are not unfounded: the lack of equipment ensures that players essentially collect gella (the monetary denomination in Fargaia) in order to modify Rody’s main weapon and nothing else, and increasing abilities lies solely in the purchasing and finding of skill-imbued items. Furthermore, the use of skill points translates into the game forcing battles so that players can level up enough to gain the means to use the abilities in the first place. Thus, Media Vision revives their first game with a customization based system that many in fact complained about in the last entry, yet nonetheless resurfaces for this one.

If Code F represents a continuation of the dynamics introduced in Advanced 3rd, there are still quite a few areas where it needed to work a bit harder to do so: For one, the ‘ASK’ system is no longer available, thus dialogues returns to being monotonous and simplistic in nature. Part of the draw in Advanced 3rd rested in the fact that players sometimes had to use the ASK system (basically interacting with key words in dialogue to gain a further understanding of them) in order to find the next location to travel to. Code F unfortunately just rehashes the now mundane practice of the series, meaning that the characters go on an endless cycle of traveling to a town, finding out where to go from a specific cut scene, going to the location, clearing the dungeon, then going to a new town; repeat over and over. Even more alarming is the fact that the map radar system is all but useless considering that once your characters know where to go, a blinking dot will then appear on the map indicating exactly where to search.

Filling the “void” left by the removal of ASK, gamers instead find an “Event Item” system which has the depth of a straight line: certain characters want a specific key item and thus players (assuming they have it) need only open their item menu and select it. Why the process, then, is so clunky is indeed a mystery: Unlike games like Final Fantasy II or IV which had a special listing (key words and key items, respectively), Code F requires the player to open up the status screen, select the ‘Item’ option, then use the “L” or “R” buttons to cycle through the item listings until they find the correct selection. It’s an unnecessary hassle that could be instantly solved via the simple use of a special screen pop up for Event Item selection.

Also sorely missing are the four person battles; the game sadly marks a return to the magical 3-D RPG number of…3. This issue becomes even more disappointing considering that Code F features three entirely new playable characters. The characters, though not exactly “surprising” when one finds out who they indeed are, come as a much welcomed addition to the game, if only for the fact that Media Vision decided to spread out the distribution of personal abilities. Each character has a special ability which can be used in battle; Rody has a Lock On shot which increases power and accuracy, Jack has “Accelerator” which assures first movement in battle, Cecilia has “Median” which conjures summoned monsters. Other abilities from the previous games do return as well, but only surfacing via the new playable characters.
This of course, segues nicely into the core of an RPG, the battles themselves. Fighting is almost exactly the same as in Advanced 3rd; everything from the constantly moving characters to the aforementioned necessity to reload ammunition. Returning from Advanced 3rd is the Migrant System, a tool which allows players to choose (for the most part) which battles they do and do not wish to engage in. While wandering in dungeons, or on the world map, exclamation marks will pop above the character’s head. Pushing the “X” button will cancel the battle at the expense of costing a percentage of the Migrant Point gauge (which can be increased along the way and refilled by resting at an inn among other means) while pushing the “O” button or doing nothing at all will trigger the battle. Fighting works just as with previous entries: players select from a variety of commands, all presented in a simplistic and easy to use five block grid system (think Estopolis/Lufia). Commands range from Auto Attack, Attack, Force (special abilities), Magic (if the character can use it), items, etc. Defending will automatically reload ammunition for the characters whose attacks expend it. Upon completing the battle, players will be awarded the spoils of battle, which may or may not include a treasure chest containing any random item (how else can the player acquire a Miracle Berry, which restores 2000 HP, within the first 10 minutes of play). Any lost HP will be restored provided your character has points left in their Vitality Gauge, another featured carried over from Advanced 3rd. This gauge functions much like the Migrant counter and can be refilled likewise, ether via on screen map items, or other methods.

In the past, the greatest draw to Wild Arms’s horribly generic battle system came from its forgoing the use of Magic Points (MP) and replacing them with ‘Force Points’ (FP): each character begins the battle with an amount of FP equal to their current experience level, however each action they take (save for using FP) increases the number, which extends to 100 (100 FP is known as ‘Condition Green’). Players can use FP to cast magic spells (in Cecilia’s case for example), or use special attacks of varying nature. The problem, though, is that Media Vision got greedy. It now seeks to integrate MP as well, and hence players have to worry about three separate sets of numbers in battle. The result is a system quite unlike the previous installments: this time around, most abilities (such as Jack’s Fast Breaks, or Cecilia’s magic) require MP to use, with FP generally restricted to use of Force Abilities. All in all things are business as usual, but with an added hurdle now thrown in for “fun”.

New to the port, however, is the addition of experience boosting interwoven with fighting. Nearly every move a player makes in battle will trigger a tiny percentage of experience bonus to occur (which the game notifies the player of near the bottom left of the screen) which thus makes battles somewhat less tedious since players will constantly strive for active participation in them in order to achieve the highest experience boost possible. Even in the early stages of the game it is quite possible to polish off a boss monster and receive over 2X the normal exp. Though the aspiration for high boosts will ultimately make no real difference after hours and hours of game play (save for perhaps bosses), it still allows for the process of battle boredom to occur at a much less dramatic pace than usually characterized with the Wild Arms series. Thus, the game is vastly different from the original even in the gameplay sense, though the new changes may be received with much criticism. For one thing, having to waste a turn and reload ammunition is just ridiculous in an RPG. It’s understandable for a game like Biohazard or House of the Dead to require reloading, however for a genre that never had any roots in reality to begin with; this fundamental ‘concept’ is nothing more than a waste of time and source of annoyance.

Conforming to the high standards adhered to in porting the game, the aural side of Code F delivers in spades as well. Series composer Michiko Naruke once again provides for a poignant and paramount assault on the ears, combining brand new tracks side by side with amazingly sophisticated remixes of old ones. In fact, listening to the remixed original tunes may cause an ephemeral feeling of confusion, as gamers begin to marvel at how they could ever treasure the now “simplistic” compositions which graced the series premiere entry. Unfortunately, despite the excellent music interwoven with the game, there are still nonetheless dud tracks, be it a result of the original track sounding bad itself, or the remix altering it to such an extent (the battle music for example) that it actually hurts the piece rather than redeems it. Realistically it is impossible for an artist to create work of unquestionable brilliance 100% of the time, and this game certainly adheres to this fact. The ‘bad’ music essentially stems from two separate branches of composition:

A. The music did not work originally and still fails to, despite being remixed. A prime example of the first case would be the battle music: although none of the games in the Wild Arms series features battle music as compelling as in some of Square’s RPGs, many will agree that the original game featured the least impressive battle theme of them all. Despite the significant remixing of this constantly playing piece, it still comes off as quite boring; it still comes off as a track which does not energize the player into sitting through *another* battle. The normal boss music is very much the same way unfortunately.

B. The tracks that did work once-upon-a-time yet because of the remixing, no longer do. A prime example of this phenomenon can be heard in the overworld music. Whereas the original version consisted of a simplistic ‘whistling’ sound over a catchy melody, the remix opts to remove the ‘whistling’ and instead replace it with a variety of instruments which actually accomplish nothing other than to wash out the de-emphasized (though still catchy) melody. In fact, the one part of the remixed theme which does deliver is the addition in part of it of a chorus chanting element to it, which echoes the lacking melody. (Sadly however, the constant hearing of this effect significantly ruins it. As cool as it may be, it would best be used only in pieces of significant importance, and which play only sporadically.). The original over world theme can still be heard, however, in all its glory, but more on that shortly.

Amazingly, the intro anime theme which not only served to characterized the original Wild Arms but instantly establish Naruke as a brilliant composer as well, is left untouched and plays out in the same splendor it always had. What is different, though, is a brand new anime intro done in a style quite similar to Wild Arms Advanced 3rd: as you progress through the game the anime intro will expand to reveal new characters, or better highlight others. It works quite well and actually makes the game feel more like a high production value anime series rather than some generic animated garbage the company churned out just to showcase the artwork.

Directly related to the musical side is, of course, the controversial addition of speech to the game. Hardly to the extent of voice acting featured in a game like Final Fantasy X, Code F limits its spoken dialogue solely to candid remarks in battle and the occasional onomatopoeia associated with running into objects or falling off surfaces. Surprisingly enough however, the voice acting just plain stinks, something highly uncharacteristic of the Japanese. So grating/annoying are the sound clips that for once the domestic release could actually outperform the import; quite shocking since this stems from a country that equates voice acting with media celebrity. Fortunately players can deal with this situation in a civilized manner, as Media Vision, via the customization menu, allows the player to turn on or off *each* of the main character’s voice acting any time they want to. Code F truly represents a rarity in Japanese gaming, at least in the sense that the voice acting is nowhere near the level typically associated with it.

Now it’s time to take off the gloves. While it is understood that Alter Code: F is by no means a new game, the creators sure put enough time and effort into it to make the player believe that as much as possible. To this end the game becomes quite disappointing, for some at least. After three significant tales (and then some) in the world of Fargaia, it’s about time for a change of pace; the series is more than a bit stale. Back in the mid to late 1980’s, when developers had enough trouble just trying to craft a mess of pixilated blocks into a distinguishable entity, the banal, repetitive manner in which Alter Code: F unravels itself in would be acceptable. Currently, though, it’s 2003 and while some players in the gaming community have tried their best to innovate things, Media Vision instead seeks to keep its foot firmly rooted in the past decade instead of accepting the current. Why does the game become so boring at times? Why do the battles get tiresome even with the little “perks” designed to attract attention? Why has every last grain of sand from the original Wild Arms been scattered to the wind, but the hourglass itself retained?

Alter Code: F also seeks to reinforce the belief that the Wild Arms series have some of the most forgettable and ill conceived plots this side of a development meeting. Things become quite alarming when a gamer can write off the plot of an RPG before even starting to play it. Yeah, sure this game rehashes the same plot as the original, but seriously now: why is it that Square can write an endless number of dramatically and multi-layered mythos, and yet Sony and Media Vision can not? With each new game, the Wild Arms series strives more and more to haphazardly emulate the more successful games of the genre, culminating this time via the use of gut wrenching FMV that resembles something the Super Famicom could pull off given enough memory. If a company can not create even bottom line FMV in this day and age, it has no business using the medium in the first place. How Sony can let such horrendous animation pass off as in game entertainment is truly a mystery.

To end on a somewhat more positive note, for those gamers who foolishly bought into Sony’s HDD crap and purchased it (a decision that came at a *significantly* higher cost than all those gamers in the USA who will be able to purchase at a scant $99, and with Final Fantasy XI no less), Code F serves to bring some sort of calm to the masses which Sony duped. (Translation: the HDD is a pointless add on doomed from the start which, had Sony *properly* utilized it, maybe more developers would actually give a hoot about and program with it in mind). As with Wild Arms Advanced 3rd, players who own the HDD can install the game into it (accompanied by the original Wild Arms over world music in all its glory) which will *significantly* decrease loading times. In fact, loading times are one of the significant areas where Code F comes up a failure: after opting for HDD based loading for a few minutes and then changing to DVD based loading, players will be horrified at the significant delay normal loading entails. Perhaps the real question is whether Sony will keep the HDD install feature in the domestic release of the game: while the HDD *is* coming out in the USA in 2004, this did not stop Sony, Square, Namco, and any other company that utilized the HDD in the past from removing the support from the USA versions of their games. One would certainly hope Sony will keep the feature in the USA version, or else the already nonsensical decision to release the add-on becomes even more dubious.

Had Wild Arms Advanced 3rd never released, perhaps gamers would have more to love about Alter Code: F. As it stands however, Sony and Media Vision offer a game which is practically a clone of the last series entry, only with different story and characters. Perhaps, though, in this case successfully emulating impressions in Square’s footsteps would not be such a bad decision after all: for every Final Fantasy created, there are also Brave Fencers, Parasitic Eves, Chrono Crosses, and [Kingdom] Hearts thrown into the mix as well; Media Vision however, offers game after game of the same bland experience, game after game of the same extremely tired formula. Sony claims that Another Code: F will offer a radically different gaming experience; really it had better or else there may not be enough fans left in waiting for whatever comes next.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/03, Updated 03/24/04