Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 152

Kingdom Hearts II Won My Heart

After how much I enjoyed the first game and my love/hate relationship with Re: Chain of Memories, I was really excited to finally start Kingdom Hearts II.

Like the others, I didn’t actually play the original version, but the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix included in the 2.5 Remix.

Kingdom Hearts II left behind the card-based battle system I hated so much about Chain of Memories, and returned to the first game’s action RPG style, with some changes.

I preferred the original’s way of building magic to the new “MP Charge system,” which recharges your MP over time when you expend the gauge, but I enjoyed the new Reaction Commands and loved the Drive Form system, where you take on powerful new forms (and level them up to gain new abilities, like High Jump). The controls and camera felt much improved over the original’s.

The one thing I didn’t like was the way the worlds felt. They seemed more linear, with less exploration. I also missed having a hub world, but overall it was just the straightforward layout of the worlds. I want more exploration, more secrets, more hidden stuff!

Story-wise, though, the worlds were great. While some of the previous Disney worlds return, new ones were also added. There was a nice mix of worlds that followed the basic plot of their movies and ones set elsewhere in the timeline. For example, the Halloween Town/Christmas Town segment is set after The Nightmare Before Christmas, which sets up some amusing character interactions.

They were all fairly enjoyable (except the Tron Light Cycle, which killed me more times than anything else in the game) and most managed a decent integration of their own stories with the main plot.

So let’s talk about the story. The first game had a fairly simple, self-contained story. Chain of Memories expanded the worldbuilding. Kingdom Hearts II sent the plot careening away from its simple origins into something much more epic and exciting, and I loved every minute of it.

When I reviewed Chain of Memories, I mentioned my love of Organization XIII. They’re even more interesting in Kingdom Hearts II, as they take center stage among the antagonists.

Plus, while I loved their black cloaks in Chain of Memories, I didn’t realize until Kingdom Hearts II that several of them can be considered mad scientists. You know how I love mad scientists.

During #ChainOfMemories, I mentioned loving black cloaks and lab coats. #KingdomHearts2 showed me my favorite cloak-wearer in a lab coat.

I Believe in Final Fantasy XV

Note: I considered writing a joke article for April Fool’s Day, but I don’t actually like April Fool’s Day a lot. Besides, we have important Final Fantasy news to cover.

When it comes to Final Fantasy XV, I’ve fought a certain amount of uneasiness.

While I once considered Final Fantasy the ultimate RPG series, Final Fantasy XIII was hard on me… to the point where I use it as an example of how not to write a villain.

And Final Fantasy XV has an open world, which isn’t my favorite style.

For a long time, I was really iffy on Final Fantasy XV and prepared for disappointment.

Things have changed since then, though. Square Enix promised amazing villains and dungeons. Xenoblade Chronicles X taught me not all open world games are bad.

And March 30’s “Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV” event won me over.

From Sakaguchi’s introduction to all the announcements, it is more apparent than ever that Square Enix believes Final Fantasy XV is a masterpiece. Best of all, they seem extremely confident in the story… and that’s what I’m most interested in.

This trailer is not only exciting (and that ending!!!), but it also makes me even more curious about Ardyn, previously introduced as one of the villains. But while trailers give an idea of what the story is like, we’ve got even more story content coming before the game!

Final Fantasy XV is getting an anime tie-in called Brotherhood, and it’s going to be my first anime.

All of the episodes will be online for free, and I already watched the first one. It was short, but interesting, and I really appreciated the character interactions. Final Fantasy XV’s party has raised a lot of debates among fans, but I… think I like them.

(Especially Ignis.)

There’s also going to be a full-length CGI movie called Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, which looks pretty cool and has some big-name actors involved with it (though that does make it weird since they aren’t voicing the game characters, and the movie takes place at the same time).

I’d go see Kingsglaive if it got a theatrical release, but it won’t. Instead, it’ll be available to stream and download online. (For free? That part still isn’t clear.) Like Brotherhood, it will be out before Final Fantasy XV.

This is great, and it’ll show off the lore and storytelling in advance!

Now, while a lot of video game events seem to only have a few interesting announcements and then fizzle, this one just kept going.

Final Fantasy XV will have a mini-game called Justice Monsters Five. It looks like some sort of pinball RPG game. But it’s not only a mini-game, it’s also getting a standalone mobile release!

If you want to play the mobile game, you can pre-register for it. (Is this a new thing? I’d just pre-registered for Tales of Link, the first time I ever saw the site, and then it showed up for Justice Monsters Five.)

Final Fantasy XV is also getting a new demo. Unlike Episode Duscae, which was 1) only included as part of Type-0, and 2) part of the actual game, the all-new Platinum Demo is free for everyone with a PS4 or Xbox One and is a side story not found in Final Fantasy XV.

To me, that looks like a ton of fun! Of course, there’s one problem. I don’t have a PS4 or Xbox One yet. So for now, I’ll admire the Platinum Demo from the sidelines.

Maybe I’ll get one before Final Fantasy XV comes out on September 30.

Square Enix seems supremely confident in Final Fantasy XV, and now… I believe in it too. This might redeem the series and make Final Fantasy a titan among RPGs once again. And it looks like we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample it before committing to the full game.

What do you think?

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The Zombie Mishap Cover Reveal

My zombie/comedy novella, The Accidental Zombie, has been unavailable since January, but I’m happy to announce it’s coming back.

It has been revised and renamed The Zombie Mishap. I’ve received the new cover art now, so take a look!

What do you think? I like it a lot. It really fits the story’s tone.

The Zombie Mishap isn’t available yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as it is. In the meantime, share your thoughts on the new name and the cover reveal in the comments below.

(On a side note unrelated to zombie comedies, the big Final Fantasy XV event is tonight at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET. We should get a release date, among other things. I plan to watch the live stream. Here’s hoping it looks good!)

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Flappy Returns Wrong Way – Original Classic Bird Game

The last time we looked at Flappy Bird, he was dodging pipes with friends, or possibly fulfilling his lifelong dream of cosplaying other animals.

And now it’s time for another.

Today, I’ve been asked to take a look at Flappy Returns Wrong Way (full title: Flappy Returns Wrong Way – Original Classic Bird Game). Like others we’ve looked at, this one is traditional Flappy Bird gameplay with another twist that ensures it isn’t identical to the classic game. According to the gameplay screen, it considers itself both a remake of and an homage to the original Flappy Bird.

With a name like Flappy Returns Wrong Way, you can probably guess what this one’s gameplay twist is.

Go on, guess. I’ll wait.

…

If you guessed “the bird is flying in the other direction,” you’re correct. While most Flappy Bird games have you control the bird as he flies from the left side of the screen to the right, Flappy Returns Wrong Way has you start from the right side of the screen and fly toward the left.

It isn’t exactly the wrong way, since everything else is also flipped to match, but it is the opposite of the way the bird usually flies.

Aside from that, the basic gameplay is what I’ve come to expect from games styled after Flappy Bird. You tap to flap the bird’s wings, and you try to fly in between as many pairs of vertical pipes as possible. If you hit the pipes or the ground, it’s game over, and the goal is to try to beat your high score by getting further next time.

When it comes to Flappy Bird games, the simplest changes seem to be the most common. One has multiple characters while another changes the direction of flight. Who knows what we might see in the future? Upside down Flappy Bird?

To all the Flappy Bird fans out there, I have a question. What makes one stand out from the other Flappy Bird clones? How does a little twist like this, where you’re flying in the opposite direction, affect your feelings toward the game? Does it make it more difficult, because it isn’t the way you’re used to looking at it? Does it make it stand out enough to catch your attention?

Flappy Returns Wrong Way – Original Classic Bird Game doesn’t change the Flappy Bird formula a lot, but it swaps directions so you fly from right to left instead of left to right, with traditional Flappy Bird gameplay.

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The Oddly Endearing Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I noticed something on Steam.

A game called “Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy.”

I clicked on it. It was a trilogy of short, turn-based RPGs about Jesus. And it was free. So what better way to celebrate Easter than with a series of Jesus RPGs?

I didn’t know what to expect. Parody? Something preachy? It seemed doomed to hit one extreme or the other.

Yet the Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy finds a middle ground. It comes across as though developers with a bizarre sense of humor honestly wanted to convey Bible stories through video games. And that makes it oddly endearing.

Jesus Christ RPG

The first game walks you through Jesus’s ministry, and uses actual Biblical quotes in its rather loose account of events. Once John baptizes you in the Jordan and you overcome the Devil in the desert, Jesus gains the ability to perform miracles (and exorcise demons, which is good since he is not a physical combatant). He learns more miracles as he levels up, and you must perform 7 miracles to beat the game.

You also must gather the Apostles, although to my dismay, you don’t get to use all 12 as party members.

Instead, two Apostles (Peter and Judas) join your party, as does Mary Magdalene.

The game enjoys a significant amount of dark, twisted humor at Judas’s expense. For example, you can “kiss” enemies to make Roman guards attack the target. Later on, he gains an even stronger special ability that convinces the enemy to commit suicide.

Macabre Judas jokes aside, the Jesus Christ RPG is fairly inoffensive, both in terms of content and gameplay.

It’s a basic RPG Maker game. There are a few annoyances, such as having only a couple healing spots, but your party is generally overpowered compared to the enemies. The majority of enemies are demons, although there are a few humans you kill, which is probably the most dubious aspect. (Then again, Jesus can exorcise them to death…)

The game ends before the Passion, however. Once Jesus has been revealed to his Apostles, complete with the “Who do you say that I am?” conversation, the Devil gets annoyed and attacks. Or at least, he sends his robot to attack you.

Did I mention this game has a weird sense of humor?

Baby Jesus Christ RPG

The second game in the trilogy is a prequel, and despite the title, you don’t play as the baby Jesus.

Instead, the game is divided into sections. First, you play as Mary on her journey with Joseph to Bethlehem. Once the innkeeper directs you to the stable, however, you take control of Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar on their journey to find him.

This game actually comes across even weirder than the first one. The Magi spend their time fighting evil spirits, which they defeat using magic… including bizarre attacks like summoning Aladdin’s genie or Gilgamesh.

While it really only covers the story of Jesus’s birth, it sneaks in references to the Tower of Babel. The Magi must stop there on their journey to get a dictionary, because they can’t enter Judea if they don’t know the language.

Really.

Eventually, you regain control of your old party (now with newborn Jesus as a party member) to flee into Egypt. Since this is an RPG, it culminates in a boss battle against Herod.

Yes. You kill Herod as Mary and Joseph. And he’s a tough boss, too!

Rise Jesus Christ RPG

The third game in the trilogy is a sequel to the first, and the most fitting for the Easter season. It’s split into chapters and is more linear than either of the others. Instead of exploring a small overworld and towns, you follow a set series of events during Jesus’s final days.

You even get to play briefly as Judas when he betrays Jesus (which leads to a brief hopeless boss battle against Judas and a Roman soldier), and as Peter when he denies Jesus.

Then things get weird.

It might have the strangest sense of humor, but it sticks to the trilogy’s idea of more or less covering the important Biblical events, complete with quotes.

After Jesus’s death, you go to Heaven (where all items are free) and take a new party (consisting of Jesus, the good thief, and Gabriel) into Hell to rescue the innocent souls imprisoned there.

Yes, you play the Harrowing of Hell. You’re incredibly overpowered, so you basically blast through demons while collecting people like Noah, Adam and Eve, etc. You even can forgive Judas, which sends him to Purgatory.

This takes us all the way up to Easter morning, with the player put in control of Mary Magdalene as she inspects the empty tomb. Happy Easter!

Overall, the Jesus Christ RPG Trilogy is a lot better than I expected when I saw the name. Each game only lasts about an hour, and the gameplay is nothing thrilling, but they’re amusing, weird, and not half bad for being free. It was an entertaining discovery, and a perfect one for Easter.

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Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam sounds like a dream come true: my two beloved Mario RPGs brought together.

And after some initial nervousness due to the Sticker Star disaster, I heard enough good things about Paper Jam to make it one of my top anticipated games of the year.

I expected a game that would fix the flaws of its predecessor. But while it certainly addressed some issues that made Mario and Luigi: Dream Team a less-than-perfect game, it replaced them with bigger flaws of its own.

Although I wanted to love it, Paper Jam takes the Mario and Luigi series one step forward… but two steps back.

Let’s get a few things out of the way first:

This isn’t exactly a crossover. Think of it as Mario & Luigi, guest-starring Paper Mario.
And by that, I mean a Mario made out of paper. They no longer seem to remember anything about the Paper Mario series except “paper.”
It fixed Dream Team’s tutorial issues. Pretty much every Paper Jam tutorial is skippable or entirely optional.
It doesn’t suffer from the same pacing problems. As a result, it’s a much shorter game, but that’s better than painful pacing.
It doesn’t force use of the gyro controls, either.

So far so good… then what’s the problem?

The basic gameplay is pretty standard fare for the series, although you control three characters this time. That allows for unique field skills, which work really well. For example, the three protagonists can stack on top of one another to reach objects far away. In addition to the traditional “Bros. Attack” special moves using Mario and Luigi, Paper Mario can also use powerful Trio Attacks.

On the other hand, several enemies, especially bosses, are downright annoying. Dual bosses that regenerate if you don’t keep their HP similar, bosses that heal each other, bosses that revive each other, timed bosses… It can get a bit frustrating, although at least the combat system itself is still fun. Battle cards are also quite fun. As you find them, you can create a deck of 10 battle cards, which let you use special abilities in battle without using a turn (similar to the way badges worked in the past two games).

Meanwhile, I wish the series would stop trying to replicate the popularity of the Giant Bowser battles in Bowser’s Inside Story. It was cumbersome in Dream Team, and Paper Jam’s papercraft battles just aren’t fun. (I may be in the minority on this one.) Slow-paced action battles in which you have to recharge energy through a rhythm game… why?

Tedious, un-fun mini-games pad out Paper Jam, and the papercraft battles are far from the worst.

Among the worst words you’ll ever hear.

No, the worst part of Paper Jam is the Lakitu Info Center and its Paper Toad Quests.

At certain points in the game, you’ll be forced to rescue Paper Toads. In some, you’ll have to chase down Paper Toads too stupid to realize it’s Mario chasing them. In others, you’ll have to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, or even do a stealth section.

The missions aren’t all bad. I enjoyed the ones where you have to find hidden Paper Toads. I also really liked the quiz games (not Toad rescue missions, but they’re grouped with them) that challenge you with Paper Jam trivia.

But overall, Toad Quests are not fun, obvious filler content, and often kill whatever momentum the story has managed to scrape together.

And Paper Jam’s story can’t afford to lose what little excitement it has. Previous games in the series included new environments and characters from other lands, but this time the paper characters fill that role. While the interactions between characters and their counterparts are entertaining and well-written, it puts the brunt of character development on the two princesses and Bowser’s minions.

The plot, meanwhile, is as straightforward as possible. Dream Team has a deeper story than this. Tales of Zestiria has more plot twists than Paper Jam, and Zestiria’s defenders claim the twist is that there’s no twist!

With that said, there are some exciting story moments and genuinely funny writing, just not up to the level I’ve come to expect from this series (even Dream Team). It could have been so much more. Why not bring in Kammy Koopa, and see reactions to a character who doesn’t exist outside of Paper Mario’s universe? Why not create a villain who brings the 3D and Paper worlds together for some nefarious purpose?

I’m not saying Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam is a bad game. Its humor and charm could carry it despite its weak plot. Some of the character interactions were really funny! However, when you factor in the papercraft battles, Paper Toad Quests, and other annoyances, I find it hard to call it a good game, either.

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Hoverboard Hank – Temple Surfers Endless Run

Hoverboard Hank (the store page lists its full title as “Hoverboard Hank – Temple Surfers Endless Run,” although I’m not exactly sure why except perhaps to draw comparisons to games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers) is a mobile endless running game.

The premise is simple. A boy (Hank) is on the street when a vicious dog begins to chase him. He hops onto a hoverboard and flees through the streets.

As with most endless runners, you’ll have numerous obstacles to worry about. Cars crossing your path, cars driving toward you, hazards on the road… these will either slow you down or end the game, so you want to do your best to evade them. You also run the risk of running out of fuel, so you’ll want to grab the battery-like items in your path, which refuel the hoverboard. A few power-ups are also scattered through the streets.

Your score increases the further you go, and the game records your high score.

Unfortunately, Hoverboard Hank uses gyroscope controls only. You tilt the device left or right to turn, and forward to speed up. If there is another control scheme, it isn’t made obvious. The ability to use touch controls rather than the gyroscope would be a welcome improvement.

Along with things trying to kill you and occasional power-ups, the streets are also filled with coins. Coins are the in-game currency. You can use them to buy new hoverboards. These range from mere aesthetic changes to hoverboards with practical benefits, such as a coin multiplier. Of course, the better the hoverboard, the more coins it costs.

You can also buy a range of clothing and accessories for the main character: hats, glasses, headphones, backpacks, hoodies, jeans, and shoes. This is good for players who like to customize their character, although his appearance can’t be altered. The coin system provides additional replay value aside from trying to increase your high score, along with a sense of progression.

If you don’t want to take the time to earn coins through regular gameplay, which will require patience and repeated attempts to get enough, coins are also rewarded to you if you watch sponsor videos or sign up for promotional offers. Ads also play in between gameplay attempts. Hoewver, Hoverboard Hank does not have traditional microtransactions.

Despite its reliance on gyroscope controls, Hoverboard Hank is a decent way to spend some time if you enjoy endless runners.

Full disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however the thoughts and opinions given here are my own.
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Xenoblade Chronicles X: An Open World Even I Love

For a long time, I had doubts about Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Unlike the original Xenoblade Chronicles, which was a semi-linear story-driven game, X was described as an open world RPG with a stronger focus on exploration than story.

Although I eventually got excited for its sci-fi world and decided to give it a chance, I braced myself for disappointment. After all, I don’t really like open world games.

But you know what? I love Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Let me take that further. I enjoyed X more than the first Xenoblade.

Xenoblade Chronicles X’s open world worked for me in a way other open worlds and some massive semi-linear worlds don’t. For me, the appeal of a semi-linear structure is that I can do all of the optional stuff, progress the story, and then have more optional stuff to do.

X is structured that way. Although the world is entirely open, missions depend on how far you’ve progressed the story. After each story mission, a new batch of affinity missions and regular missions unlock.

And since the world has 5 continents, and missions often tie in directly to exploring the world, I never felt pressured to try to explore as much as possible in one go. So while I neared 100 hours in the original Xenoblade feeling overwhelmed, sick of side quests, and ready to just finish already, I’m still not bored with X after well over 100 hours.

Now, let’s talk about the story.

While Xenoblade Chronicles X isn’t as story-focused as many JRPGs, it has an enjoyable story with plot twists, exciting cutscenes, and memorable characters. The thing is, its storytelling isn’t confined to story missions. Alone, they would make the story somewhat weak. It’s through the affinity missions and normal missions that X’s writing is at its best.

And despite the seriousness of its overall plot, Xenoblade Chronicles X is funny.

I really loved how X made use of the lighter side of science fiction. We’ve got an alien race obsessed with pizza. A time traveler named B°&7k%±|. An alien whose self-taught English leads him to hilariously mess up idioms.

Affinity missions handle the character development of individual party members, and it works well. My only wish is that there were fewer party members. With such a massive roster, most characters don’t get the story attention they deserve. A smaller party, with greater focus on each member, is my hope for the sequel.

Likewise, I wish party members not required for a specific mission could still get contextual dialogue when taken along. That, too, would help you get to know the party members.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is not a perfect game. In addition to the concerns I just mentioned, it makes you seek out each party member in the city to add them to your party. And once you have Skells (the mechs), you can only retrieve a destroyed Skell from the barracks… which isn’t a problem until a boss destroys your Skells and you realize you need to go back to the barracks and then back to the fight to try again.

It’s also complex, with menus and sub-menus, numerous icons and stats, equipment and augments, arts and classes and skills and Soul Voices…

The complexity is not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re frustrated with “hand-holding” in games, the way Xenoblade tosses you into the deep end will be refreshing.

Reading the manual is a necessity. I also took notes to keep track of party member locations, as well as Affinity Missions: where they were, what level they required, and what unlocked them.

Combat is similar to the system used in the original Xenoblade, with auto-attacks and stronger special attacks (arts) you select from a hotbar. The Monado is replaced by “Overdrive,” which has a variety of special effects and requires TP to use. (You build TP as you attack.)

You don’t have to pay attention to every game mechanic to play, but there’s enough challenging end-game content to make full use of these systems if you want to take on the toughest enemies.

The Wii U GamePad is used to display the map. However, if you want to use off-TV mode, like I did, you can switch to the map whenever you need it.

Overall, two things stand out to me the most about this game: its characters and its worldbuilding. From meeting different alien races and watching the city come to life, to exploring the planet and seeing glimpses of long-abandoned alien ruins, I really fell in love with planet Mira and its mysteries.

Ah yes, its mysteries. Let’s talk about that.

Xenoblade Chronicles X needs a sequel. While it concludes its core plot and doesn’t feel incomplete, it leaves many questions unanswered, along with obvious sequel hooks. If there isn’t a second game, that will be very disappointing, and not only because this one was so much fun.

Overall, I highly recommend Xenoblade Chronicles X to RPG fans. It’s an exciting, entertaining adventure with an open world that even I love… and enough character development and lore to flesh out its story.

So, Xenoblade Chronicles X 2 at E3?

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Flappy Returns – The Classic Original Bird Game With Friends

The last time we looked at a mobile game made in the style of Flappy Bird, I joked about the lengthy title. Today, the saga continues with our latest look at a Flappy Bird clone.

This one is also “Flappy Returns,” but to be more specific, it’s Flappy Returns – The Classic Original Bird Game With Friends.

Its game screens describe it as an homage to the original Flappy Bird, while its description promises it’s better than the original.

Even though I never played the original Flappy Bird, I’ve reviewed enough of these to say that it has the basic core gameplay common to all of them. You control a little bird that flaps its wings when you tap the screen. By tapping to make him flap and control his height, you want to help him navigate through as many pairs of vertical pipes as possible.

Each pair you cross through gives you a point, and the main idea is to try to beat your score through repeated playthroughs. If you use Game Center, you can also see leaderboards to compare your score to others. (I am not particularly skilled at these games and have no need to check leaderboards to prove it.)

While the overall premise and gameplay is the same, there is one thing that helps this game stand out from the others, and it’s right in the title: Flappy Returns – The Classic Original Bird Game With Friends. The bird isn’t the only one trying to flap his way between pipes today.

When you start a new game, your character is randomly selected from a variety of different creatures. Regardless of type, they all fly and control the same, although they’re slightly different sizes. Most of them are fairly identical to the standard character, such as what appears to be a yellow bird with bunny ears, paws, and a white tail. Little aesthetic changes distinguish the character models, which makes it feel less like Flappy Bird is sharing the spotlight with friends and more like he’s a cosplayer.

A few, such as the fish, have a more distinctive appearance. Even the fish flaps between pipes, though.

So there you have it. The latest addition to our look at Flappy Bird games, Flappy Returns – The Classic Original Bird Game With Friends, is the homage you should check out if you want basic Flappy Bird gameplay but want to control different characters.

…Or possibly a cosplaying bird.

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Wild Arms 3: One of my All-Time Favorite JRPGs

Wild Arms 3 is one of my all-time favorite JRPGs.

I’ve referenced it a few times, in relation to mad scientists and why turn-based combat is viable in modern games, but I never actually reviewed it. And that’s a shame, because it’s fantastic.

The Wild Arms series stands out among other JRPGs because it has a Wild West setting, which is especially strong in Wild Arms 3.

You play as a group of Drifters, adventurers who dare to venture into the barren desert, as they fight to save the world from an unknown threat. Saving the world is a pretty basic game plot, but Wild Arms 3 is one of the most unique JRPGs I’ve played.

TV Tropes jokes that “Wild ARMs 3 gives one the impression that its creators were told to make a JRPG, but had never played a JRPG before.”

While the combat system is a traditional turn-based system, the participants run around in between their turns, which gives the illusion of action. Instead of an MP system, you build a Force gauge as you battle, which enables you to use spells and special attacks. You upgrade your weapons rather than buy them, and since it’s a desert and healing items are fruit, you can’t buy them… though you can eventually grow them.

Wild Arms 3 also has one of the best ways to handle random encounters I’ve seen. You have an encounter (ECN) gauge. When you’re about to enter a battle, you have the option to expend ECN points to skip it. Weak encounters can be skipped at no cost, although this is dependent on your Migrant Level. As you explore, you’ll find items that increase your Migrant Level, which makes it easier to skip random encounters.

It’s a cool system that removes the annoyance of random encounters without getting rid of them. Even Wild Arms 3’s world map is unique, as you must use a radar-like system to find new locations… and only if you’ve already learned about it.

The protagonists also subvert normal tropes.

The main character is Virginia. Female party members are often mages, but while Virginia is a good healer, she’s also well-suited for physical combat.

Meanwhile, the boisterous muscular man, Gallows? He’s your primary mage.

Although Jet looks like he should one-up everyone at physical combat with his machine gun, he’s a balanced character.

So, who’s the strongest physical attacker? It’s Clive, the nerdy book-lover.

Through their personalities and character development, these four heroes mess with standard tropes even more. Their character development is excellent, by the way.

The story is also fantastic, if convoluted. Wild Arms 3 has incredibly brilliant and subtle foreshadowing… possibly too subtle for its own good, as it may make foreshadowed twists feel as though they come out of nowhere.

Click for Wild Arms 3 spoilerThe greatest example is the main villain, who actually appears multiple times through the entire game and whose powers are continually hinted at.

It also has dynamic intros.

See the middle section where Virginia faces off against the bandit? That section changes to reflect your current progress in the game. It’s a little thing, but I love it!

What more can I say about this game’s awesomeness? Your airship is a dragon. You play through a prologue for each party member to see how they wind up in the same place. There are optional puzzles scattered across the world, and a 100-floor bonus dungeon. You can fight on horseback. It has this amazing villain theme!

Wild Arms 3 is a terrific JRPG with a great story, especially if you want an atypical setting and a lack of clichés. While it’s currently available only for the PS2, it was trademarked for the PS4… and I hope it reaches the PS4, because all JRPG fans should play this great game.

Buy Wild Arms 3 from Amazon

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The post Wild Arms 3: One of my All-Time Favorite JRPGs appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.