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Produced By:Sega
Developed by:Overworks
Visuals:10
Sound:8.5
Gameplay:10
Innovation:9
Overall:9.75
One thing that old school RPGs were accused of lacking were deep storylines. Skies of Arcadia does not share this fate.It starts off innocently enough, like most stories. You are Vyse, a Blue Rogue Air Pirate. You steal from the rich, give the poor, that sort of thing. However, when you find a mysterious girl on a ship, the story begins to truly unfold...
The visuals in this game are simply amazing. While this game does not use FMV, it still manages to look amazing. Facial expressions are very impressive. However, the most impressive part of this game is the overworld. It looks incredible, with real horizons and such.
Sound... the music is fairly catchy, although nothing ground breaking. Like most Sega game, the production of the sound is flawless, and it works great with a surround sound system. There isn't too much voice acting, but that's probably a good thing, considering how much you would have to hear Aika's annoying voice in the whole game. The audio is fairly solid.
Gameplay is where this game truly shines. This game does make you follow a linear path to folow the story. But you can branch off most of the time to search for discoveries, or to visit old places. The Airship battles used here are extremely innovative. Its somethign you have to experience to beileve. The normal battles follow a fairly standard system. Magic is like always, and the way of aquiring it is not completely new either. You collect moonberries to power up super moves that drain your spirit bar. Nothing too new, but a refreshing break from all this Square rehash. The other thing new places in Skies of Arcadia is the swashbuckler system. Depending on how you talk to people and whether or not you run from battle affects your rating. A good or bad rating changes the ending.
So, anything bad about this game? Many people complain about all the random battles, but they just can't play the game. It sometimes gets annoying, but is never weighs you down.
All in all, Reiko Kodama's done it again. Just like the Phantasy Star's before it, Skies of Arcadia is an instant classic. Overall-9.75
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