Reviewed by Anna Slado
I always get excited when there’s a new Wild ARMs game coming out. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that I played and loved Wild ARMs 4. The fifth installment in the series is just like 3 and 4 released for the PS2.
Wild ARMs has never really been hanging with the big guys, like Final Fantasy or Tales or some other huge RPG-series. But the fact remains, that though MediaVision don’t flex their muscles until the shirt rips when we’re talking graphics, Wild ARMs remain one of my favorite RPG-series. And here’s why.
MediaVision remains true to the series, while for example SquarEnix want to create something that will break new grounds, just as they did with FFVII. Sure, Wild ARMs has gone through a few changes, with number 4 being the more quirky game of the bunch. Here in chapter 5 there is a lot of old and new mixed together, and honestly, this is my favorite Wild ARMs game so far.
Dean is a spunky lad in his mid-teens. With a shovel as his weapon, and a naive outlook on the world and life, you can’t exactly call him prepared for what will happen along the way. And yet, that’s pretty much what the WA-games are all about; youth, perseverance and never giving up, always aiming high to reach your goal. In short, it’s inspiring.
MediaVision doesn’t show off with fancy graphics, although pretty, but they don’t compare to say Xenosaga 3 or Final Fantasy XII. The story is also not one of the greatest there ever was, but it’s interesting enough and all the characters get their time in the lime-light. Still, I find that the first characters you encounter in the game will turn out to be those you are using to fight your battles with. You can switch characters in battle but I didn’t really use that feature much.
Even though graphics and story can lack some “oomph”, there is something that makes Wild ARMs 5 shine so brilliantly I probably should look away, but I can’t. Michiko Naruke is the original composer to the Wild ARMs series and she did a great job with the first three games. For Wild ARMs 4 she turned ill and wasn’t able to contribute and others had to step up to the plate. The same goes for WA5, Michiko is not back, but this time, it’s like she was never gone at all. While WA4 had a more “modern” sound on many of its tracks, Wild ARMs 5 is taking it back to basics. Back to that classic “wild west” feeling you get from playing these games.
The world is vast, it expands over four continents, and each and every one of them has its own piece of music. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be running over a big glacier and hearing those soft yet sorrowful tunes. Yes, Wild ARMs 5 offers a more vibrant Filgaia than what we’ve seen before, especially in comparison to Wild ARMs 3. And the music makes it even more vibrant and I cannot for the life of me get enough of it. I just can’t. The music just flows, embraces you and tells you the story of Filgaia. It’s a beautiful thing.
The fighting system from Wild ARMs 4 is staying put, somewhat altered, but not much. The dungeons and their puzzles are back, and in style, and to get through them you’ll have the help of Deans ARM, and the different ammunition it can carry. This is also the best solution to the puzzles I’ve seen. Changing between characters can be a hassle; just leaving it to one guy is fine.
As I said, the world is huge and holds many secrets. That’s also a thing that makes Wild ARMs 5 so very enjoyable. I could easily step into the last dungeon, if I wanted, but I want to explore some more. Just me, Filgaia and its music.
Special thanks to Jimmy Soga and XSEED Games for providing a copy of this title.