Having bought this game ages ago and never finished it, I was thrilled to be able to play it on a modern system. Starting it up again transported me immediately back to the before-times, booting it up just to hear the whistly intro tune after the morning's episode of Sailor Moon. What a strange time portal this game opened.
That sort of nostalgia seeps into every nook and cranny of Wild Arms. It's an extremely 90s-era RPG, right down to the silent protagonist and mysteriously mystical woman who just so happens to be a princess. And anime-Indiana Jones with a pet rat.
The story is the usual good versus evil. Nothing entirely exciting, but the characters make it worth the journey. There are only 3 that are played throughout the runtime of the game - aside from the prologue which allows the player to see each individual character's intro and motivations before the party gets together. It's a small amount of player characters - especially in this era of Final Fantasy's diverse cast or the 100+ party membes in Suikoden. And although they're dripping with your usual tropes like silent protagonist with a mysterious past, angsty rebel who needs to understand where power lies, and - my personal favorite - woman, they're all extremely likable.
It makes the 30+ hour trip through a fantasy world all worth it. All your usual fare is here. Random battles, magic, equipment, summons, ships, airships, ghost ships, etc etc. A very charming time capsule of a game that would grow into a cult favorite franchise. Highly recommended.
That sort of nostalgia seeps into every nook and cranny of Wild Arms. It's an extremely 90s-era RPG, right down to the silent protagonist and mysteriously mystical woman who just so happens to be a princess. And anime-Indiana Jones with a pet rat.
The story is the usual good versus evil. Nothing entirely exciting, but the characters make it worth the journey. There are only 3 that are played throughout the runtime of the game - aside from the prologue which allows the player to see each individual character's intro and motivations before the party gets together. It's a small amount of player characters - especially in this era of Final Fantasy's diverse cast or the 100+ party membes in Suikoden. And although they're dripping with your usual tropes like silent protagonist with a mysterious past, angsty rebel who needs to understand where power lies, and - my personal favorite - woman, they're all extremely likable.
It makes the 30+ hour trip through a fantasy world all worth it. All your usual fare is here. Random battles, magic, equipment, summons, ships, airships, ghost ships, etc etc. A very charming time capsule of a game that would grow into a cult favorite franchise. Highly recommended.