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Platform: PlayStation 2
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Publisher: XSEED Games
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Developer: Media Vision Entertainment
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Medium: DVD-ROM
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Players: 1
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Online: No
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Also on: (n/a)
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The speed of traditional turn-based battles, the strategy of slower, grid-based battle engines, and platforming. Yes, platforming.
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At first glance, Wild ARMs 4 looks like it's a pretty generic RPG. The story, following youngster Jude Maverick as his world literally comes crashing down around him, isn't exactly the most original. Nor are the character designs, easily falling under the label of traditional anime. But don't let that fool you, as there's something quite decidedly different buried beneath all this.
That something would be the gameplay. You see, Wild ARMs 4 ditches the standard turn-based battle system the series, and numerous other RPGs, have employed in the past. I'm sure you know the system I'm talking about, it's the one where battles take place with a line of characters facing a line of enemies as they take turns smacking each other. This system is often characterized by the ability to breeze through most random encounters by just mashing the same button over and over again.
Instead, battles in Wild ARMs 4 take place on a grid of seven hexagons. Each of the four main characters have different attacks with varying degrees of range and effectiveness, dictating even the most mundane of random encounters to require some strategy. Special combo attacks are also available, reliant upon two or more characters sharing a grid. This means that a character's location is just as, if not more, important than the chosen attack. In other words, one simply can't just mash the attack button to get through most of the battles.
However, thanks to the small grid that ensures characters are no more than two hexagons away from an enemy, most battles aren't that lengthy, generally lasting under a minute or two. Particularly satisfying are the boss fights, some of which require a specific strategy to defeat.
Take, for example, one boss protected by a shield. Upon destruction of the shield, the boss is vulnerable until their next turn, at which point they summon an even stronger shield. After a few instances of this, the boss grows so powerful that they can completely destroy the party in one hit. The trick is to strike while they're vulnerable, but unless the party is properly positioned and prepared, they won't be able to do much damage during the small window. Thankfully, the turn bar, located at the bottom of the screen, allows players to see the order of the next dozen or so turns, which makes plotting these attacks a bit easier. Also nice is that in the event of a Game Over, the game allows the player to resume from that particular fight instead of forcing them to load an old save and trek back to that point.
Fights like this that really define Wild ARMs 4's battle system. It's a fresh take on things, combining the speed of traditional turn-based systems with the strategy of the slower, grid-based battle engines. Even better, battle strategies are constantly changing as the game progresses, dependent upon the characters learning new skills, new attacks and gaining new weaponry. I'm quite serious when I say this changes up battle strategy; early on, my close-range physical attacker learned a new attack that made him more effective from a distance. Meanwhile, later in the game, I stumbled across a weapon that transformed my long-range magic user into my most powerful close-range attacker.
Outside of battle, gameplay remains non-traditional, the exploration of towns and dungeons infused with a bit of action that helps to keep things interesting. Regardless of the locale, players control Jude, who can always jump, stomp, slide, and pick up specific items. Though this isn't too useful in towns, as they generally revolve around talking to the right person or finding a specific place, luckily, dungeons don't ignore the gameplay potential this provides.
At various points in these dungeons, the game switches into a 2.5D mode where the player can only move left or right. These sections, quite reminiscent of classic platformers, require Jude to carefully jump, slide and climb his way through the stage. They're also a lot of fun, and help to ensure things don't get too monotonous. Best of all, these platforming sections are generally free of random encounters, allowing the player to focus on the task at hand.
Additionally, dungeons are filled with action-based puzzles. Stomp on the switch to open the door, throw a bomb at a switch, position a bomb to trigger four switches at once, drag some blocks to make a path, and so on. While it may all sound simple and rudimentary, some of the later puzzles can be pretty tricky to figure out. In fact, they can actually be rather frustrating, as random encounters seem to be more prevalent whilst carrying an object. It's worse when, after dragging an object around for a few minutes, one misjudges the throw and has to do it all over again. Luckily, there's a handy workaround to avoid this hassle, as if Jude happens to fall into a pit, or maybe some lava, the game will reset him as he entered the room - complete with whatever object he was holding at the time. Also handy, both for puzzle solving and platforming, is Jude's Accelerator ability, which temporarily slows down time a la Max Payne.
Outside of the gameplay department, however, Wild ARMS 4 doesn't fare as well. It's not that the story is bad, it's just not particularly good, with major plot points feeling rather familiar to anyone well-versed in RPGs or anime. XSEED's translation is solid, but seems intentionally cheesy, as if the staff was poking fun at the clichéd characters. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as hearing a character exclaim "I burn with smoldering rage" is rather humorous, and I realize that XSEED had to stay true to the Japanese version, but the moral here is to play Wild ARMs 4 for its gameplay, not story.
Likewise, the voice acting is solid, but again, neither too good to be noteworthy or too bad to be considered atrocious. It's simply there, for better or worse. However, the placement of light subtitles on top of light backgrounds during some cinematics is an odd choice. It's almost impossible to read the subtitles during these cutscenes, and though the voice acting is clear enough to be easily understood, that really doesn't help the hard of hearing or those playing with the volume down.
Some may also be disappointed to learn that the main game takes between twenty and twenty five hours to run through. However, it's worth nothing that various side quests, including a battle arena, item synthesis, and hidden bosses are available for those looking to get more out of the game.
But honestly, that's all minor stuff. In a sense, Wild ARMs 4 seems to be the complete opposite of the standard RPG, as it's the gameplay, not the story, which kept me playing. Sure, the story and art might be generic, and yes, some might consider it a little short, but the important part is that its fast-yet-strategic battle system, action-based dungeons and, of all the things to find in an RPG, solid 2D platforming are all quite enjoyable. And personally speaking, I'd much rather have twenty five hours of fun gameplay with a mediocre story than an engaging eighty hour story full of mundane gameplay. RPG fans looking for something that's just plain old fun, particularly those that agree with the previous statement, should definitely give Wild ARMs 4 a go.
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