Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel

"I can't think of a good tagline for this review."

Introduction:
I will admit that the only reason that I bought this game was because of the words "Square-Enix" on the cover. I am a Square-Enix fan (not fanboy). I have loved many of the games they've developed and/or published (FF7, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Kingdom Hearts, Xenogears), liked some (FF8, The Bouncer, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time), and hated some (Unlimted Saga, Torneko). This title would probably fall in the "like" category. Its good in some ways and bad in some. Its one of those games that you either love or hate. I've never seen the anime that the title is based on, so I can't say whether seeing the show would have an effect on how much you enjoy the title.

Graphics: 7/10
The graphics are by no means bad in this game, they just look old. Compared to recent Square-Enix titles, the graphics look outdated. If this title was launched shortly after the Playstation 2 then I could understand. Environments are kinda bland and linear. There isn't much to see or do in most areas. Characters are detailed enough, at least the main ones. The enemies are very generic and get boring after a while. I guess the fact that this game was released in 2003 in Japan and is just now making its way to the US has some impact on this.

Music/Sound: 6/10
The music is decent enough for a game, but quite a dissapointment compared to other Square-Enix soundtracks. Most people would just expect more. Voices sound very good though.

Gameplay: 7/10
The gameplay does get a bit repetitive in this game, but there are many fun things to do to make up for it. This title is a hack 'n slash RPG. You make your way through hoards of enemies and the occasional boss. Along the way you can find random objects in levels that you can use alchemy on. You can create a stronger/weaker weapon for you or your partner to use. Or you can create a cannon to blast away all incoming enemies. Or even a pogo stick to bounce around on. The list goes on. It is a nice feature that takes away from some of the repetitiveness of fighting. The only complaint I have with fighting is that it is way too easy most of the time. I was able to kill a boss with only 5 hits from a weapon I made with alchemy! Normal enemies were only doing 1HP damage (out of nearly 300) in a certain dungeon. Besides some minor downpoints, the game is still fun.

Story: 8/10
The story is that Ed and Al, two brothers, are using a forbidden spell to revive their deceased mother. Something goes wrong and Al's body and Ed's leg are destroyed. Ed sacrifices his arm to save Al's spirit and place it into a mechanical body. After that the boys go on a quest for the Philosopher's Stone to return everything to normal. The story moves kinda slow in the game. There are many distractions for the boys that have to be taken care of before they can continue. The story is advanced in cut scenes that simply have pictures of the characters talking and a text box at the bottom. It can be boring at times with nothing going on besides some scrolling text.

Replayability: 6/10
If you play through the game a second time, you will be given the chance to find hidden artwork and pictures for the newly unlocked gallery. You can also unlock a movie gallery with each anime sequence in it.

Overall: 7/10
I know I've constantly said how boring the game is, but its really not that bad. Its a decent little game overall. Its about 10-15 hours in length, and very easy in difficulty. I would suggest renting instead of buying unless you are a hardcore Square-Enix fan.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/05, Updated 02/18/05