Arc the Lad III

"Incredibly intertaining"

This game really is mind-blowing in almost every aspect. It features the similar gameplay as the previous games in the Arc the Lad series, some guest appearances of characters from the previous games, and about 50 hours of fun. By fun, I mean ''on-the-edge-of-your-seat fun'', not just ''pretty good RPG fun.'' I personally promise that if you like turn-base strategy RPG games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Sayuki, etc., you will love this game. Let's take a closer look at some of the aspects of it, shall we? (If you don't have the time to read the whole thing, skip to the Overview, that's the last paragraph.)

Sounds
The sounds of this game include the amazing background music (sort of jazzy and laid-back, really gets you into the game) and some lines by the characters. There are no voices in Arc III like there are in some of the newer PSX/PS2 games, but when a character casts a spell, they say a short line (sometimes you can't really understand what they say), which just gives you a good idea of what each character would sound like provided the game had voice content. The audio effects in Arc the Lad III are very good, and they definitely will keep you playing non-stop.

Graphics
The graphics here really remind me of the graphics in Xenogears. They aren't like Final Fantasy 8 or anything, but the 2D wonders of this game really portray each character's looks. Each character design is programmed to do certain things (swing a sword, mumble a spell, fall over when KO'ed on the battle field, etc.), which adds just enough ''spice'' to the game to keep you playing.

Gameplay
The gameplay is definitely my favorite part of the game, as it usually is. It's very similar to that of the previous game, Arc II. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a turn-base strategy RPG game, meaning you move your characters on a gridded battlefield and then give them commands to attack, use magic, defend, etc. One thing I really like about the way you get weapons and magic is that you can gather certain items and ''forge'' them, which is like having them upgraded to increase strength and other stats. Unlike Arc the Lad I, in my opinion, this one is rather easy. It's really a good game for beginners at this kind of game, even though if you play the games out of order, you could miss out on something important.

Replay value
Well, this actually happens to have a very high value or replayability. It's best to wait about a year between each replay, however. I bought it two summers ago, and have replayed it twice since. And speak of the devil, but it's May, and it's been a year since I last played it, so I think I'm gonna' be doing that sometime this summer.

Overview
Ultimately, this is a great game, and I would recommend it for RPG fans of all ages. It combines some of the best gaming elements in one small CD that can keep you busy for weeks and weeks. In other games, you could become bored with the music, graphics, or difficulty level, but Arc III was built on the foundation of Arc I and Arc II, so the manufacturers learned from the mistakes (which were few in numbers) of the past games. Great game, rent it if you're not sure, and then buy it. Oh yeah, it isn't available for individual sale, so you have to buy it in a package called ''Arc the Lad Collection.'' This includes all three of the Arc the Lad games (which I loved), and it is like $50-70.00 American : (

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/04