Enchanted Arms

"This game failed to enchant me"

Graphics: Okay, maybe I'm just picky, but I expected more from a next-gen game. The graphics are great in some areas, but seriously lacking in others. Going from the rich, bright, colorful 3D environments when walking around, to a two-dimensional, crayon colored conversation between the characters just seems strange. While the outside environments are bright and rich they just seem to lack a certain life to them.

Gameplay: The battle sequences are nothing special. I like how you can switch camera angles, but I don't like that I can't be closer to the action. It makes me feel like a spectator and not like I'm actually in the fight. The text for the battle commands is also a little small for my taste. For those of us without HDTV, the commands are difficult to read. When Atsuma runs around, he always looks like he's running into the wind which gets a little old after awhile.

Sound: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Your standard Japanese RPG style soundtrack and the voices of the characters get old after awhile. I'd recommend just muting it and playing your own stereo. Believe me, you'll thank me later.

Dialogue: What can I say. Hey lets go to the cafeteria and get some lunch all while having Ru Paul bad mouth me. Sounds exciting huh? The game takes way too long to get going and forces you into meaningless conversations that contribute nothing to the game. The game is also extremely text heavy so if you're not into a lot of reading I'd advise against playing this game. Most of the conversations are extremely boring and you'll find yourself pressing A to speed through the conversations which you can't skip.

Overall: If you really like turn-based strategy games then rent this or borrow from a friend. Be warned though, this game has tons of RPG cliches so when it comes to originality...well there isn't any. I wouldn't say this is the most horrible game in the world, but it definitely makes my top ten of bad games. I was really excited to play this game but I found my hopes were dashed against the rocks. What should have been a really fun, exciting next-gen RPG turned out to be a sub-par, poorly acted action-adventure.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/26/06