There was something bigger involved here, however, and it is the storyline. Humans have been at war with a race of monsters, called the Deimos, for centuries over a precious resource – the Spirit Stones. These Stones power the machines that the humans depend on for survival, and they also power the magic that the Deimos use in their everyday lives. Two races, one precious resource…imagine the chaos that ensues. Arc the Lad plays out the storyline from two different perspectives, twin brothers separated at birth due to extenuating circumstances. One is raised as a human –Kharg – and is physically able to pass as a human. His mother hasn’t told him the secret, but loves him dearly and ensures that he’s surrounded by a supportive social structure. The other, Dharc, grows up in the Deimos society as a half-breed. Neither able to pass for fully human nor fully Deimos, he’s raised by an abusive frog-woman with huge knockers who beats him daily and keeps him locked up in the dungeon when he’s not being abused. The Deimos society is one based on hatred, fear and strength, and the amount of pressure that falls on young Dharc’s shoulders as one who is neither fish nor fowl is intense.

Both factions are fighting the Dizweld Army, a human group that is looking for a few, very special Spirit Stones in order to combine them and take over the world. Here’s where things fall apart for me. Sony had a great chance to break out of the typical RPG mold and take things to the next level when it comes to mature storylines. One that weaves the basic elements of racism found in our society into the background material of the storyline. How does Dharc’s experience as the obvious progeny of an interracial relationship reflect in how his society treats him? Since Kharg is able to pass as a human, what does that signify in regards to how his society judges those who are different? The wealth of opportunity inherent in the basic structure of the story is immense, but Arc the Lad seems content to just touch on the surface, and refuses to go deeper. All humans see the Deimos as evil monsters, and Deimos see the human race as parasites. In the rare instance where the two meet in an arena which doesn’t require combat, the dialogue simply won’t rise to the occasion, and it’s frustrating. I can’t count the number of times where the questions posed by the storyline weren’t answered in depth.

The gameplay itself is your typical “set up your guys and cast spells in turn” Japanese RPG action, although the ability to move your characters around and take advantage of the terrain is a nice touch. Graphics and sound are passable, although certainly not up to Square-Enix standards – only one of the musical tracks stuck in my head long enough for me to recall after turning off my PS2. The difficulty level involved with the battles isn’t that high, but while most characters have all the emotional depth of a thimble, I was fortunate enough to come across a couple of truly interesting characters to add to my party along the way. A couple of the boss battles are particularly imaginative, although these are few and far between. Still, it’s the lack of imagination involved with the storyline that causes Arc the Lad to suffer. It’s all too easy to predict which character will betray the hero and when, what this character will say and how the hero will respond…the amount of true choice presented by Bioware’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic makes RPGs like these feel old and stale. It’s not enough to simply provide the same old, same old now that KotOR has raised the bar to such a high level – Arc the Lad pales in comparison.

Arc the Lad’s gameplay represents what console RPGs used to be. It’s a shame that a decades-old title like Ultima IV provides more real choice than what is presented here, and the nearly complete waste of what could have been a truly mature storyline pains me to no end. The genre has moved on. I hope that the next entry in this series can catch up.