07/27/01

Skies of Arcadia

Another ground breaking title by Sega, Skies of Arcadia is a fresh and fun must buy game for the DC. Great graphics, music, and playability make it one of the best RPGs ever made. Grandia 2 already made the Dreamcast a must buy for RPG players, and Skies of Arcadia makes it just plain crazy not to own one. SoA combines a Panzer Dragoon like sense of exploration with a classic RPG atmosphere that makes it a completely unique experience.

The graphics aren't as good as Grandia 2, but they are remarkable nonetheless. The many facial expressions add an original flavor to the characters, who are already well designed. All the locations in the game are well done and interesting, Each one has its own atmosphere. My favorite is the Japanese like island. The colors and water effects are so well done, you really feel like your inside of a fantasy novel instead of playing a video game.

The story is a masterpiece itself. The depth displayed in the characters are far above what you would expect of a video game. The story manages to keep you sucked in while keeping a light hearted atmosphere that doesn't bog you down with Final Fantasy style over dramatization. Basically you are young boy (typical) who is off on a quest with your two beautiful (well of coarse) female companions (who both, bye the way on your jock the whole time) to gather crystals of immense power before your enemies (the Valuans) get them first. These crystals hold the power of the Gigas, giant overpowered weapons of mass destruction that have destroyed civilization once before. The Valuans want to retrieve the Gigas from there spots of sealing, where they have been trapped for hundreds of years. Its your job to kick there ass before they do.

Music is one of the most important part of the atmosphere of an RPG as well and trust me Skies doesn't disappoint there either. All of the songs blend with the game perfectly giving the game a consistent feel the whole way through.

Overall Skies of Arcadia keeps you engrossed in the game better than any other RPG I've ever played (with the exception of Xenogears of coarse). This game is a strait up masterpiece, this review doesn't even touch on how well done this game is. If you own a Dreamcast, buy it. If you don't, buy a Dreamcast and then buy it. 10 out of 10

                                         
-Matt C

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