Enchanted Arms

I'd first like to say that I have played through the whole game, unlike the reviewers before me. I'd also like to mention that this is very much a JRPG (linear-style, turn based role-playing game), so if that's not your cup of tea, you might want to give this title a pass.

That aside, Enchanted Arms is a worthy opening act for traditional RPGs on the PS3. The graphics are pretty good, though hardly ambitious. The quality of the cinematic sequences are likely to give Square-Enix a run for their money. Thankfully, the game gives the user a choice between the English voice acting and the original Japanese (most English redubs are fairly poor, and this game is no exception). But what people really care about in a JRPG is characters, plot, and combat.

The characters start off as nothing special. In fact, they are stereotypes through and through. A few past reviews were exceptionally turned off by a lesser character during the opening and tutorials; that character quickly leaves the plot, but I happened to find his antics amusing (and opening the game with a homosexual character is quite progressive in my opinion). The story is fairly generic to start off, but develops a subtle complexity that is actually quite refreshing when compared to the epic plots of the Final Fantasy series. This, I think, helps the character development some, as any development (particularly in the case of Atsuma, the protagonist) is surprising. Even without Atsuma's torturous inner struggles/demons, the other characters still play an active role and are far more three-dimensional than the game would have you initially believe. Combat has been built from the ground up, and the result is a unique experience. It combines the elements of strategy RPGs in the vein of Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy Tactics, with the simple turn-based elements of traditional JRPGs. In addition to your natural party, you can build a team of golems (monsters, essentially) to assist in combat. The mix of strategy and action helps this game stand on its own amongst the competition.

I for one think that this title doesn't get nearly the amount of respect it deserves. If you enjoy a classic RPG, check this game out. If you can't be patient for an hour and let the game develop, it's certainly not for you.

This game is no work of art. It looks like a PS2 title.

That said, the game is a lot of fun. The dialogue is awful, which the english voice cast obviously recognized because the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek. The game constantly parodies itself and its genre (other JRPGs). It's not just the dub cast - the "great martial arts master" that the group eventually seeks out is... a hippy. The "mysterious stranger" character is just another character wearing sunglasses, yet no one recognizes him.

The entire game is stupid-funny. It's a wonderful romp through silliness that offers the player little but... fun.

As far as complaints and game mechanics, well, the programers did screw up in a few places (hence the four stars). Combat is WAY too slow - the "fast forward" button speeds the attacks up to what should have been the standard speed. Also, with such a small "game board" in which combat takes place, it sometimes makes it difficult to move.

That said, I'm not sure why people had such a problem with the rest of it. The strategy element is very well done, with attacks demonstrating their area of effect to the play when chosen. The golem-collecting sidequests are mildly pointless, but mostly serve to fill in for absent party members during plot moments, since anyone not using the four PCs for every single battle is wasting resources.

Oh, and the "dancing" to refill your super moves - yes, it is absoutely awful. That's why it's so much fun. In any given dungeon, you can unload your most powerful super moves effectively cost-free if you don't mind doing some awful 70s disco dancing between battles. It is one of the funniest parts of the game, and is worth it just for the hallarious stupidity of disco-dancing in the middle of a dungeon. Also, for the record, attacking an enemy and taking damage also fills the meter, so if you just fight random battles and never dance you will eventually end up walking around with a full meter anyway. But why wouldn't you want to dance?

I think that addressed most of the criticisms I've read. If you want a serious FF style title, this probably isn't the game for you. If you want an uproariously funny PARODY of a FF game, full of stupidly funny game-play elements, characters, and plot, then you could do worse than Enchanted Arms.

As soon as I put the game in my PS3 I thought, "Oh God, all the reviews I read about this game are right..." and I kept playing the game and I was right. What surprised me was how much fun I had playing this game despite its many flaws. I definitely wouldn't have paid full price, but believe it or not this IS a surprisingly fun game if you are a JRPG fan, and at 20 bucks you really can't go wrong.