Wild Arms

"Easily the best game ever."

This is easily my favorite game of all time. Wild Arms starts out weak, but quickly develops and becomes immensely better. So if you can handle the first part (is isn’t that bad), do so, it is well worth it.

Story-10/10:
After you get past the “initial ending“ (you’ll know when you see it; the credits roll and the game appears to be over), the game goes steadily uphill. A huge series of intriguing plot twists occur, and you begin feeling as though you were one of the characters.

There are also a hefty number of sidequests to attempt, nearly all of which are very challenging and fun.

Another notable thing about the story is the initial three separate quests. A lot like Saga Frontier, except smaller scale. However, these separate quests merge into one shortly after the beginning, quite unlike Saga Frontier.

Gameplay-8/10:
Good gameplay. Nothing especially notable though. Each character has their own set of skills that they (and only they) can use. This makes them highly uncustomizable, which has both pros and cons.

Graphics-9/10:
Graphics never really bothered me with games (unless they are really hard on the eyes, like Commodore 64 *wince*). These graphics aren’t very good by today’s standards. However, I liked them fine. But if 2-D doesn’t do it for you, then you should either adjust, or not play this game. I recommend the former.

Sound-9/10:
First off, the music is excellent.It sets just the right kind of mood, and adds a lot to the game.

Sound effects are nothing to write home about, though. Basically, when you run, you hear your footsteps, when you use a bomb (small bombs, for blowing up rocks and boxes. No, this is not a terrorist game, it’s an RPG) you will hear a small explosion, etc.

Relay Value-5/10:
Well, it is an RPG, so you can’t expect much of this. However, I have played through this game 6 times, simply because I love it so much. The main problem is that everything is obtainable the first time through. Despite that, I recommend you play this at least twice. Once without (or with very few) sidequests, so as you can really enjoy the story line and such, and again with the sidequests, as they are hella fun.

Rent or Buy:
I’d buy. This game gives you a steady 40 hours of gameplay (without sidequests), so renting it would involve spending a great deal of your days on it, or racking up a lot of late fees. Plus, this is the kind of game you will probably want to play again in a few years.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/16/02, Updated 08/16/02