Wild Arms is a classic Japanese RPG, a PS1 release from the time when consoles were at the height of their popularity. Unfortunately, at least here in the west, Wild Arms cast a shadow over a small game called Final Fantasy VII. This property produced four slightly split sequels and some spin-offs, but did not actually take off that way. That was the case with Square Enix’s blockbuster series.
The original Wild Arms are still worth playing today, even if some of them are boring traditions. It’s the story of three protagonists who will travel together in an almost apocalyptic world. The game clearly has a 90’s anime tone, and its setting combines a fairly standard JRPG fantasy with some Wild West aesthetics. Even if the overall story of the game leans heavily towards the fantastic side of things, it’s an interesting blend of genres.
Sure, this plot won’t win the award for originality even in 1996, but it’s spoken of with a kind of directness and charm that is very unique to the identity of the old school JRPG. Compared to modern titles, there is little dialogue, but characters express their personality through gameplay details and action at the moment of important stories.
In classic JRPG fashion, you’re roaming from town to town and from dungeon to dungeon in search of the beat of the next story. The structure is simple enough, but sometimes deciding where to actually go can be a tedious process. You may have to talk to a very special NPC hiding somewhere in a town that feels too big. Or you may need to visit another place first before returning to your local pub to pursue a fresh dialogue with the bartender. It sometimes tries your patience.
And of course, you will participate in many random battles along the way. Combat is turn-based and is rendered entirely in 3D. This was a big problem at the time.At first, combat is basic — probably that too Basic. Initially, you’ll have access to normal attacks and some special abilities, but this state will be maintained for a significant portion of the game’s 30-hour run time.
Fortunately, when your heroic trio unlocks a wider range of techniques, the battle will finally become itself. Strategy gradually becomes more important as you take advantage of buffs, debuffs, and attacks that do additional damage to certain enemy types. Some boss battles require a special focus on tactical play, but most often require regular recovery and frequent use of the most powerful abilities.
Anyway, the combat system is brilliantly solid, but combat can definitely be dragged.The pace of these turn-based encounters Slow —Especially by today’s standards — and when you encounter random battles every 30 seconds during an already long dungeon crawl, your experience begins to wear out. Thankfully, grinds can certainly help towards the second half of the game, but it’s not a thorough need.
When it comes to presentations, Wild Arms is holding up very well. The 2D Overworld and Sprite pieces still look fascinating, and the music is full of understated earworms. Even menus work well — the simple design makes it easy to navigate years later.
Conclusion
Wild Arms is like a dusty old book in the form of a video game. A little unfriendly by today’s standards, the style of storytelling looks outdated, but there is no doubt about how it is presented, and the creative spine of the experience is still maintained. Despite some boring gameplay elements and a combat system that doesn’t really click until a few hours before the adventure, Wild Arms remains a classic PS1 title. It’s a memorable journey across a unique desolate fantasy world.
