Wild Arms is a basic Japanese RPG — a PS1 launch from when the console was on the peak of its recognition. Sadly, not less than right here within the West, Wild Arms was overshadowed by somewhat sport referred to as Closing Fantasy VII, and the property — which might go on to spawn 4 considerably divisive sequels and a few spinoffs — by no means actually took off in the best way that Sq. Enix’s blockbuster franchise did.
The unique Wild Arms continues to be price taking part in in the present day, although, even when components of it are tediously conventional. It tells the story of three foremost characters, who find yourself travelling collectively throughout an virtually post-apocalyptic world. The sport has a distinctly 90s anime tone, and its setting combines fairly normal JRPG fantasy with some Wild West aesthetics. It is an intriguing mix of genres, even when the sport’s general story leans closely into the fantastical aspect of issues.
Certainly, the plot will not win any awards for originality — not even again in 1996 — but it surely’s informed with the form of directness and allure that is so intrinsic to the id of old-fashioned JRPGs. In comparison with trendy titles, there’s little or no dialogue, however characters categorical their personalities by means of gameplay particulars and their actions throughout vital story moments.
In basic JRPG trend, you roam from city to city, dungeon to dungeon, looking for the following narrative beat. The construction is easy sufficient, however every so often, truly figuring out the place to go generally is a tiresome course of. You might need to talk to at least one very particular NPC, hidden away someplace in a city that feels far too large. Or you might want to go to a distinct location first, earlier than returning to the native pub and pursuing recent dialogue with the bartender. It will strive your endurance at instances.
And naturally, you will be participating in a lot of random battles alongside the best way. Fights are flip primarily based affairs, rendered completely in 3D — which was an enormous deal on the time. At first, fight is fundamental — maybe too fundamental. Initially, you may have entry to a standard assault and simply a few particular talents, and it stays this manner for a superb chunk of the sport’s 30-ish hour runtime.
Luckily, fight lastly comes into its personal afterward, when your heroic trio have unlocked a wider vary of methods. Technique steadily turns into extra vital, as you utilise buffs, debuffs, and assaults that deal extra injury to sure enemy varieties. Some boss battles can have you committing to significantly tactical play, though most simply require common therapeutic and frequent use of your strongest talents.
All informed, the fight system is about as unspectacularly stable as they arrive, however battles can positively drag. The pacing of those flip primarily based encounters is sluggish — particularly by in the present day’s requirements — and whenever you’re operating into random battles each 30 seconds or so throughout an already prolonged dungeon crawl, the expertise begins to grate. Fortunately, grinding is not an out-and-out necessity, though it may possibly actually assist in direction of the latter half of the sport.
Presentation-wise, Wild Arms holds up fairly properly. The 2D overworld and sprite work nonetheless look engaging, and the music’s stuffed with understated earworms. Even the menus work properly — easy of their design and subsequently straightforward to navigate all these years later.
Conclusion
Wild Arms is sort of a dusty outdated ebook in online game kind. It’s kind of crusty by in the present day’s requirements and its model of storytelling appears outdated, however there’s an simple allure to the way it’s introduced, and the inventive backbone of the expertise nonetheless holds up. Regardless of some tedious gameplay components and a battle system that does not really click on till hours into the journey, Wild Arms stays a basic PS1 title. It is a memorable journey throughout a uniquely desolate fantasy world.
