I must admit, I've played all the Wild Arms games, I'm a gaming junkie, at least I like to think so. And I must admit, it's about time I see a totally complete "Western RPG" complete with clashes of cultures, trains, horses, and the whole nine yards! Oh, but it doesn't stop there either. It envisions the world as a wasteland that is actually dying from efforts being made to try and save it.

And this time they upped the ante by having four characters instead of three. The real main character, however, is Virginia Maxwell (you've heard the surname before, right? Think the original Wild Arms), an 18-year-old who decided to become a "Drifter" or a person who actually dares to try and cross the wasteland of the world known as Filgaia.

I feel that I should cover the graphics, and tell you that they're flat out gorgeous! Though they have a few problems with flicker and such, this game still manages to be one of the better looking RPGs on the PS2. The cel-shaded graphics flow seemlessly with the environments around the characters.

And for once the design is not butt-ugly for the battle scenes. It's a combo of the old Wild Arms systems from before, and the battle system of Grandia. It adds that much more realism to the feel of it. It can get boring at times, but for the most part it's quite well done. And the music fits the mood as well. But what I don't like is how in order to escape from battle, you have to use a spell to do it. Kinda dumb, but oh well, you can take on most enemies without a hitch.

The controls are easy for this game too. If you played Wild Arms 2, you'll be familiar with how the mechanics of this game work as well. You need to find the locations you'll be visiting next, and in order to do so, you need a map so you can explore. I must admit, I like the way that this game does things. Creating a believable world where practically no water exists and because of it people are trying to save it. The "Ridepod" is an example of how you can get around on the sea of sand and such, and it's a fully functional way of doing so. And if you ever get lost, hit Square and you'll be back at the port town of "Jolly Roger".

The game itself is quite long. As if this writing, I am 23 hours into the game, and I feel like I am barely touching the surface of it. I don't want to go into details, but I know I am fairly far in this game having gotten past Yggdrasil and such. But anywho, I'm leaving it at that, and am going to get into what I think is the best part of this game, the music.

Now for those who read my Dark Cloud 2 review, you should know how much game music does mean to me. It sets the mood for things to come, and if composed right, can do wonders for a game. And Michiko Naruke did a fantastic job of composing the music for Wild Arms 3. The maze themes are awesome, especially the one that plays for the Leyline Observatory. Brilliantly done, and a nice mix of guitar, whistling, orchestra, and all that jazz create a soundtrack that is indeed worth a listen.

I'd have to go as far as to say this is some of the best music in the series to date. And I can't wait to see what Wild Arms 4 is going to bring. This is an excellent game that should be added to any PS2 fan's old-school RPG collection.

Recommended: Yes