Wild Arms 4

by Xseed Games

Product Features

• Innovative new HEX battle system unlike anything seen before in turn-based RPGs -- easily accessible while providing an amazing amount of speed, depth and strategy
• Action elements on the field map - From double-jumps to the new Accelerator ability to manipulate time
• Equip items to solve puzzles - eliminate the boredom of walking and waiting for random battles
• Inspiring coming-of-age storyline as Jude learns to cope with the harsh realities of the outside world with the help of his newfound friends

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000DZTRHE
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,534 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #27 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Role-Playing

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Jude Maverick has grown up in an isolated town called Ciel, which is completely enclosed in a large sphere floating thousands of feet above the surface of Filgaia. His sheltered world changes forever when he sees the sky "tear" and ships entering his homeland. Upon inspecting the camp site set up by the intruders, he sees something that he has never seen before: a girl. The girl’s name is Yulie and she is being held captive by the intruders after being captured by a "Drifter" for hire, Arnaud G. Vasquez. After the invading army attacks Ciel and brings the whole sphere crashing down, Jude, Yulie, and Arnaud join forces to find out the army’s true intention behind Yulie’s abduction. With the help of another Drifter, Raquel, these four idealistic teenagers travel the war-torn land of Filgaia in search of truth, their own identities, and their individual paths to adulthood.

Features:

• Brand new entry in the popular Wild ARMs series
• Innovative new HEX battle system unlike anything seen before in turn-based RPGs; easily accessible while providing an amazing amount of speed, depth, and strategy
• Action elements on the field map such as double-jumps, using the new "Accelerator" ability to manipulate time, and equipping items to solve puzzles eliminates the boredom of walking and waiting for random battles
• Inspiring coming-of-age storyline as Jude learns to cope with the harsh realities of the outside world with the help of his newfound friends
• Events presented in a distinctive use of polygons and shading with voice-overs

Product Description

Wild ARMs 4 invites you to go on a journey through a war-torn world, with the power to either repair it - or destroy it. All his life, a young man named Jude lived in the tiny village of Ciel, until the day a hole was ripped in the sky. That day, a military invasion uncovered a strange and powerful weapon called an ARM. It bonded to Jude and now he'll have to master it to save his home & people. As he becomes a man in a time of war, he'll have a chance to put a stop to the violence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Neither hit nor miss..., January 23, 2006

By 

John. N (Big Run, PA USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Wild Arms 4 (Video Game)

Wild Arms fans have had it pretty good over the last few months with the debut of Alter Code:F a few months ago <grin> and now with Wild Arms 4. Needless to say my PS2 has not seen this much action since I bought it and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time back in 2004.

As a RPG series, Wild Arms is, and will always be in the shadow of almost everything Square-Enix throws down the pike (a fact so painfully obvious that it has to be accepted by the masses), so if you want to give Wild Arms 4 or any of the previous games a try, you can't, for example, use the Final Fantasy series as a golden standard as far as all RPGs go and use it as a basis for comparison. If you do, don't bother, as you'll ultimately be disappointed. That said, Wild Arms 4 is a solid game, but doesn't even begin to reach the level attained by the earlier games in the series.

For the most part, the changes Media.Vision has made to the basic Wild Arms formula do work, and help layer and mask what was probably one of the most simplistic RPG battle systems in existence. While the hex battle system adds a little strategy to the fights, combat is still simple enough and makes it easy enough to pick up and play. Still, there are a few hitches to be aware of, such as when one of your characters gets KO'ed even before you get a turn due to the random character/enemy grid placement, or having to compensate for uneven character leveling.

Gameplay wise, Wild Arms 4 trades some of the puzzle solving elements the series is known for some side-scrolling elements that unmistakably reminds me of Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot series (which isn't a bad thing at all). Overall this works pretty well, especially considering the excellent brain-teaser like puzzles from original WA have dwindled over the years and sequels into obvious, watered-down solutions (excluding a few certain exceptions, mind you). The fact your characters no longer have a pre-specified set of tools to carry out through the game to solve puzzles, while realistic, is somewhat disappointing (although sometimes trying to get said tool to point A to point B can be a puzzle in itself).

Graphically, one could say that Wild Arms 4 is a step above Wild Arms Alter Code:F. This is pretty much due to the fact Wild Arms 4 was probably build from the ground up by Media.Vision, where as Alter Code:F was basically the original Wild Arms slapped into a Wild Arms 3 shell. Like Wild Arms 3, Wild Arms 4 opts for a darker, duller color palette that emphasizes the war weary world of Filgaia, but many will find it clashes with bright colors used throughout Alter Code:F.

While the above elements of Wild Arms 4 work well enough, there are a few elements that do leave something to be desired. The story, while quite effectively depicting a post war struggle for power, never really creates a since of urgency until the very end. On top of this, the villains, while interesting at the very least, just can't compare to the Quarter Knights/Metal Demons from Wild Arms/Wild Arms Alter Code:F or Odessa from Wild Arms 2.

The most disappointing aspect about Wild Arms 4 would have to be the audio. The series staple composer Michiko Naruke only composed more or less one-third of the soundtrack due to illness, meaning her trademark western favored style from the previous games isn't prominent throughout (you can honestly tell which tracks are Naruke's), though thankfully her involvement is preserved. On top of this, while the game sports a very, very good translation (thank you xseed, eat your heart out Agetech!), the voice acting shows why the Wild Arms series was better without it.

So, if you like Wild Arms, despite the massive magazine review campaign/conspiracy to bash it to end, you will probably enjoy this chapter as well despite the changes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall a good showing, March 14, 2006

By 

Corum Seth Smith (Hendersonville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wild Arms 4 (Video Game)

Wild Arms 4 does a couple of things that I like, and some things I don't. My review will consist of a review of the game itself and then a pros and cons list.

Wild Arms 4 is an RPG with four playable characters set in the world of Wild Arms, Filgaia. The heroes must face a rising, despotic form of government whose vision of Filgaia's future is very tyrannical. This 3D environment allows the main character, Jude, to jump, stomp, and slide, changing the traditional Wild Arms field movement system.

Pros
-The new Hex battle system adds a level of strategy to the fighting, making you rethink how you heal and plan an attack.
-Each character has a different strength, and this too, adds a strategical challenge.
-I like the music and voiceovers. Wild Arms always has some great Wild West type music.

Cons
-Unlike previous Wild Arms, there aren't a set of tools for each playable character. The main character does all the problem solving.
-Some of the bad guys are kind of hard to take seriously. What makes up for this is how intriguing some of the other villains are.
-I wish it was a little less linear in the beginning.

Overall, I think if you like RPGs and would be interested in one with some Wild West/post-apocalyptic overtones, you will enjoy this game.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well, it's not bad., December 21, 2006

By 

A. Griffiths "Adrian" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Wild Arms 4 (Video Game)

I'm enjoying this, but I have reservations. I'll dispense with the plot quickly, as it's the standard fodder: A boy with a confused past encounters a sweet and fragile girl with immense powers, whom crazed warring factions plan to exploit for great evil. He decides to protect her and they team up with more characters along the way (including one who knows magic, and one who has great physical fighting skills) and uncovering a plot to destroy the planet and end life as we know it - good grief, are we ever going to get anything new? Still it's serviceable enough so let's just concentrate on the other areas that make an RPG work or fail. So first of all, the battle system.

Well I was quite pleased with this. The new HEX system gives the player plenty of choices to make and you need to approach fighting in this game rather differently to most regular RPG's. For this reason I would warn you that you may well be fairly bewildered at the start and although there is in-game tuition, it really does pay to read the manual properly first - and probably twice. I'm a gamer who hates manuals but I didn't know what to do without it for once, as so much of then game is NOT self explanatory. Just so you know.

Anyway, the HEX system uses turn based play for battles, but you have to take into account the placement of characters on a small field area that is divided into 7 adjoining hexagonal blocks. At the start of each fight, you'll be presented with your team of four scattered randomly into one or more of the 7 spaces, and the enemy or enemies will be similarly placed (Any game screenshot that shows one of the battles will give you the idea). Now, everything that happens is influenced as much by position in relation to comrades and enemies, as it is to strength and ability, and you'll find that moving to the right space is as important as what you decide to do (moving one space takes up a turn in the same was as an attack or item action). Physical attacks can only be performed to an adjacent space, so you have to move to a space beside a monster to attack physically. Of course this means they can do the same to you. Sharing a block with your comrades means you share it's effects, so you could all take damage from an attack, or you could all benefit from one heal item. Furthermore, some blocks can be booby-trapped, or give the person in them extra elemental attack power, or poison them, while other skills can trap you (or the enemy) in one place permanently to become a sitting duck, or conversely you might find a skill permitting a jump to any chosen block for free. The options are attractively complex and I really liked this aspect of the game. I'm not exaggerating when I say it potentially makes every fight unique, as the opening random placements have endless combinations, and without taking some care, even a fight against weak enemies can go very badly wrong. I certainly had a lot of fun experimenting.

Another aspect that the Wild Arms series is good at is making the dungeon puzzles very physical, by which I mean you actually have to execute certain manouvers to get through them, such as skillful platform jumping and timed dashes to hit all switches or reach a gate before a bridge crumbles away. There are also various "tools" about like bombs, sharp instruments and crates that mean you have to work your brain and find out what would allow you to flip that out of reach switch or make it across a wide gap. At these times it's more like Tomb Raider than an RPG game, but I like the fact that Wild Arms games allow you to flex different playing styles rather than just the one.

Ok, now for the bad news. The game plays well but the presentation of it is quite poor. By which I mean the graphics. It's ok when your character is roaming around a dungeon or village, as these are well made with some very nice scenery and buildings - but first of all, you are stuck with a totally fixed camera, which seriously devalues the lovely 3 dimensional locations - you can never look around at will so they may as well have been pre rendered. At least the platforming and puzzle solving aspects have a good character model to play with, which jumps and dashes about in a nicely controllable fashion.

But the conversations and cut scenes...! These are just awful. Any time you approach a NPC, the action switches to a static screen fronted by a non-animated manga drawing of that person, along with a text-only conversation to click through. This also happens when you enter any town building - as none of them have explorable interiors -or have a group discussion, or some important revalation happens - it's like reading a comic book as you look at all these drawings of facial expressions and scroll through the text. Some important exposition is even told in a narrator style with words like "And then such and such a thing happened" being displayed over a blank screen.

On a very few occasions the in-game models of the cast are seen in action, but these 3-D versions are really blocky and primitive compared to what other PS2 games are managing to do these days, and they seriously compromise the supposed emotions or dramatic mood that the scripts is calling for whenever they are on screen...maybe that's why all the emotional conversations are left to the drawings. Which would be fine for a PS1 game, but in 2006, there is really no excuse for 3D character models to look this dull, and you might want to take this into account before buying the game.

My second gripe is that this game is relatively short, in that it's certainly less epic than Wild Arms 3, with a smaller world of locations to explore, easier dungeon puzzles and a shorter overall quest in general. Wild Arms 3 had a large, "playable" world map that you had to traverse and explore, however Wild Arms 4 has cut cut this out entirely, leaving just a static illustration, which you stick a pin into at your chosen destination and the game will take you there. It also has far less side quests and areas, but it does have a few of the more common RPG extras, such as very rare enemies that are very seldom found but worth high rewards to beat, a battle arena where you pay money to fight for prizes, a workshop for synthesizing rare items and weapons, and some optional secret bosses which are harder to fight than the in-game final boss.

Thes extra bosses are tough, and unfortunately this is one RPG where grinding away at random battles purely to level up is very gruelling, as the experience needed to reach the higher levels takes a LOT of perseverance. Once you reach the mid-way mark, it seems like only boss fights are giving you any experience worth having, and even the game's final and strongest regular random encounters will have to be hammered away at many dozens of times just to go up one level. But take heart, because managing your character levels is handled rather differently in this game anyway, and you may be shocked to learn that your final HP level may not be drastically more than it was when you started, due to a very fluid system that works by the earning and deploying of points. As you level up, more of these points are amassed, and you choose the balance between assigning them to either your HP level, your MP level or to nifty skills. Don't worry too much about making bad choices though, as these points can be moved about at any time as required. Which means that you'll be thinking about strategies and which attributes need boosting in relation to whichever boss fight or tricky area is coming up, rather than just buffing everything. It's a good idea, and one that provides a nice bit of diversion that just plain old stat-boosting.

So, with the dungeons and battle system being this much fun, I can overlook the primitive character graphics that seriously hampered my emotional involvement with the story. Plus the save system works quite well - saves are spaced far apart, but all the fights (both bosses and random encounters) allow you to re-start the failed battle from the beginning again if all your team should fall, thus avoiding the dreaded Game Over screen if you fall foul of some unexpected disaster after you have made loads of progress since your last save, as a restarted random battle may have a different arrangement of hexes from the one that killed you. It also helps with the optional bosses, as you can test out different strategies without worrying too much about failure, as you don't have to reload and repeat some long trek from your last save to try again. You will have to reload the save if you need to re-arrange your point distribution though, but if thats the case, you're probably attempting something too early!

In balance, then, Wild Arms 4 has more good points than bad. I've enjoyed it a lot, even though I was initially bewildered by some of it's more quirky aspects. But once I understood all of the features, I was pretty much in it for the full duration, so even though it's not an "A" list RPG, it's still worth playing.