Review NaN of 7
, from Upstate NY
Price Paid:
$39.00
from Electronics Boutique (where else??) Summary:
"Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits" is an excellent RPG. Why more people (apparently) are not giving this game a chance is a mystery to me. A game that has not received nearly as much marketing support or fanfare as it deserves, "Arc The Lad: ToS" is a beautifully-crafted, exceedingly well-structured "strategy RPG". Now, don't let that term scare you off. This game plays a lot like a traditional (Final Fantasy; Grandia, etc.) style Role Playing Game, only with a unique battle system. This battle system is a brilliantly devised aspect of an otherwise solid and interesting game. Think of Final Fantasy Tactics meets Grandia, and you get a bit of an idea of the great battle system's style. It works beautifully, as battles are challenges which can be met with varied approaches. In battles, it is turn-based, and you may move your party's characters to anywhere within their predetermined range of motion. You may opt to keep your characters who use long-range weaponry toward the back, away from the adversaries. You don't have to, so you can discover alternate means of deploying them that work. If you keep party members too close to each other, you are vulnerable to attacks that may strike them both simultanoeusly! Same principle holds true of the enemies, and you look for those opportunities to do damage to more than one opponent. ALso, if you leave your back exposed to the enemy, they can strike you for large damage. If you are facing the enemy (on the battlefield) your character receives lesser damage, and has a good chance of partially blocking the attack or even dodging attacks altogether. Being struck from the side results in average amount of damage (for lack of better description). The fluidity of the battles and the freedom you have withing skirmishes make fighting creative and enjoyable. I actually look forward to the battles, which by the way, do not occur with the frequency of random battles you find in most traditional RPGs.
There are so many good things present in Arc The Lad: ToS, I almost don't know where to start. This series has a very rich history in both Japan and the rest of the world, but I was never involved in any of the previous games. I have read, however, that this game has been a very pleasant surprise to many of the series' fans. From my perspective, as an older gamer who plays games of all genres, this is a very original game with style and depth that I was not expecting. I only purchased this game on an impulse, when a store clerk steered me away from Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. He said they had a lot of returns of BoF, but that he recommended Arc The Lad instead. I had read several magazine reviews that were fairly negative about Arc The Lad, so I had dismissed it as probable bargain bin fodder that I would buy in the Fall.
I am so grateful I listened to the guy at EB.
As I have played through over 20 hours of Arc The Lad, I am constantly impressed by the mature and interesting script. Many RPGs try too hard to be clever or unique, and they fall into a trap of making everything so utterly twisted up and complex, I often find it pretentious and annoying. I do like some of the Final Fantasy scripts, but even they get too convoluted at times. Arc The Lad has a rich and engrossing script that rivals the best RPG scripts we have seen to date. Maybe it's just me, but the story of two brothers, separated by fate, and their parallel stories of growth and destiny...it all works great for me. I find the stories of Kharg (who lives with humans and is regarded as royalty of sorts) and Darc (a deimos, or demon/human hybrid) to be gripping storytelling. I want so much to see resolution to their tale, and to see what fate truly has in store for them both. Similar to Suikoden 3 (another great RPG), we get the unique opportunity to see events and the progression of the story, from the vantage point of two different characters, the two brothers. Actually, we "see" the story from the perspectives of many characters, as you have many unique members of your parties. This clever storytelling choice does not come across as "gimmick" (like it did to some degree in Suikoden 3). Here, it is so cleverly written, it is just a refreshing device that makes the story more robust and though-provoking. It is amazing to me, how well the story flows along, despite shifting many times between characters. It is masterful design at work here, and this game deserves a lot more credit than it has received thus far!
The game boasts many colorful (sometimes funny) characters, very nice graphics (better than some critics are saying), great script and dialogue, a navigable World Map, towns and cities that are unique and interesting, airships, flying dragons, and one of the best battle systems in any RPG. At the core of all this good stuff is a great story, told very well. Maybe the audience that will really embrace this game is a bit older (in age or maturity) than the typical demographics for RPGs. But, I am convinced that erroneous magazine and Internet reviews have scared off too many people who will discover that this is a gem of a game they will enjoy tremendously..if only they give it a chance.
I would rank the game very high on my list of BEST PS2 games, up there alongside Final Fantasy X, ICO, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and a few others. It is easily as good a game as Suikoden 3, another excellent RPG.
What I really love about the script is that you never really are sure what will happen next. Becuase of the unusual culture of the Deimos race (and others like the Drakyr), they see things in their own unique way. This cultural difference leads to some unexpected plot twists. For example, there are several betrayals, key characters get stabbed in the back or actually killed, and their are some very shady characters who never seem to truly show all their cards. The tension created by the prospects for betrayal by characters involved within or around your party, keeps you guessing. Great storytelling device, used with restraint.
So, what else do you need to know? If you like RPGs and have even a passing interest in tactical battles...do yourself a favor and give "Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits" a try. It would be a shame if good gamers miss this awesome game.
Misterdizz's Summary: (scores out of 10)
OVERALL QUALITY: 8.5
GAMEPLAY: 9
SIDEQUESTS or MINIGAMES: 6.5
GRAPHICS: 8.5
SOUND: 7.5
REPLAY VALUE: 7
REVIEWER'S TILT: 9
One-line comment:
"The story, graphics, and strategic battle system are all exceptional enough to recommend this title to any fan of RPGs!" Report this review >>
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