Mike_Bracken's Full Review: Skies Of Arcadia Legends for GameCube
Unfortunately, many people didnt own a Dreamcast. Segas little white gaming box was a magnificent machine that just never got the mainstream love and respect it so richly deserved. A glance through the library of titles released seems to bear this out even morethere was, quite simply, some fantastic games for Segas last console.
Perhaps none was more fantastic than Overworks RPG, Skies of Arcadia. Released late in the DCs life-cycle, SoA was a game a that a lot of gamers missed out onwhich was a shame, because it was one of the best console RPGs in recent memory.
Fortunately, Sega and Overworks have resurrected SoA, porting the title over to the GameCube and enhancing it with some new features and story elements while giving it a spiffy new title to boot. This directors cut now bears the title Skies of Arcadia Legends, and believe me when I tell you that it is easily the best RPG currently available for the Cube (which is sort of like saying George W. Bush is the best president currently living in the White Housebut trust me, this game is much better than that).
While at its core, SoA is a traditional RPGcomplete with all the trappings of the genre like fetch quests, turn-based battles, and so forthwhat really sets it apart is a combination of the execution and the aesthetic vision that colors the title.
Set in world where pirates fly around in a sea of sky, landing occasionally on floating islands of terra firma, SoA just looks different than most of the other RPGs out there. While the move away from a traditional world seems rather minor when reading about it, the way its presented in the game makes for an almost wholly unique experience. What appears to be a minor cosmetic change at best has a much more profound effect on the playermaking what should seem safe and traditional feel much more new and daring. Its an odd feeling, honestlyI know that its not anything blazingly new, but I cant help but be impressed by it anyway.
And that sentiment is one that gamers will feel time and time again throughout Skies of Arcadia. While the game is a largely traditional affair, it tweaks convention just enough to give everything a fresh spin. In a sea of RPGs that bring little in the way of innovation to the table (in terms of gameplay, narrative structure, or even aesthetic design) this game, quite simply, stands out.
For those whove been fortunate enough to play the Dreamcast incarnation of the game, theres enough new material here to justify a replay. Some new plot details and other elements have been added, and while they dont radically change the story, they do enhance it a bit.
Perhaps the best bit of news is that the games random encounter rate has been lowered. The Dreamcast versions major flaw that it was filled with countless random battles. Overworks heard the complaints, and there are now fewer random encounters (and monsters that give more experience) in the game. However, as a trade-off, it seemed to me as if a lot of the fights in the game had become more difficult. Because of this, Skies of Arcadia Legends may be a bit daunting for the RPG novice.
Unfortunately, while the game got some enhancing, the graphics didnt.
Visually, SoA is looking a little rough around the edges. There arent any major graphical imperfectionsbut more a case of the graphics looking dated in comparison to todays crop of games. This shouldnt be an issue for the hardcore RPG crowd, thoughwere used to games not always having the best graphics.
The title makes up for it with an excellent battle system. Once again, things seem rather traditional with a standard turn-based system, but it works quite nicely. The inclusion of a series of ship vs. ship battles seems equally interesting, although the full potential is never truly realized.
Boss fights are suitably epic, with large monsters featuring a variety of devastating attacks to test your mettle. Once again, though, the encounters seem a bit harder than they were on the Dreamcastnecessitating a fair amount of level-building on the part of the player to overcome the majority of the games enemies. This can be a bit disappointing when one just wants to advance the plot, but those looking for a challenge in todays world of overly easy RPGs should find the fights here a welcome change of pace.
Ultimately, Skies of Arcadia Legends is a game that is greater than the sum of its parts. While it seems to be a rather formulaic title with dated graphics, theres just something magical about the experience that transcends simple gaming. If youre at all interested in RPGs, then you need this game in your library. Forget about the traditional battle system, the dated graphics, or the required level building--Skies of Arcadia is simply too good a game to pass up.
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