Wild Arms

"not the most original title, but quite satisfying"

I don't need to give this game an introduction. Let's just start with the review. First the bad points:

Wild Arms is nothing you haven't seen before. It's a bunch of youths who vanquish a 1000 year old evil. One of whom is an outcast from his own village. Hardly original stuff these days.

The battle graphics are terrible. They would have been a lot more effective if they had either remained 2D or been given more attention. The characters looked very blocky and too superdeformed. Their field sprites are reasonably proportioned. The monsters, however, still look great. Even the first boss the party fights as a team looks pretty intimidating.

Sometimes, you're not given a clear hint as to where to go next. I found myself wandering around aimlessly, until I broke down and looked up a walkthrough.

Why does Rudy have no dialogue? He is not the lead character. He, Jack, and Cecilia are equal characters, and should all have dialogue.

The good:
While the story isn't that original, I enjoyed it. It was paced nicely and never got boring. The translation was actually good, and the characters were likeable (esp. Hanpan). There were quite a few touching moments that made me feel for the characters.

The music is quite nice. I like how it blends traditional fantasy with wild west. It's a perfect complement to this game.

The anime intro is one of the best intros. Very few intros can surpass this one.

the guns: I've always loved RPGs with guns, and the guns Rudy collects are really nice.

The ending: Now this is what an RPG ending should be. Granted it was a bit corny, but it was quite long and ultimately quite satisfying. I felt as if my 30-something hours spent on the game had been richly rewarded.

fun factor: This game is a lot of fun to play. It has easy-to-follow game mechanics and a very intuitive battle system. To balance that, the game is actually somewhat challenging. The bosses aren't pushovers, the puzzles can be tricky, and the dungeons have quite a few dead ends.

little things: It's really the little things that made me like Wild Arms. You can name your spells, you can draw your own icons, you can choose which camera angle you want in battle, and things like that are great. It's these little touches that made the game so cool.

If you're looking for something like you have never played before, stay away from Wild Arms. If you're just looking for a solid, hearty ''meat-and-potatoes'' RPG, then you will be quite satisfied with Wild Arms.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/16/00, Updated 05/16/00