Skies of Arcadia (spoilers included) How good is it really?

[Strider]

Loved it. Go read my Cube review on here Strider

I've had the game for ages and reading your review was what made me want to actually play it

Who's this Piastol though, I'm well over 30 hours into it and haven't seen her at all (only in the instruction manual) have I missed something?

[DJ Sack]

This post will contain loads of spoilers so read ahead if you dare

This game is bloody brilliant, from the first playing of the demo disc i loved it, the intro is really engaging, makes you wonder whats going on and its not till hours later you really find out the truth, and even then the whole truth is not explained till right at the end.

The ships with thehuge guns, the music, the way vyse is a kid but is still under the control of his dad, it just feels like a big adventure rather than 'Your destined to save the world, take this sword and do it and moan while you do do it'

The start when you go around your home island and speak to everyone, playing hide and seek with the kids, seeing the moon stones fall and seeing the sun set while you talk to fina, going off to the first dungeon to get the first moon stone, taking it back and ending up having to save your father, coming across the giga's, trying to escape from valua, not once but twice, being stranded on an island by yourself and crossing paths with aika but just missing her, the exploring the town down south where no one has any money and are just wollowing in self pity, going to uncharted lands, and the finallie where you and everyone you met and helped along the way joins you for the final battle.

I love the sexual enuendos in the game, all the special moves are gorgouse, 'CUTLASS FURRRRRYYYYY!!!!!' the dungeons are simple and short but its the story, so full of twists and turns it just builds up into one huge almighty climax. when it finished, i felt totally empty, it was like a huge hole in my life, i became vyse, and now, that was it. I really want a follow up to this game, i need to experience more of vyse's adventures!

Also check out my review over at Http://www.casuallyhardcore.co.uk

[Sketcz]

I got it, and loved it. The best RPG on the DC, without a doubt.

I later got grandia 2, and SoA pukes all over it.
People complain about cliches in SoA? At least you can relate to them, and you dont want to repeatedly beat their faces each time you hear them speak. Grandia, another DC rpg, was cliched in the extreme.

Grandias pouting lead character and whiny little kid routine pissed me off intensely, as a result I never completed it. Though admiteddly the ability to see your enemies was a small bonus.

To get a feel of it, you need to compare it to other DC games at the time, charatcers, styling, level design, all of it excellent.

Several levels reminded me a great deal of Panzer Dragoon Saga, those giant shrine dungeons were beautifully designed. I liked the random battles, they kept me playing those wonderful looking dungeons for longer.


Also, the idea of a world existing in the sky was genius, suddenly all my childhood dreams had come true, the ability to fly freely from island to island was brillaint, and the hunting down of "discoveries" gave it a completist feel. I loved flying around with any aim other than trying to find hidden secrets and islands.
It really did feel like a living breathing world, with history and cultures.

Wonderful game, stick with it, and its very rewarding.

[Strider]

Just managed to get through the Dark Rift and entered the Skies equivalent of China. It looks absolutely beautiful and must have been truly stunning when it first came out on the Dreamcast.

[Sketcz]

Smallish spoiler about later:

After you get to a certain point, winds currents dont stop you anymore, you get a ship which can fly to high altitudes that simply go over all the clouds. Allowing for complete free flight of the world. And at that height, no enemy can attack you, so random battles completely disappear.
Im guessing most people figured that already... well I didnt when I first played the game.

Just a nice bit of incentive info if you ever start to tire of the game.

[Darwock]

Unfortunately that incentive doesn't come until way into the second disc, when most people likely to get tired of it, already will have.

[Mayhem]

Who's this Piastol though, I'm well over 30 hours into it and haven't seen her at all (only in the instruction manual) have I missed something?

I won't spoil her too much... needless to say that you get a "challenge" from her if you speak to the Quest/Location rewards guy at the Sailor's Guild at the first outpost you got to in the game (Sailor's Island?). It's so damn long ago I can't recall properly. You get a "black spot", which if you examine, tells you Piastol is waiting for you nearby.

First time around I faced her, she kicked my arse. You need to be level 15+ on everyone to stand a chance really in the first confrontation. You'll be challenged by her several more times throughout the game (always in the same place though), each time getting harder. Worth doing it for the experience points and it's an interesting new side story to follow.

[Strider]

Where about in my inventory is this black spot kept then, I remember getting it, but I never looked at it and when I remembered, I couldn't find it.

[Judgement Boy]

In two minds about Skies of Arcadia.

Mind one:- The random battles are WAY too often, the battle system is pretty lame, and battles are WAY too slow.

Mind two:- The ship battles are great (but could be quicker), The setting is brilliant, as are the dungeons and the story is pretty good.

[Moodmon]

Moonstone Cannon FIRE!

I love it. I loved it so much I was thinking about playing it through for a second time without having finished it. It was simply so refreshing to have a non-annoying lead. Vyse simply wants to explore, and is just so happens he can save people at the same time.

Vyse is the RPG equivilant of Saurian. Man, that dude is blatant! I must get his aftershave, because every single woman he meets fancies him. Without exception.

The magic system was a bit of a let down (other than the cure spells, I didn't use it). The focus system was excellent, and added a great dimension to the fights. It even managed to include ship-to-ship fighting, even if you got too many panning shots.

It really takes off in the jungle airspace, and gets better from there, with the China style place being a highpoint.

As for comparisions with Grandia 2, I thought SoA had a better outlook (clich?d as it was) but Grandia 2 had a much better fight system, and a mean insano-lady, AND a kicker plot twist, which Soa lacks.

[Lyris]

I didn't like it too much. There were some really, really nice moments (like when you were in the Rich City parallel to the Poor one and you could see the other on the horizon) but all the random battles (and how LONG they took!) as well as the hard boss fights, those ship fights and all the flying around (with random battles inbetween...) made me just ignore it.

Also I was playing the PAL version and the flickering and warping was giving me a bit of a headache. All these reasons and more made me give my time to Grandia II instead.

[Brats]

It was the last Japanese RPG I've played that I really enjoyed. I think if I played it again now, I'd probably get bored as I've been spoilt by Bioware and Black Isle's recent output which imo are taking the RPG forward. But it has a wonderful (if not very original) setting, loads of character, a good battle system and enough differences to the standard Jpaanese RPG fare to make it stand out.

Plus it has Aika in it.

[Moodmon]

Plus it has Aika in it.

The big forum debate: Do you choose the dour and frigid Fina, or the one who looks like she could go all night, Aika?

OH!
Giggidy!
ETC!

[dataDave]

Plus it has Aika in it.

The big forum debate: Do you choose the dour and frigid Fina, or the one who looks like she could go all night, Aika?

OH!
Giggidy!
ETC!

Aika looks best when she has her hair down. Fina is so.. fresh though.

I'd do 'em both. 8)

[dataDave]

Just managed to get through the Dark Rift and entered the Skies equivalent of China. It looks absolutely beautiful and must have been truly stunning when it first came out on the Dreamcast.

What about Nasrad market with it's 3-tier walk-way with citizens walking and haggling underneath? I remember thinking "WOW!" to that on the DC more than anything. So colourful and detailed.