Everyone likes a good story and RPG's offer that and more these days. I never used to like RPG's in the old days. I liked a good action game with lots to do and the RPG's didn't offer that.
That all changed when I started playing some of the SEGA made RPG's and thats when I was amazed. Old favourites like Panzer Dragoon Saga show us that SEGA always was a company with every trick in the hat.
When the Dreamcast Launched I was surprised that SEGA didn't stunn anyone with their great RPG's. Sure it had one of the best launch lineups with lots of great games but those seeking RPG's were left out in the cold. Sport games are big but I think RPG's are close to being just as favourite among gamers. At the time the only word out was about Shenmue but even though it was close to an RPG it's also far from one.
It wasn't till late 99 when an RPG was announced by SEGA in the making. Many knew right away that it will be an instant classic but there were also many that had bad feelings about SEGA RPG's.
Nevertheless as time neared more and more talks broke out about this title and yep you guessed it. The game Skies of Arcadia became a big hit.
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Skies of Arcadia is definately a great game and if you are an RPG fan you have to play it. It's quite simple to pick up on and the story line is very creative. Surely one of the best games I ever played.
The story takes place in a world where small islands float among vast skies. The main characters are Vyse and Aika who are part of the Blue Rogue Pirates. They attack any rich ships and steal their possesions to give to the poor and less fortunate. They also believe that annyone in need should be helped. With that the story starts with a mysterious character [Fina] being attacked by big airships. She is captured and taken into custody by the Valuan empire who is on a quest to rule the Skies. What they need is 6 Moon Crystals which have the greatest power in the universe. With the crystals the possesor can summon powerfull creatures called the Gigas who have enough power to destroy any island. It's up to Vyse, Aika, and Fina to stop the Valuan Empire from getting the crystals to maintain peace in the Skies. [Hmm Emeralds, Floating Islands, Powerfull creatures sounds like Sonic???]
The controlls are simple but deep so you might have to use some strategic thinking at times. Like any RPG you need a good battle system. Skies offers that. You have many options on how to fight. You can use the standard fighting method using the characters special weapon to fight. There is also the Supermove option where you can use the special move the character has learned and use it on the enemy. Then there is also the funnest but not always most effective part of the battle system. Magic. It's my favourite way to fight. Each character through the course of the battle will gain magic experiance points allowing him to learn new magic spells. Then during fight you can use magic on your enemies and depending on the spell you can do various attacks on your enemy. However to use magic and Supermoves you need to have spirit points. After each turn you gain some but that's usually enough for one supermove. To use a lot of magic you will need to use the Focus option which regenerates your Spirit Points. And of course ther is the cheap way out of battles. The RUN option but it does not always work so keep that in mind. There are also ship battles which are really cool. I think the most original idea of the RPG. They use the similar battle system. It might sound confusing for non RPGers but once you start playing it will be easy.
The graphics are trully amazing. I especially like the little graphic sequences while conducting magic. It's a very nice colorfull and flashy game. Infact so flashy that there is a warning at the begining of the game warning people who are bothered by bright lights to be carefull because you might be at risk of getting Epileptic Seisures. Hehe Don't worry though I don't see how it's possible so it might have been just a Joke.
The Sound is also very nice. Many people don't believe me but I always say that good background music and sound effects account for 50 % of the game. Without good music the game experiance ain't as enjoyable. Skies offers great music with some orchectral and symphonical music combined. This game also features a new technology in game music created by SEGA's own Wavemaster. It uses multiple audio chanels to layer music so it changes depending what you do. An example is when you fight a boss. Once you start you get the main theme. If you are low on life and the boss seems to be winning you hear the music change. Once you get healed and you are close to killing the boss you hear the music change again to a pounding rhythm. This song is so beautiful it makes you want to buy another copy of the game. This isn't just the only song that fits the moment perfectly. Almost on all ocasions there is a right song for the right moment. Truly a magnificent job in the Audio section.You can grab some songs in our Downloads section.
The controlls are great. Whether exploring islands by foot or exploring the skies by ship you will always have fun. The battel system is nice too.
The lastability of this game is great. It's a very long game. As you might know it's on two GD's and roughly takes about 30 -35 hours for each disk depending how fast you progress. The second disk usually takes faster as you know what you are doing. There is so much to do. Not only do you have to follow the story line but also explore the world and try to find New Discoveries which I find fun. Then once you find something unique you go and sell it off and claim it yours. Truly one of the most addictive games I ever played.
My final impressions of this game is better than I ever imagined it would.. I enjoyed this game a lot. It's packed with tons of stuff to do and it's really fun. I recommend picking this one up as you won't regret it. RPG fan or no RPG fan you will enjoy it. If you like Strategy, RPG or Adventure games this one is definately for you. A true masterpiece.......
-Dreamflint |
