The Arc
the Lad series made its American debut in the form of a multi-disc boxed set.
The boxed set included all of the PSone versions of the game, as well as some
extra content. Despite the hefty price tag ($70 when it was released!), the
Arc the Lad collection was well received among the hardcore RPG crowd. Now
that US gamers have experienced the games that started the series, Sony is
ready to release the PlayStation 2 update in the States.
Having
not played the previous games in the series, I can’t compare the battle system
and list all of the changes or improvements that may have been made. I can,
however, tell you that Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits’ gameplay is a lot
different from the Final Fantasy clones that most gamers are used to playing.
The battles are turn-based, and some functions are performed by selecting them
from a menu screen. But the similarities stop there. Battlefields are fairly
wide, and most of the monsters are scattered, making them difficult to reach.
The only way to move them is to change your character’s position. You’re
given the option to do that every turn, and unlike strategy role-playing
games, you can attack the nearest enemy right after moving.
This
style of gameplay has been demonstrated before in games like Parasite Eve.
The outcome for each game has been different, but at this point it seems as if
Twilight of the Spirits will prevail as one of the better RPGs.
One
thing that’s sure to please RPG fans is that Arc the Lad: Twilight of the
Spirits is incorporating a sword upgrading system. While only briefly
mentioned in the demo, it appears as if the weapons are upgraded with magic,
just as they are in one of Sony’s other RPG series, Dark Cloud.
The
story revolves around the Great Spirit Stones. These stones are like Materia
(Final Fantasy VII), or like any other magical orb or stone that the
characters of that particular story need to survive. In this case, the stones
are beneficial to two species: humans and deimos. Deimos are basically
demons, and use the stones to help their spell casting abilities. Humans also
utilize the stones’ powers, but for good, not evil purposes.
The
introduction to the game centers on Kharg, one of the main characters, and
Lloyd, the father of a potential love interest for Kharg. The two have a
quick sword fight, very much like the one between Squall and Seifer in Final
Fantasy VIII’s intro. All of Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits’ movie
sequences are in real-time though, and some (but not all) have voice-overs.
Thus far, the voice acting seems pretty good. Kharg’s voice is typically
cheerful and upbeat, but it works. His acting can’t be fully judged until the
final game is released, but right now I’d say that he is far superior to the
leading men of most anime series.
From a
graphical standpoint, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits is most impressive
off the battlefield. On the battlefield, the game looks kind of bland,
especially when compared to Dark Cloud or Wild Arms. Off the battlefield,
you’ll see buildings with lots and lots of detail. When the demo loads up, a
short movie sequence plays that shows gorgeous sun light effects streaking
through the branches of a large tree. This reminded me of ICO, one of the few
games developed that took the beauty of nature seriously.
Musically, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits has the potential to compete
with big RPG releases like Final Fantasy X-2. The music is instantly
likable. It really draws you in to the experience, especially the story.
Needless to say, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits is turning out to be one
of most anticipated RPGs of the summer. Due for release this June, Twilight
of the Spirits is just the game you’ll want to play on those rainy summer
days.
