Wild Arms

"Better than Final Fantasy 7 AND 8."

I got this game long long ago in the ages before Final Fantasy 7, and the rise of the RPG market in America. I had been trying to find a satisfying RPG for my PSX and had only come upon Beyond the Beyond, which really sucks. I hadn't gotten my hands on Suikoden and I didn't care that much for Persona. Final Fantasy 7 was still several months away and I was beginning to give up hope for something to tide me over until then.

Then one day I looked in an issue of PSExtreme (remember that?) and they had a preview for this new RPG. I looked it over and was quite pleased with the overall look. They gave a few details, mostly praise, and the thing that shocked me the most was this game was only a couple of weeks from releasing! I went to EB in the mall and asked them when they'd have it in. I got the date (don't remember) and they had a deal: If you turn in two old PS games, then Wild Arms will only cost 25 dollars! I went home, brought back Doom and Street Fighter Alpha. I really hated parting with them since they were great games but I had a gut feeling on this one. Luckily I was right. I got the game the day it came out ,took it home and played it all night long. Needless to say, I love this game. It feels so right, so well done, and I still love it to this day even though I have never played the sequel (surprised?). On a side note, after playing through FF7 and FF8, I STILL like this game better. FF7 is a great game but Wild Arms is better, I'm sorry FF diehards, I like the FF series but that game wasn't the be all end all. Now more about Wild Arms!

Graphics:

They are an interesting mixture of 2D exploration and 3D combat. The 2D aspects are done with a bit of CG and your characters have several frames of animation and are even scaled so that when they turn around, they actually have every frame to turn and face the other direction. The backdrops are well done, the colors are rich and bright when needed and dark and dreary when the mood befits it. The towns are full of little things that happen to add life and overall, it's just great and retains a familiar feel of the SNES RPG days.

Now the battles. They are in 3D with polygons and shifting camera views. Now compared to FF7, these characters are just a bit funny looking. Think Lunar 2 sprites in 3D. It doesn't detract at all from the experience and I couldn't see it any other way since it fits so well the feel of the game. The monsters look great and some of them eclipse the designs in FF7. How can that be? Textures. Instead of gourad shading, all the 3D objects in the battles scenes have textures and details, much like FF8 and 9 did. This gives the enemies more character in my opinion and they don't seem so strange or detail-less as some of the FF7 enemies. There aren't any movie scenes save for the beginning and end, but it doesn't matter. This is classic style RPG play that dabbles into the future with it's battles.

Sound:

This game also topples FF7 in the sound department too. Instead of using synth instruments, this game is done in Redbook audio and features a great score. Since the game is western themed you get a lot of the music you heard in a lot of the Clint Eastwood movies. It's wonderful but then there is some of the different music which is a style of it's own. I can't say that there is ANY track in this game that I didn't like.

Sound effects, also better than FF7. Rather than the synth noises that all FF games seem to have, Wild Arms has high quality recordings. When you hit monsters, they scream out and when they attack you, they growl and moan. Swords sound like swords and the gunshots sound excellent. Everything is crisp and clear without the slightest bit of fuzziness.

Control:

Perfect. The menu system is like Shining Force and is easy to get used to. You characters can run, lay bombs, ride roller skates, and even use grappling hooks like in Zelda. And it's all so easily executed on the PS controller.

Plot:

I won't spoil it for you. Sure, there are a few tried and true cliches, but this game has it's own style going for it on the most part. It's the only western-themed RPG I have ever seen and it's gameplay style is remiscent of earlier Final Fantasy games but it has it's own developed systems for using the ''Force'' energy and summoning the god-creatures. In short, you need to play this game to appreciate the story it tells and then be in wonderment that Sony themselves can deliver such a great experience.

Challenge:

Believe it or not, this game can be challenging. It's got lots of puzzles to rack your brain on, some of the boss monsters are tough, but the game stays fair. If you get wiped out, you might just need to adjust your strategy or maybe gain a few levels. In all, it's a rewarding experience.

Technical:

Load times are short, almost non-existent. Graphics really don't break up at all and everything is solid. I've never had this game mess up on me at all and I originally played it on a PS that was released in 95. Now I get to play it on PS2 so here's the rundown:

Graphics: In battles, the pixels are gone and in their place you are treated to super smooth texturing.

Load Times: They're gone.

As of yet, the game has never messed up on my PS2 under these enhancements, you might have different results based on how early your PS2 is or your copy of the game.

Overall:

Easily one of the best RPG's ever made. Ever. You owe it to yourself to get this one and experience it and I should really do myself a favor and check out the sequel. I hope it's as good as this one! On a side note, I look more forward to Wild Arms 3 than Final Fantasy X and I'm so glad this game has become a series since it seemed like it didn't get enough mention to continue. Hard to find now but don't give up, it's one of the all-time greatest. Speaking of which, I think I'll go play it right now! Later!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/01, Updated 04/07/02