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Wild Arms series
2011-05-14 20:19:30
edited 2011-05-14 20:19:30 in General
They call me Rate Miser, whatever I see... turns overrated in my eyes...
I'm thinking about playing some games in the series this summer. I've tried last summer, and not only did I not finish any of the games, but also the only games I've gotten any major progress in are Wild Arms 2 and 4. The former had super-easy battles, uninteresting plot, and an ally who is obviously the villain. The latter of which had annoying voices and shitty battle balance with kinda harder gameplay. Would I regret this? Which of the games are actually good, or at least the best of the series?
If you want to know why I'm interested, blame my poor judgement and of course Crimson Echoes.
Comments
I know it has really nice opening and ending themes, sung by Franki Love in the English version.
Eh... decent overall, but it's no match for the likes of Chrono Trigger and FF4. I thought the battle theme was pretty repetitive, though.
It's the same thing with WA2, except I can't even remember the normal battle music now, so I don't know if that's bad.
Oh, and the trailer showed cool-looking characters and interesting-looking hexagonal-grid and platforming gameplay.
Well, just to warn you, it's very easy. The bosses are like FF4's as in they have unique strategies and resistances that you must overcome, but the game basically blurts the weaknesses out to you so you don't even have to think of what the more special bosses are weak against, at least of what I remember. The game seems to have some okay puzzles and platforming, but the time-slow ability used for many of these sections allows you to basically turn off random encounters. You'll see how when you play the game.
Also, watch out for some wierd Twilight couple early on in the game, except even more ridiculous than what you're thinking of right now. So ridiculous it's almost funny.
WHEN IT IS INSIDE ITS SHELL.
IF YOU DO
IT WILL COUNTERATTACK!!
Just got started playing WA3, and I can say the medium system seems to be a more balanced and relaxed version of FF6's esper system. Equipping one gains the wielder, and only the wielder, access to its magic, stat gains, and special skills like counterattacking and status protection. I've also gained the first mediums an hour already into the game, while FF6 takes several hours before you can get your first espers.
However, there's already bad character balance. I think a great example is that the main character is basically worthless while the least interesting character is overpowered and overleveled at the start of the game! Also, you can say the exact same thing for WA4.
I hope things improve later on, if I even care to progress further. The main problem is that the medium system is the only thing interesting about this game at all at this point.
If the story's good enough, I can excuse sub-standard gameplay.
Not that good as far as I'm concerned. Basically, we're out to use our medium powers to save the world from a great evil right now, except we have no idea what to do after getting said mediums, so I expect the game to pull a lot of stuff out of nowhere fast and probably connect them in some deluded way. I can already predict some things that may happen by the end of the game from prologue text.
Some examples are in the red text. Spoilers also follow, although you'll either encounter these in your first hour, or they're predictions and are either uninteresting or wrong. And I've also spoiled what's probably the main plot, so whatever.
The main character's father is a scientist, taught her how to shoot at a young age, and left when her mother died. Nice foreshadowing there, guys! I can say that we'll be running into him, probably at the end of the game, even!
The least interesting character so far may or may not have a typical awful past, as far as some text may imply.
I'm pretty sure the end of the game will reveal that friendship is key, memories will strike back, and we must protect the planet above all else. These predictions must not be true.
EDIT: There's two rival teams that often get in the way. The leader of the more ridiculous one has a minigun... that drops out of her skirt... Yeah. That minigun's still weaker than the afro guy's Psycho Break attack that also confuses what it hits, though. The same team also has a ninja cat in the team. I haven't reached them in this playthrough, but there you go if you want wierdness.
In fact, the gameplay seems to have more potential to be good than the story, since as far as I remember from my mother* playing the game, the enemies and/or bosses later on pull special tricks that you must overcome.
*To further harm your interest in this game, I don't even remember much from her playing, so... make of that what you will.
Made it through the Shroedinger family. (the rival team with the ninja cat and afro guy)
Spoiler Alert:
Here, the family manages to steal the Plot MacGuffin of the area, and insults the main character into angst mode so much that their leader decides to give her the MacGuffin anyway. REAL Classy, Media Vision.
Speaking of spoilers, what am I supposed to mark as such?
Now I'm where I stopped last summer.
Here's how you find locations on the overworld...
You press Square everywhere until you make the invisible areas appear in view. It's as stupid as it sounds. I don't want to look into GameFAQS because of a tower I'm supposed to find next, but...