[PS2] Wild Arms: Vth Vanguard

I'm loving the game myself...

While still very Wild Arms, it also gives me a Skies of Arcadia vibe, which is most certainly a good thing.

Gameplay wise, this is pretty much the best the series has to offer. The hex system returns with a few new twists, battles are more challenging, and the game is simply fun to play. I do appreciate the fact that you are healed after each battle, that random battles do not occur overly frequently (and can be disabled within each dungeon after purifying the sol niger within each dungeon), and that each battle is challenging in and of itself. Most normal enemies could potentially wipe out your party in just a couple turns, if you aren't careful. The game encourages you to take full advantage of everything you've got. Boss battles also take advantage of different battle fields with layouts that add strategy to the whole ordeal. Add in the continue system when you die, and I can say that boss battles have been a highlight here.

Like the 4th Detonator, you are able to run, jump, slide, etc. throughout the environment. This time, however, the game offers a free camera (right stick) and active ARM usage during exploration. The world map has taken a more DQ8 approach and is fairly expansive. The search feature has returned, but is only required for the location of treasure (though there was one item earlier that you had to search for, but the game told exactly where to look so it wasn't a big deal).

The story and characters here are HUGE step in the right direction, though. I'm enjoying the plot so much more than the previous games. They have done a much better job fleshing out the characters this time around and all of them are very likeable. I believe a Japanese sci-fi novelist was actually responsible for the story this time around as well. They do a fantastic job capturing the various dialects and accents in writing here and it makes for some enjoyable scenes.

I actually like the presentation as well. Yeah, it's straight anime, but it's entertaining. Of course, the fact that the writing and character building is much stronger than the previous games in the series really helps as well.

Quick synopsis (very light spoilers)...

Spoiler:

Once again, we are in Filgaea (or however you want to write it), but only in name. It seems that there are things known as Golems scattered about the world and they are believed to be a part of a lost technology. The main character, Dean, has been obsessed with them ever since finding his first bolt when he was a young boy. He idolizes a famous Golem Hunter (the name escapes me) and hopes to one day become one himself. He lives in a small village with a number of folks including his good friend Rebecca. Dean and Rebecca go out exploring one day and Dean approaches her about leaving the village in order to follow his dream, but it's clear that she isn't ready just yet. Things heat up while they are out when a large piece of a golem comes crashing down into a cave. Upon investigating, they find a girl sitting in the hand of a golem's left arm. Dean manages to scoop her up just before the floor collapses. She remembers only two things; her name (Avril) and the name "Joney/Johnny Appleseed". After a conversation back home, Dean decides to start his journey by helping Avril. Obviously very fond of Dean, she decides to join up. The trio reminded me very much of Vyse, Aika, and Fina from Skies of Arcadia, of course, but there is much more to them. From there, you end running into all sorts of characters including a fellow hell bent on destroying every golem he finds as a sort of revenge, a golem hunter who you help out of a pinch, and plenty of others. There are, of course, additional factions who you are often given a peak out (clearly of a different level of technology) who are also searching for J. Appleseed as well as Avril herself. I've just arrived at the technologically advanced city of Lailabel with about 13 hours on the game clock. There is, of course, more to the story (as there are TONS of scenes throughout), but I don't wish to spoil too much.

Oh, and the audio is fantastic. Unlike Generic Badass, I really love the soundtrack. Nearly every track has been memorable and every battle track rocks. I'm sad to see Naruke go (though she is credited with 3 tracks in the manual), but the results here are incredible. This might just be the best soundtrack yet (in the series).

Visuals are solid as well. Great models and clean backdrops abound. Dungeons, battle scenes, and town are all 60 fps while the overworld map and cutscenes are 30 fps.

Still have a ways to go (as I said, I'm only 13 hours in), but thus far, I'm going to say that this is far and away the best game in the series.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Ah yes, the Engrish is pretty bad, isn't it? I pretty much ignore it and listen/read the Japanese instead. It's pretty bizarre that they even bothered with it, but hey...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Generic Badass

It gives stuff flair. That's why you find it on all sort of items in Japan.

Anyway, I just got through the Abandoned Path. I'm a little reluctant to dive into this just because a localization is still not all that unlikely.

You've been playing without being able to understand it or would you just prefer the English?

I can't imagine playing through an RPG like this without knowledge of the language it is written in. I did attempt a Korean RPG a couple years ago and gave up very early on as it just wasn't any fun without understanding it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.