Wild Arms 5

by Xseed

Product Features

• Wild Arms 5 is the newest chapter in the popular role player series
• Features a brand-new cast of characters in an all-new storyline along with a return of the acclaimed HEX battle system from Wild Arms 4
• Huge, fully explorable 3-D world has tons of hidden items, quests and mini-games to discover
• Dual-pistol wielding allows the player to shootvarious types of bullets to solve puzzles
• Features dozens of cameo appearances and other surprises for longtime fans of the series

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000R2YWEQ
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 1 inches ; 11 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 28, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,585 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

In a small town called Capo Bronco on the outskirts of Filgaia two youths Dean Stark and Rebecca Streisand witness an unbelievable event -- the giant arm of a golem somehow falling from the sky. Their disbelief grows further when they discover that within the clenched fist of the golem's hand lies a girl with little recollection of her past other than her name --"Avril." This chance encounter inspires Dean and Rebecca to travel with Avril across the wastelands of Filgaia in hopes of helping her regain her lost memories. Little do they know their journey will eventually decide the fate of all mankind...Format: PS2 Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: NR UPC: 853466001063 Manufacturer No: 00106

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Addition to the Series, September 1, 2007

By 

S. Rhodes - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Wild Arms 5 (Video Game)

You've got to hand it to the Wild Arms series. They definitely do things differently than several RPGs. If you're looking for an RPG that's just all around different then Wild Arms 5 is actually a treat. It doesn't reach as high as it could, though, but at least it does reach higher than most RPGs would dare to reach, and does a lot of things quite differently and out of tradition for RPGs.

Wild Arms 5 has a fairly simple story. Dean is a guy who loves exploring ruins. He's a Golem-Hunter, but he's tired of being cooped up in his town. When adventuring with his friend Rebecca, an arm suddenly falls from the sky. Clasped inside the arm is a girl named Avril. She only mentions something from the past but Dean has no clue what it means. Despite that he decides to investigate anyway. And in true RPG fashion, no one stops him. It's a simple story, but it has its own charm.

There's not a lot of character development going on in the storyline, though. For the most part, you like the characters, but you really wish you could learn more about them. This has usually been the case with all the Wild Arms games. It's no different here. Most of the dialog is good at least. However, despite the games well written dialog, its attempt at humor don't always succeed, and in some spots it hurts the dialog. In spite of all that, the game is fun.

Part of what makes Wild Arms 5 interesting is that it really does do a whole lot of things different from your traditional RPG. You've got your traditional things like battling, dungeons to explore and a myriad of sidequests to go about. But a lot of this stuff isn't presented to you in a traditional way. You'll go exploring through dungeons, but Wild Arms 5 throws tons and tons of puzzles your way, and a lot of them are actually complex and well done. Some are so mind numbing that you'll actually need a strategy guide for them. Another thing WIld Arms 5 manages to throw in is that the game will always inform you of what room your in as well as always letting you know when you've been through a door in a dungeon and whatnot. Throughout the dungeons you'll also get hints as to what to do next. In terms of dungeon crawling, Wild Arms 5 is all around different. The only games similar to it are other Wild Arms games.

There's also a platforming element going on. To get through some dungeons you'll have to jump and crouch. Not only that, but in each dungeon there are Sol Nigers. When you destroy these things, you're given the chance to completely turn off the random battles within the dungeon. A nice feature that can go a long way.

It's neat to have all these things within Wild Arms 5, but a lot of it makes dungeon crawling a cakewalk. Getting hints, always knowing where to go without having to explore for yourself. At times, it can feel like your hand is being held.

The HEX Battle system from Wild Arms 4 returns here. Much like Wild Arms 4 there's a deep strategic feel going on here. You'll move characters around to let them attack the enemy, and your enemy also moves around a lot. There are seven hexes in each battle, arranged randomly. The beauty of this battle system is how you can manipulate it and change things up. For example, you can cast a status effect on a HEX and any time someone (friend or foe) moves to that HEX they are affected with the status effect in question. Likewise, if they move off that HEX they're no longer afflicted. You can use this to your advantage, but so can your enemy. More than one person can stand on a HEX as well, and how far or close you are to an enemy does matter.

There are also Ley points. These are the elemental factors at work, that help to alter the weaknesses and strengths of those who stand in these hexes. For example if someone stands in a blue ley point they will take less damage from water based attacks, deal more damage with water based attacks, but at the same time they'll take more damage from fire based attacks, which is the weakness. It's a great battle system to mess around with. The only real problem with Wild Arms 5 is that it's disturbingly easy to take advantage of the system. The game is all around easy. Your enemies often don't take advantage of the hexes the way you will. Also, you're healed after battle. There's almost no challenge present. Some battles are also just slow going.

As with any RPG, character customization is key and Wild Arms 5 has mediums at work. Mediums allow your characters to perform more actions in combat or give them bonuses. Mediums will give you magic and skills. Like the ability to steal from your enemies or to cast spells. Some even give you the ability to change Ley points on the Hex. There's a lot to it, yet it's pretty simple to learn on the whole.

In terms of visuals, Wild Arms 5 isn't a bad looking game, but it's really not good looking either. It's colorful and there is some neat attention given to certain points, but for the most part, it's bland looking. The artwork is something to appreciate, though. The game runs pretty smoothly as well. The game also has some great music to help move things along.

Wild Arms 5 is definitely different. There are plenty of elements done here to make the game stand out. This is not your typical RPG by any means. These elements actually make Wild Arms 5 a treat. The story isn't anything special, but it's not bad either. If anything, the biggest hit against Wild Arms 5 is that it isn't difficult at all and it holds your hand a lot.

Pros:

+A well crafted battle system
+Dungeon designs are well done, full of fun puzzles to solve
+The ability to turn off random encounters (upon meeting certain conditions) is cool
+Tons of sidequests and optional bosses
+Great soundtrack

Cons:

-Despite the likeable characters, there's not much development
-The game is way too easy
-A few pitiful attempts at humor
-It can feel like the game is holding your hand at times

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great purchase!, October 1, 2007

By 

Jason Logan (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Wild Arms 5 (Video Game)

Wild ARMs 5 is a good game and a whole lot of fun. It's not particularly original, but it takes some of the best elements from each game in its series and blends them together into a quality offering that should appeal to those who've long been a fan. For those who haven't, the fifth game is almost certainly their best bet for an introduction into the world of Filgaia. There's still a lot of room for improvement with this series, but after a few disappointing entries, it's refreshing to have one that gets things so much more right overall.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well developed story, March 24, 2008

By 

Ian Carlson (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Wild Arms 5 (Video Game)

The story within Wild ARMs 5 borderlines on the last good story from the Wild ARMs series back when Wild ARMs 2 was released. This story involves a lot of things, comedy, drama and tragic events. The combat system is taken from Wild ARMs 4, which I didn't really care for since I mainly play JRPGs. The graphics are pretty good--similar to Wild ARMs 4 though yet faster--and the world map makes its comeback in this game.

If you want to get into Wild ARMs series, this one is a good start (if you play it all the way through.)