Developer: Media Vision Publisher: Sony Release: 04/30/97 Genre: RPG
The original PlayStation did not get off to a great start when it comes to RPGs. While we remember the many Square epics the first two years were rough for fans of the genre. Whether it was the mediocre Beyond the Beyond or the slow King’s Field things were dire. Fans had to wait awhile for games like Suikoden and Vandal Hearts to show up. But it was 1997’s Wild Arms that was the system’s first true epic RPG. Wild Arms is a delightful game in every category and one of my personal favorite RPGs of all time.
Wild Arms takes place in the world of Filgaia. One thousand years ago humanity fought a war alongside the Guardians against the Metal Demons that ravaged the planet and left it in the mostly desert like state it is in now. But while the demons were defeated they are still alive and plotting revenge. Three strangers, Rody Roughknight, Jack Van Burace, and Cecilia Adlehyde begin their journey separately but come together in a globe-trotting adventure for the sake of the save the world.
The cast of playable characters is small at just three but the heroes see plenty of growth along the way. Each character has some baggage that they need to deal with be it Jack dealing with his past, Rudy trying to find his place in the world or Cecilia dealing with the expectations placed on her as a princess. The resolution of each arc takes a while and the game does an excellent job of pacing their stories. This is something that the game deserves kudos for; most RPGs dump it all at once toward the end. I would even say that this is one of the most well rounded casts in a RPG.
The world of Filgaia is one of Wild Arms’ strongest assets. The western medieval fantasy world of Filgaia is still one of the most unique for a RPG. The game goes heavy on the Wild West theme, from its music to the denizens of the world. This first installment establishes many of the recurring themes of the series like the Baskar tribe, the Elw, and ARMS (Ancient Relic Machines) and the encroaching desert. While each title takes place hundreds or even thousands of years later it is cool to see some continuity.
Wild Arms is similar to games like Lufia 2 in that all of its dungeons are puzzle based. During the course of the game each character will receive four tools to assist in general exploration and puzzle solving. While it may not sound like much the tools are varied in their uses. Rudy’s bombs are self -explanatory while Hanpan can grab distant items. Not all are puzzle oriented; the radar will detect items hidden in the environment which is so useful it is a shame more games don’t have it. The puzzles are never too complicated although there is one or two that might have you look at a guide. Regardless they do not slow down the game’s pace and make the dungeons more involved.
Even though you control the same three party members throughout the game once again Wild Arms does an excellent job at providing a ton of options to make them varied in combat. Ceceilia is the only one who uses magic and with the crest graph system you choose when to learn the spells you want. Jack’s fast draw techniques are just as versatile as magic although learning each technique can be a hassle. Rudy’s various arm weapons are customizable to shore up their weaknesses although it becomes expensive in short order. The game even has summons like a certain Fantasy series through its Mediums. These also boost your stats for a little added variety.
The Force Bar is also one more dimension to the combat system. The bar fills with every action with each of its four segments giving access to an ability unique to each character outside one. These are wildly different and incredibly useful. Jack’s accelerator causes him to always act first. Rudy’s lock-on grants his arms a 100% hit rate (more important than you know) while Cecilia can eventually dual cast magic. The force bar also boosts your stats as it increases which adds another dynamic; do you spend it on a skill or keep the stat boost? A full force bar grants condition green status which clears all status effects. Managing the force bar is like playing with a super meter in a fighting game.
Wild Arms provides a wealth of options to keep its gameplay engaging. But it also shines in the pacing department. Unlike later games in the series Wild Arms is medium length at twenty to thirty hours. The game moves at a brisk pace in spite of its puzzle heavy dungeons and the story revelations come frequently. Grinding is kept to a minimum during the main quest as well. For those that want more there are a variety of fun sub-quests that will truly test your skills at exploiting the various battle options. This is one of the few RPGs where I did absolutely everything because I enjoyed it so much.
As a 2d/3d hybrid Wild Arms is not the most graphically impressive game. Its 2d graphics feature more detail than prior 16-bit games but its rendered sprites look ugly. The 3d battles have their moments as they use dynamic camera angles and are heavy on the lighting effects. The problem is by the time of Wild Arms release we had all seen Final Fantasy 7 and it makes this look less impressive. Especially the summons; yikes there is no comparison. I will say this however; Wild Arms destroys Final Fantasy 7 in the music department. The game also has one of the greatest soundtracks in RPG history in my opinion. You can quote me on that.
In Closing
Wild Arms is an amazing game and a PlayStation classic. From its fantastic gameplay to its epic soundtrack RPG fans should seek this out. Wild Arms is often unfairly remembered as an appetizer before Final Fantasy VII. But it is a great game in its own right and one worth seeking out today.
