gorha
For the Ylory of Mankind
Miso. I had "real" ramen for the first time around the time TWEWY came out, and it quickly became my fallback if I didn't feel like trying something more exotic.
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I had a good feeling! Celebrating 40 Years and 108 JRPGs of Destiny
- Thread starter Lokii
- Start date
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- shrug life
Always nice to see someone else with my particular ailment.
*camera pans to a shelf full of shrink-wrapped GBA, DS, PS2, Gamecube, 360, and Wii games*
FelixSH
(He/Him)
TWEWY! My number 14.
I love this game (despite not having played it in 15 years, or so, after playing it every summer for three years). The only games more stylish are the Persona games, and even then, I'm not sure if they or TWEWY are the winner here (who cares, both are amazing in that regard, and generally). I love all the little details, like going into a shop, and reading the thoughts of the shopkeepers. Who might think bad of you, if you don't buy anything. Because yeah, you can read minds in this game, a basic ability.
It is set in Shibuya, and while I haven't been there, the fantasy version here looks like the most amazing place ever. So, so cool.
The music is exceptional, and it's the only game, where I had the songs on my mp3 player (because they have lyrics!). They were the perfect Spring / early Summer music. Such good vibes.
A fun, little thing are special enemies that look like pigs. The game is split into three weeks of seven days, and on each day, you can find one somewhat hidden, special enemy. These pigs need special ways to get killed. My favourite is the one, that can't be hurt. You have to close the DS, and open it up again, which kills it. No idea how to find that out, but I love this silly idea. You don't need to kill them, I think you get special pins, maybe?
One of the coolest storybeats is, when you get to the end of week 1, where you are supposed to be done. You are on good terms with your partner (after a VERY rocky start, thanks to Neku being an asshole), and win. Only for the game master to not agreeing with this, for reasons I forgot, so you have to play again. And get a new partner. While the first one was super nice, the second one is a dick to Neku, which is such a great change, forcing him to adapt once more. And the new partner even controls differently than the first one, forcing you to learn, together with Neku, to work together with someone else. (I think we can normally spoil stuff here, but I find this twist to be really fun, so I'll make an exception and hide it)
Mastering the game is wonderful. As was written, at the start, you are completely overwhelmed. But as you get comfortable with Nekus mechanics, you can do that a bit more automatic, which gives you time to put more focus on your partner. I mean, I never really mastered it, the light puck thing would randomly move between the characters, for me, mostly. But I still got pretty good.
A fun mechanic is, that you can freely choose the difficulty of the enemies you fight. At any time outside of battle, you can go to the menu and change it. But the easier the battle is (and the less amount/difficulty of enemies), the less/worse stuff you get. I don't remember the details, but I think there are different drops, and to buy certain outfits (your equipment), you need specific stuff. And there are tons of things to buy! You don't need most of it, but it's there.
At the people who have it, but never played it, I really think you should put this at the top of the list, and get to it over most any other game. It's absolutely unique and exceptional in nearly every way, and such a fun, wild ride. There is nothing like it, except the sequel, I guess (which I never played). I just don't think, any other game can give you this very special experience, it's so, so wonderful.
I love this game (despite not having played it in 15 years, or so, after playing it every summer for three years). The only games more stylish are the Persona games, and even then, I'm not sure if they or TWEWY are the winner here (who cares, both are amazing in that regard, and generally). I love all the little details, like going into a shop, and reading the thoughts of the shopkeepers. Who might think bad of you, if you don't buy anything. Because yeah, you can read minds in this game, a basic ability.
It is set in Shibuya, and while I haven't been there, the fantasy version here looks like the most amazing place ever. So, so cool.
The music is exceptional, and it's the only game, where I had the songs on my mp3 player (because they have lyrics!). They were the perfect Spring / early Summer music. Such good vibes.
A fun, little thing are special enemies that look like pigs. The game is split into three weeks of seven days, and on each day, you can find one somewhat hidden, special enemy. These pigs need special ways to get killed. My favourite is the one, that can't be hurt. You have to close the DS, and open it up again, which kills it. No idea how to find that out, but I love this silly idea. You don't need to kill them, I think you get special pins, maybe?
One of the coolest storybeats is, when you get to the end of week 1, where you are supposed to be done. You are on good terms with your partner (after a VERY rocky start, thanks to Neku being an asshole), and win. Only for the game master to not agreeing with this, for reasons I forgot, so you have to play again. And get a new partner. While the first one was super nice, the second one is a dick to Neku, which is such a great change, forcing him to adapt once more. And the new partner even controls differently than the first one, forcing you to learn, together with Neku, to work together with someone else. (I think we can normally spoil stuff here, but I find this twist to be really fun, so I'll make an exception and hide it)
Mastering the game is wonderful. As was written, at the start, you are completely overwhelmed. But as you get comfortable with Nekus mechanics, you can do that a bit more automatic, which gives you time to put more focus on your partner. I mean, I never really mastered it, the light puck thing would randomly move between the characters, for me, mostly. But I still got pretty good.
A fun mechanic is, that you can freely choose the difficulty of the enemies you fight. At any time outside of battle, you can go to the menu and change it. But the easier the battle is (and the less amount/difficulty of enemies), the less/worse stuff you get. I don't remember the details, but I think there are different drops, and to buy certain outfits (your equipment), you need specific stuff. And there are tons of things to buy! You don't need most of it, but it's there.
At the people who have it, but never played it, I really think you should put this at the top of the list, and get to it over most any other game. It's absolutely unique and exceptional in nearly every way, and such a fun, wild ride. There is nothing like it, except the sequel, I guess (which I never played). I just don't think, any other game can give you this very special experience, it's so, so wonderful.
Oh yeah, the customization of your encounters is an incredible innovation. Being able to take on as many enemies in a row as you want, at your desired difficulty level for increased chances of better drops is a great way to incentivize risk taking without forcing you to waste time on things you may not want to do in the moment.
the last time i played this game was way too long ago for it to make my list directly but i'm glad it's still so well loved. one of those where i'm pretty sure the next time i play it i'll still be shocked after 20 years that no one has caught up to it, although that's partly because the ds enabled such an elegant concept of double play. the screen swapping cycle and varied control schemes really made something fun and approachable despite the novelty, and the other innovations (i imagine it's probably not the first game with that kind of encounter chain, but it definitely was ahead of the wave) bring some of that as wel. combined with the full power contemporary aesthetic from nomura and the music composers it really feels one of a kind. i like it a lotl
30. Dragon Quest VII
Heartbeat, 2000: PSX Points: 426 Votes: 11
What’s interesting about DQ VII’s maximalism is that it expands and expands, but only in a narrow, strictly delineated way. Unlike other PlayStation RPGs, it does not indulge in the multimedia possibilities offered by CD storage, nor does it attempt to expand the range of gameplay expression through minigames, three-dimensional traversal, or other gimmicks foreign to the series. Rather, Dragon Quest VII views its expansion in terms of expressing the closed and conservative Dragon Quest model as maximally as possible. In short, its goal is to be the most Dragon Quest it can be for as long as possible.
By the year 2000, the Dragon Quest formula was a solved issue. The specific kinks of balance, meter, communication, and expressive mode had long been ironed out. In order not to stagnate, the series would either have to innovate in form, by incorporating non-Dragon Questian aspects into the model, or double down, filling the model with as much essence as possible. Heartbeat’s titles show a strong preference for the latter, which makes sense: by this time Dragon Quest had long been a cultural institution and introducing foreign elements risked the kind of cozy familiarity the series had cultivated.
Look at the ways DQ VII is excessive: two dozen scenarios (roughly twice as many as in DQ V), which are doubled into past and future versions, after which the player is made to do a chunk of them a second time; job, monster, and town systems that are more robust and time-intensive than what came before, more (much more) dialogue; …and that’s it. All these extensions are modes that Dragon Quest had comfortably established prior, and here they’re renewed mainly through a stretching process, like dough kneaded and pulled to produce pastry. What’s not being added here are currants, fruits, or frostings. That’s not to say that DQ VII is entirely free of ornamentation, it does offer the rare CGI cutscene or 3D model, but does so far, far less than its contemporaries, again, to the point where in the west it was seen as offensively lacking.
This extension of its inherent Dragon-Questyness is used to great effect in VII. The enlarged number of scenarios pairs wonderfully with the premise of an empty world the player fills in, creating a powerful sense of discovery and ownership. The systems are wonderfully rewarding, especially character progression where allies can learn unique hybrid moves by carefully planning out their routes to the master classes. And best of all, the script is ridiculously, wonderfully ballooned by the inclusion of party chat. It's easy to forget that party chat, something that has become intrinsic to the DQ model, originated with DQ VII. And it has arguably never been done better than here.
As can be imagined, party chat fleshes out the characters to a huge degree, exhibiting their perspectives in real time as they question, quip, or comment on various events and people. What really cements the feature is that it extends into battles, where party companions will react to enemies’ appearances, the turns and tides of battle, or story circumstances as appropriate. As an in-battle feature, this accomplishes some heavy lifting. It blurs somewhat the distinction between story-enactment role-playing and mechanistic, by-the-numbers system engagement. Basically, it makes the battles feel more like the story playing out as an imagined roleplay, rather than a purely game-necessary interaction. The fact that you can take a moment to ask Maribel what she thinks about a slime gives the game’s battles a strong sense of inhabitation.
And inhabitation is a key concept with Dragon Quest VII. It is much more a game you need to live in for a while (a long while) to get the most out of it. Trying to play it conventionally—that is to say with an attitude of proceeding through the game with the intention of beating it as a game to be played until beaten—is to be frustrated, as, seemingly by its core nature, it delays sensations of meaningful progression past the point of rationality. Even when it does feel like you’ve made some advancement, it is more than happy to pull the rug out from under you. Rather, DQ VII is a game to be saviored, to inhabit, to understand those same qualities of delay as qualities of rhythm, where the point is not to play through the game but to be playing a Dragon Quest. When taken in these terms, DQ VII’s maximalism begins to look less like a disastrous folly and more like a wonderful, generous gift.
(On a separate, personal note: I love, love, love the game’s opening. I love that it spends so long building premise, mystery, discovery, and a real sense of transgressive adventure. I love that the game is brave enough to hold off its lv. 1 slime opening battle for maximum impact. I love the commitment to storytelling, inhabitation, and the craft of JRPG expression, rather than kowtowing to player expectation or an ungenerous value-time equation. The opening would be longer and more deliberate if I had my druthers and the remakes that truncate the section miss the point completely.)
TWEWY was my #35. I remember liking it a lot, but to my everlasting shame, I also never really figured out the intricacies of the battle system. I basically ignored my partners' mechanics with the dual-screen, dual-control thing, and yet was able to do well enough that I did make it through the game, engaging with pretty much everything else. Special shoutout to the music, especially that one song in one?some? of the shopping screens. You know the one. (Can you tell me what it is? I don't remember.)
DQVII was my first ever exposure to the series, but it dropped right at the height of JRPG fever (personal and industry alike) so I snapped it up. And...I did not get very far at all. I only played a little while, and found myself bored and confounded, and put it down purposefully and permanently. I've been tempted to go back and try it again—probably in remake form—but also I often wonder if that series just isn't for me. I've played 7-9 and 9 was the only one I played to (more or less) completion, much less to double-digit hours.
DQVII was my first ever exposure to the series, but it dropped right at the height of JRPG fever (personal and industry alike) so I snapped it up. And...I did not get very far at all. I only played a little while, and found myself bored and confounded, and put it down purposefully and permanently. I've been tempted to go back and try it again—probably in remake form—but also I often wonder if that series just isn't for me. I've played 7-9 and 9 was the only one I played to (more or less) completion, much less to double-digit hours.
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Quantity has a quality all its own.
I think that Dragon Quest VII Reimagined could've been the best game with "Dragon Quest VII" in the title (not counting the ones where they add an extra "I" so that they also have "Dragon Quest VIII" in the title) if it hadn't been abridged.
I think that Dragon Quest VII Reimagined could've been the best game with "Dragon Quest VII" in the title (not counting the ones where they add an extra "I" so that they also have "Dragon Quest VIII" in the title) if it hadn't been abridged.
7 is my favorite Dragon Quest. Each successive version is slightly worse than the last, but I like them all (although Bongo is right, removing any content at all misses the point, and I was not happy with entire scenarios and dungeons missing from the most recent version of the game). The PS1 original is the best version of the game, still, and I like it enough to have played through it twice on PS1, and once each on 3DS and Switch 2.
The weaving of plots across not only time for each specific island, but across scenarios and times is a wonderful structure for a game. Frankly, I would be fine if the game were twice as long. Call me a weirdo if thou must!
The weaving of plots across not only time for each specific island, but across scenarios and times is a wonderful structure for a game. Frankly, I would be fine if the game were twice as long. Call me a weirdo if thou must!
Purple
(She/Her)
Have to say, starting the game off with like... 2 hours of hunting people down for chats and solving surprisingly real puzzles in a dungeon before you even see a slime was a bold choice, but I genuinely enjoyed my whole experience with it.
There's totally some 3D dungeons later on though. Doing the whole walk off an edge and we rotate the big 3D prism thing, even!
There's totally some 3D dungeons later on though. Doing the whole walk off an edge and we rotate the big 3D prism thing, even!
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Ah, my nr. 47.
I don't really have too much to say, it is a Dragon Quest, so that alone guarantees high quality. The monster sprites are beautiful. The slow beginning is wonderful, I love that you spend so much time just exploring, talking and explicitly NOT fighting. And then you get to the first scenario, and it is in some way heartbreaking (I forgot how, just that it was impressive, just don't know the way in which it was).
I enjoyed my time with both versions, PSX and 3DS. Though I never beat the PSX version, the final boss was just too hard, and I was not in the mood for grinding so long. Still, exploring this world, playing through the different scenarios, it is all rather cozy, and I really should replay it some day. Just and excellent Dragon Quest game.
I don't really have too much to say, it is a Dragon Quest, so that alone guarantees high quality. The monster sprites are beautiful. The slow beginning is wonderful, I love that you spend so much time just exploring, talking and explicitly NOT fighting. And then you get to the first scenario, and it is in some way heartbreaking (I forgot how, just that it was impressive, just don't know the way in which it was).
I enjoyed my time with both versions, PSX and 3DS. Though I never beat the PSX version, the final boss was just too hard, and I was not in the mood for grinding so long. Still, exploring this world, playing through the different scenarios, it is all rather cozy, and I really should replay it some day. Just and excellent Dragon Quest game.
It was #43 for me. I also found it charming and the systems interesting but I stalled out before I got very far. I think trying to min-max the class system in the game contributed a lot to that.
Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
I didn't vote for DQVII, but I loved it back in the day. I've beaten both the PSX and 3DS version, and both have their charms, but I think I'm more partial to the original version. Especially that opening, it feels so much more mysterious. Not gonna lie, though, after having waited so long to get it, not hitting a fight until 2-3 hours in was... something. I'd thought I'd been ripped off, honestly. I don't think I realized just how long a journey I was in for. My final save time was something like 93 hours, and that doesn't factor in the last dungeon.
That all being said, I think the one thing I would change about it is to change the growth curves slightly. Given how long the game is, having your final levels basically match what came before means progress on the leveling front is sloooooooooow. Some might like that, but I think it's probably just a little too stretched out. It definitely makes every single level-up feel even more revelatory, though.
That all being said, I think the one thing I would change about it is to change the growth curves slightly. Given how long the game is, having your final levels basically match what came before means progress on the leveling front is sloooooooooow. Some might like that, but I think it's probably just a little too stretched out. It definitely makes every single level-up feel even more revelatory, though.
Cancer Man is my least favorite Mega Man boss.
Anyway, I'd honestly say DQ7 has more excess than 6. But only just. They're both lengthy games, but I think 7 gets especially long in tooth with its post-game content compared to 6.
Anyway, I'd honestly say DQ7 has more excess than 6. But only just. They're both lengthy games, but I think 7 gets especially long in tooth with its post-game content compared to 6.
gorha
For the Ylory of Mankind
Although it wasn't one of the Dragon Quests I voted for, I did enjoy DQVII a lot when I played the PSX version. Party chat was indeed a big part of that, and made the characters extremely memorable. If I were making a top 50 JRPG characters list, Maribel would be on it for sure.
Also, it's funny that this game was seen as an absolute behemoth in its time for being around 100 hours long, when nowadays most major RPG releases are even longer than that. To be fair, DQVII is too long for its own good, I think; I didn't feel fatigued while playing it, but once I beat it I did feel like I didn't need to play another Dragon Quest game for a long time. So long, in fact, that I skipped DQVIII when it came out, even though it had already been several years since DQVII. Those major releases that are even longer now are also often a decade or so apart, which is just as well as far as I'm concerned.
Also, it's funny that this game was seen as an absolute behemoth in its time for being around 100 hours long, when nowadays most major RPG releases are even longer than that. To be fair, DQVII is too long for its own good, I think; I didn't feel fatigued while playing it, but once I beat it I did feel like I didn't need to play another Dragon Quest game for a long time. So long, in fact, that I skipped DQVIII when it came out, even though it had already been several years since DQVII. Those major releases that are even longer now are also often a decade or so apart, which is just as well as far as I'm concerned.
Not quite. Since you gain class ranks by fighting battles but the fights don't count if the monsters you face are too weak so you can't just grind normally to get ranks. My terrible solution for that problem was to not gain too many levels. The lateral strategy I used to accomplish that was to use the skills (KnockDown & Suplex) that removed monsters from battle but didn't kill them to reduce my XP gain while still winning battles. (I also used ThiefHit to try to steal items from monsters while rank grinding like that.)
DQ7 was #3 on my list. Sometimes it's my favorite Dragon Quest and other days it's my #2.
I bought it on PSX before I fully appreciated the DQ series, so it didn't leave much of an impression on me and I didn't get very far. Once I finally came back around to it after finally clicking with the series via DQ8, it easily became one of my favourite Dragon Quests. I also want to emphasize how much I love the main character design.
I bought it on PSX before I fully appreciated the DQ series, so it didn't leave much of an impression on me and I didn't get very far. Once I finally came back around to it after finally clicking with the series via DQ8, it easily became one of my favourite Dragon Quests. I also want to emphasize how much I love the main character design.
29. Skies of Arcadia
Overworks, 2000: Dreamcast Points: 433 Votes: 10 Previous Rank: 23
A rollicking, upbeat Ghibli-esq adventure about sky pirates and the love of discovery, Arcadia is easy to love. Set in a world far above the ground, the game sees pirates and empires clash in an endless sky-sea where planes are ships and birds are fish. There’s a strong emphasis on finding new sky-islands and recruiting new characters to populate optimism-personified main character Vyse’s pirate base. Arcadia wants you to get out there, find wondrous new places, and push back the borders of the map. This is, in fact, supported by progression, as new discoveries can be sold for funds to improve your skyship, recruit new characters, and eventually unlock bonus ranks and bosses. There’s an emphasis to find and sell discoveries quickly too, as waiting too long risks them being claimed by a rival explorer.
Adding to this is the game’s reputation system. By acting heroically, finding discoveries, opening chests, and selecting certain dialogue choices Vyse’s renown as a swashbuckler will increase. This isn’t a super detailed morality system, but it does have an impact on gameplay. Higher ranks will add bonuses to Vyse’s combat statistics, while acting cowardly will degrade them (but will make running away from battles easier—something to consider in a game with such an aggressive encounter rate). What this system promotes is the exact kind of selfless, optimistic, and wide-eyed sense of wonder necessary to sell its Discovery vs. Exploitation dynamic. The more the player acts in alignment with the cartoon optimism the game promotes, the better Vyse performs and the more he fits the role the story and setting cast for him.
I don’t want to get too far into the weeds on this. The game sets out to be a fun blue-skies adventure first, and isn’t tasking itself with solving the real-world history of colonialism. And in that way, it's a big success. Essentially a Ghibli film as a game, from a time when that was rarer than it is now. It’s got an amazingly compelling setting, lovable characters, a wonderfully realized world packed with secrets, and a majorly appealing art style. A real charmer through and through. If only it were available on a system less than two decades old.
Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
I'm kind of surprised I didn't vote for this one - I'm guessing it was on the extended list that I had to cull down. Anyway, it's not an entirely original though, but I agree with a sentiment I've seen that Skies of Arcadia doesn't do anything novel or special, it just executes the JRPG formula really, really well. I'd probably recommend the Gamecube version if just for the reduced encounter rate, although it does look amazing running through a Dreamcast VGA Box on a CRT monitor.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Huh, I didn't vote for it. I guess it was a bit too long, since I played it. But it is a wonderful game. Even if I forgot most of the story, I remember having a lot of fun and enjoying the cast. Essentially agree with Sarge, it is pretty basic, but executed on a very high quality level.
I ended up voting for it at #20. I played the Gamecube rerelease, not the Dreamcast original, but I remember thinking it was excellent. Especially for a system relatively bereft of RPGs.
The big thing that I remember most about SoA, in addition to the generalities Loki mentioned, was the ship battles (and I was surprised they didn't garner a mention!). SoA absolutely DOES do something novel and original: In addition to your normal RPG random battles, line against line of fighters with attacks and magic, you also had ship battles, where your pirate ship faced off against another airship in naval combat. And while I don't remember the details of how exactly the ship battle system worked anymore, I do remember that it was really good. I think the whole concept of a ship/vehicular battle system in addition to normal battles is a fucking awesome idea we haven't seen nearly enough games copy, and the ship battle system in particular worked so well in its own right that I continue to be surprised we haven't seen many if any examples of the concept or system spun off into its own game.
Oh no now I'm thinking about how a modern update/upgrade of the game (or a new, modern game) could have fun with either the joint system or focusing on it entirely, and how you could integrate shipbuilding and customization and... and airships are cool.
WHERE IS OUR REMAKE?!
The big thing that I remember most about SoA, in addition to the generalities Loki mentioned, was the ship battles (and I was surprised they didn't garner a mention!). SoA absolutely DOES do something novel and original: In addition to your normal RPG random battles, line against line of fighters with attacks and magic, you also had ship battles, where your pirate ship faced off against another airship in naval combat. And while I don't remember the details of how exactly the ship battle system worked anymore, I do remember that it was really good. I think the whole concept of a ship/vehicular battle system in addition to normal battles is a fucking awesome idea we haven't seen nearly enough games copy, and the ship battle system in particular worked so well in its own right that I continue to be surprised we haven't seen many if any examples of the concept or system spun off into its own game.
Oh no now I'm thinking about how a modern update/upgrade of the game (or a new, modern game) could have fun with either the joint system or focusing on it entirely, and how you could integrate shipbuilding and customization and... and airships are cool.
WHERE IS OUR REMAKE?!
One of my most replayed games of all time, and the top of my list.
There's a major branch of the JRPG family tree wherein all the games are Castle in the Sky, and Skies of Arcadia is the most Castle in the Sky of them all. It's unequaled in that regard.
If Skies of Arcadia has a weakness, it's that most encounters throughout the middle of the game have the same solution, which is to charge up one of Aika's multi-target super moves as quickly as possible. I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping RPG combat basic rather than leaning into unique mechanics, but it needs to be tuned so that something that reflects the situation is present in your actions. But this is a problem that very many games in the genre have.
In all other regards, Skies of Arcadia is simply immaculate. It has the ultimate vibes, balancing dark and relevant themes against bright and optimistic derring-do, achieved with even pacing and consistently high (for the time) production values, in a game world that's dense with detail and interactivity without being padded. It avoids both the deficiencies typical of earlier games in the genre and the excesses typical of later ones.
In particular, the way they integrated the Swashbuckler Rating system reinforced them writing Vyse as possessing my favorite trait for an RPG protagonist: situational awareness. He's brave, but he's not foolhardy; often the game poses a question that affects Swashbuckler Rating, and the correct answer is to recognize that you're outmatched and get the hell out of there. I love it when the main character is in the habit of thinking about the big picture. Bonus points for never needing basic concepts explained, too.
Making a classic RPG world map three-dimensional and filling it with Hidden Things to Find is a gameplay decision that perfectly suits the sixth console generation. Mere traversal is still interesting enough on its own, plus incentives to wander about and get into random battles. Finding a Discovery as early as possible is not only worth more money, but also carries a narrative incentive through the framing of your friendly competition with Domingo.
Personifying every ancillary side activity by giving you a quirky - and, often, eventually recruitable - character is a fantastic way to build interest in the fringes of RPGs. Findingmini medals moonfish is more interesting because you get more of Doc and Maria's backstory. Every bounty mission tells you their life story. Customizing the appearance of your base is made possible because you met the carpenter who uses that style. Even customizing Fina's weapon is personified, because that's not just a weapon, that's Cupil, the adorable mascot. Random pieces of background scenery have unique in-character descriptions that establish that fill in the lore of the world. Virtually every NPC has a name and a unique design, and most of them have something new to say every couple plot points. Even though RPGs are often very good at it, and it's sort of what they're known for as a genre, most don't go this far as Skies of Arcadia in interleaving mechanics and writing. They have an inseparability that's worthy of study.
Whenever Sega realizes that they ought to put it on Gamecube Classics or whatever, I'll drop everything I'm doing to replay Skies of Arcadia yet again.
There's a major branch of the JRPG family tree wherein all the games are Castle in the Sky, and Skies of Arcadia is the most Castle in the Sky of them all. It's unequaled in that regard.
If Skies of Arcadia has a weakness, it's that most encounters throughout the middle of the game have the same solution, which is to charge up one of Aika's multi-target super moves as quickly as possible. I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping RPG combat basic rather than leaning into unique mechanics, but it needs to be tuned so that something that reflects the situation is present in your actions. But this is a problem that very many games in the genre have.
In all other regards, Skies of Arcadia is simply immaculate. It has the ultimate vibes, balancing dark and relevant themes against bright and optimistic derring-do, achieved with even pacing and consistently high (for the time) production values, in a game world that's dense with detail and interactivity without being padded. It avoids both the deficiencies typical of earlier games in the genre and the excesses typical of later ones.
In particular, the way they integrated the Swashbuckler Rating system reinforced them writing Vyse as possessing my favorite trait for an RPG protagonist: situational awareness. He's brave, but he's not foolhardy; often the game poses a question that affects Swashbuckler Rating, and the correct answer is to recognize that you're outmatched and get the hell out of there. I love it when the main character is in the habit of thinking about the big picture. Bonus points for never needing basic concepts explained, too.
Making a classic RPG world map three-dimensional and filling it with Hidden Things to Find is a gameplay decision that perfectly suits the sixth console generation. Mere traversal is still interesting enough on its own, plus incentives to wander about and get into random battles. Finding a Discovery as early as possible is not only worth more money, but also carries a narrative incentive through the framing of your friendly competition with Domingo.
Personifying every ancillary side activity by giving you a quirky - and, often, eventually recruitable - character is a fantastic way to build interest in the fringes of RPGs. Finding
Whenever Sega realizes that they ought to put it on Gamecube Classics or whatever, I'll drop everything I'm doing to replay Skies of Arcadia yet again.
I wrote this several years ago, but it still holds true:
Several years ago, I bought Skies of Arcadia. Back then, I had no idea who Rieko Kodama, its director, was (nor did I know how much Sega’s early games, primarily the classic Phantasy Star RPGs for the Master System and Genesis, were guided by her), nor the history behind its developer Overworks (who had developed the Shinobi, Phantasy Star and Streets of Rage titles, among others). To be frank, the talent at Sega was not a selling point. I had little personal connection to Sega outside of the Dreamcast in 2001, and outside of a bit of puttering around with a friend’s Genesis a few times, I was generally out of the loop until Sega’s swan song console became mine in 1999. I did know that, unfortunately, the DC was on its last legs when I bought Skies, and I wanted to be able to play it before the opportunity slipped away from me. The review in the official Dreamcast magazine looked promising, and Grandia II was already conquered, so I had little to lose.
Little did I realize with my purchase that Skies would overwhelm me. Vyse, Aika and Fina quickly won my heart. Their optimism, their plucky attitudes, their happiness…it was a refreshing change of pace from Grandia II’s gloom. The thing that endeared them to me though was their desire to explore, to dream, and to achieve. Sega’s rating system for Vyse’s pirate rank helped that, but the storyline managed to showcase the tight bond between the three that couldn’t be broken. The rotating Drachma, Gilder and Enrique all were great, too. Drachma’s an old-salt who’s been around the skies for some time, hunting down the great skywhale Rhakham a la Moby Dick’s Captain Ahab. Gilder’s smooth with his words and with his actions, fitting the Don Juan motif (all the while being a badass). Lastly, Enrique is the prince of Valua, and his country’s actions are breaking him apart. His properness and chivalry stand out most, but he’s also strongly committed to stopping his mother the Empress at any cost. All of these top-notch secondary characters stand out as fresh and welcome additions to the main cast.
And, since we’re speaking of pirates, Sega’s take on them was also new to me. Having two factions, one the typical “pillage, plunder” (Ed. note – dropping a word commonly associated with that phrase…don’t feel comfortable using it now) type, and the other choosing to follow more in Robin Hood’s footsteps, was fantastic. I really liked that angle – robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. No matter the odds, Vyse, Aika and Fina would rise to the challenge and topple the opposition. It’s not a common occurrence to have heroes truly looking out for others – it usually feels like an afterthought (oh, we have to save the world now after all this self-gratification). But Vyse has always been out trying to better life for everyone he can, and the escalating stakes just means he has to go right alongside it. It’s rarely an issue of “Can we do it?”, it’s “How we can do it”. And it’s nice to feel that in a game.
Our fearless air pirates would probably not be quite so fascinating if Sega had not plopped them into such a cool world. Sailing around is a thrill, despite the high encounter rate. And landing and uncovering all of these neat locales – the lush jungles of Ixa’taka, the destitution of Lower Valua, the majestic Yafutoma, the mysterious Dark Rift, and the quiet still of the forgotten Ice Empire. Along with all of these great ports, there’s lots of hidden discoveries to unearth. Adding in these discoveries was ingenious – it’s so satisfying to see that compass wheel spin and uncover some sort of artifact or lost location. Being interested in both archaeology and anthropology, this naturally flipped the right switches for me. Sega may have trapped your heroes from probing out too far too soon (usually through “my ship can’t handle this!” or “we need to rescue ’so-and-so’” story planning), but it rarely feels limiting. The game’s plot, while not 100% original (what is?), is well told and engaging. Rereading the script as I was writing this nearly distracted me from finishing this up, truth be told. Figuring out what exactly the Valuan Empire (the “Prince John” of this game) is up to, and then doing all you can to foil them, is pleasurable, and the diverse range of Valuan Generals to battle adds to the joy. From Vigoro’s disgusting lechery to Gregorio’s military protocol to De Loco’s kooky insanity, each foe is well presented and provide their own quirks to the overall story arc.
Skies of Arcadia was also gifted with two clever battle systems. The standard features Vyse, Aika, Fina and one of the aforementioned rotating allies that switch in and out as the story progresses. Your actions are gauged by a Spirit meter – your Super moves and magic drain it, and you can’t use them if you don’t have the right amount of points. Thankfully, you can Focus the meter to build up over attacking, and it refills every turn cycle by a set amount determined by your character’s level. MP is also in play for spells, but it rarely becomes a nuisance. You can also guard, use an item, run, or use standard attacks. Another factor is Elemental Moonstones that you can throw into your character’s weapon to determine its Element, which can deliver more damage to an enemy who’s weak to it. Along with that, it’ll help you level up your magic for that Element, which has six different branches. The more characters using one Element, the more EXP will be earned for that type of magic. Some enemies will cough up Moonberries, which are handy items. They will allow you to unlock new Super moves, which are all awesome to witness. I really dig Skies’ default battle system, but the ship battles embodies the spirit of air piracy perfectly.
Ship battles are packed with strategy, planning and a little daring-do…much like any good pirate flick. You outfit your ship with various styles of cannons, tornadoes and armor to best suit your preference before battle, and once you’re engaged, it’s much like a sky-faring chess match. Position and timing are absolutely key to success, and it doesn’t take too long to get a hang of when is the best time to let loose your fire. Defending translates to evasive action in ship battles – if you’re too far out or behind your foes, they can’t blast you. However, they can also pull such tactics, so observing the rival’s actions is vital for success. Torpedoes have a delay in striking your foes, so careful use of them can pile on heaps of damage as they crash into your foe as you assail them with cannon fire. The Spirit meter also plays a massive part of your battle plan, as any attack requires spirit to use. You can focus much like standard fights, and once you equip a Super Cannon, you can rail foes with a devastating Harpoon or Moonstone Cannon bombardment that will deliver serious punishment. Unfortunately, most of your enemies have similar devices to use on you, and if you leave yourself open, expect to watch the battle go sour in a hurry. Beyond combating ships, Vyse and Co. will have to tackle Gigas, God-like embodiments of the Elements you use in your weapons. These Gigas are powerful, and can shred your ship into dust unless you can figure out the best way of setting them up for your cannon assaults.
Once you get a hold of your own personal battleship, the ship battling gets even deeper thanks to the Crew system. You’ll be able to recruit many crewmen and women all over Arcadia, and there’s two options for each major position of the ship. Choosing which one to use depends on what you want – one Lookout, Domingo, gives you a “spell” that increases your Critical Hit, while TikiTika automatically increases your Torpedo hit percentage. Which you prefer is your choice, and there’s 11 positions to tinker around with to find what is perfect for your method of play. Another awesome customizable feature you can do is setting up your own Pirate base. Your crew will settle there when you’re ashore, and you can buy goods from them, talk to Pinta for VMU questing, communicate with your crew, set up the way your base looks, and more. Tracking down all 22 crewmembers is sort of like finding Discoveries. Some are easily found, wandering about the game’s various cities, but some are tricky to trace, and will test your mettle as you recap everywhere you’ve been in an attempt to recruit them all.
Skies would not be so incredible if Sega had not tapped Yutaka Minobe and Takayuki Maeda to produce the musical score. The essence of piracy oozes from these excellent songs. Each piece rings true of its area. Sailor Island…sounds like it’s an island full of pirates looking for work. It reminds me of standing on a dock by the ocean, watching boats sail on by. The epic battle themes that shift depending on how well you’re doing. Encouraging when you’re winning, but nail-biting as you’re struggling. And the way the music changes as you sail from region to region, reflecting that area’s culture. Absolutely brilliant. Ixa’taka remains one of my favorite gaming tunes ever, thanks to its pounding tribal drums and chants. Nasrad drips heat from its Morocco-esque tune. Lower Valua is dark and loaded with impending doom. I could go on with every song on this soundtrack, but I don’t think I need to (or should…this article would be REALLY long). Kudos to these fine composers for creating a masterpiece in gaming music.
In conclusion, Skies of Arcadia ended up becoming the ideal for me. I’ve dreamed of a game having this much scope and enjoyment wrapped up inside it, and Sega delivered it to me in spades. I was genuinely surprised with its quality, and nothing else has quite hit me as profoundly as Skies has. It is this one game that I can easily say is why I love the Dreamcast, and gaming in general. Love live Skies!
The Gamecube version is a little more compressed than the DC original on a music/sound front, but the QoL features and additional content does make it definitive, especially the new bits with Piastol, Doc and Maria. As Bongo said, I really hope Sega gets it on NSO sooner than later; there's really no excuse now!
Several years ago, I bought Skies of Arcadia. Back then, I had no idea who Rieko Kodama, its director, was (nor did I know how much Sega’s early games, primarily the classic Phantasy Star RPGs for the Master System and Genesis, were guided by her), nor the history behind its developer Overworks (who had developed the Shinobi, Phantasy Star and Streets of Rage titles, among others). To be frank, the talent at Sega was not a selling point. I had little personal connection to Sega outside of the Dreamcast in 2001, and outside of a bit of puttering around with a friend’s Genesis a few times, I was generally out of the loop until Sega’s swan song console became mine in 1999. I did know that, unfortunately, the DC was on its last legs when I bought Skies, and I wanted to be able to play it before the opportunity slipped away from me. The review in the official Dreamcast magazine looked promising, and Grandia II was already conquered, so I had little to lose.
Little did I realize with my purchase that Skies would overwhelm me. Vyse, Aika and Fina quickly won my heart. Their optimism, their plucky attitudes, their happiness…it was a refreshing change of pace from Grandia II’s gloom. The thing that endeared them to me though was their desire to explore, to dream, and to achieve. Sega’s rating system for Vyse’s pirate rank helped that, but the storyline managed to showcase the tight bond between the three that couldn’t be broken. The rotating Drachma, Gilder and Enrique all were great, too. Drachma’s an old-salt who’s been around the skies for some time, hunting down the great skywhale Rhakham a la Moby Dick’s Captain Ahab. Gilder’s smooth with his words and with his actions, fitting the Don Juan motif (all the while being a badass). Lastly, Enrique is the prince of Valua, and his country’s actions are breaking him apart. His properness and chivalry stand out most, but he’s also strongly committed to stopping his mother the Empress at any cost. All of these top-notch secondary characters stand out as fresh and welcome additions to the main cast.
And, since we’re speaking of pirates, Sega’s take on them was also new to me. Having two factions, one the typical “pillage, plunder” (Ed. note – dropping a word commonly associated with that phrase…don’t feel comfortable using it now) type, and the other choosing to follow more in Robin Hood’s footsteps, was fantastic. I really liked that angle – robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. No matter the odds, Vyse, Aika and Fina would rise to the challenge and topple the opposition. It’s not a common occurrence to have heroes truly looking out for others – it usually feels like an afterthought (oh, we have to save the world now after all this self-gratification). But Vyse has always been out trying to better life for everyone he can, and the escalating stakes just means he has to go right alongside it. It’s rarely an issue of “Can we do it?”, it’s “How we can do it”. And it’s nice to feel that in a game.
Our fearless air pirates would probably not be quite so fascinating if Sega had not plopped them into such a cool world. Sailing around is a thrill, despite the high encounter rate. And landing and uncovering all of these neat locales – the lush jungles of Ixa’taka, the destitution of Lower Valua, the majestic Yafutoma, the mysterious Dark Rift, and the quiet still of the forgotten Ice Empire. Along with all of these great ports, there’s lots of hidden discoveries to unearth. Adding in these discoveries was ingenious – it’s so satisfying to see that compass wheel spin and uncover some sort of artifact or lost location. Being interested in both archaeology and anthropology, this naturally flipped the right switches for me. Sega may have trapped your heroes from probing out too far too soon (usually through “my ship can’t handle this!” or “we need to rescue ’so-and-so’” story planning), but it rarely feels limiting. The game’s plot, while not 100% original (what is?), is well told and engaging. Rereading the script as I was writing this nearly distracted me from finishing this up, truth be told. Figuring out what exactly the Valuan Empire (the “Prince John” of this game) is up to, and then doing all you can to foil them, is pleasurable, and the diverse range of Valuan Generals to battle adds to the joy. From Vigoro’s disgusting lechery to Gregorio’s military protocol to De Loco’s kooky insanity, each foe is well presented and provide their own quirks to the overall story arc.
Skies of Arcadia was also gifted with two clever battle systems. The standard features Vyse, Aika, Fina and one of the aforementioned rotating allies that switch in and out as the story progresses. Your actions are gauged by a Spirit meter – your Super moves and magic drain it, and you can’t use them if you don’t have the right amount of points. Thankfully, you can Focus the meter to build up over attacking, and it refills every turn cycle by a set amount determined by your character’s level. MP is also in play for spells, but it rarely becomes a nuisance. You can also guard, use an item, run, or use standard attacks. Another factor is Elemental Moonstones that you can throw into your character’s weapon to determine its Element, which can deliver more damage to an enemy who’s weak to it. Along with that, it’ll help you level up your magic for that Element, which has six different branches. The more characters using one Element, the more EXP will be earned for that type of magic. Some enemies will cough up Moonberries, which are handy items. They will allow you to unlock new Super moves, which are all awesome to witness. I really dig Skies’ default battle system, but the ship battles embodies the spirit of air piracy perfectly.
Ship battles are packed with strategy, planning and a little daring-do…much like any good pirate flick. You outfit your ship with various styles of cannons, tornadoes and armor to best suit your preference before battle, and once you’re engaged, it’s much like a sky-faring chess match. Position and timing are absolutely key to success, and it doesn’t take too long to get a hang of when is the best time to let loose your fire. Defending translates to evasive action in ship battles – if you’re too far out or behind your foes, they can’t blast you. However, they can also pull such tactics, so observing the rival’s actions is vital for success. Torpedoes have a delay in striking your foes, so careful use of them can pile on heaps of damage as they crash into your foe as you assail them with cannon fire. The Spirit meter also plays a massive part of your battle plan, as any attack requires spirit to use. You can focus much like standard fights, and once you equip a Super Cannon, you can rail foes with a devastating Harpoon or Moonstone Cannon bombardment that will deliver serious punishment. Unfortunately, most of your enemies have similar devices to use on you, and if you leave yourself open, expect to watch the battle go sour in a hurry. Beyond combating ships, Vyse and Co. will have to tackle Gigas, God-like embodiments of the Elements you use in your weapons. These Gigas are powerful, and can shred your ship into dust unless you can figure out the best way of setting them up for your cannon assaults.
Once you get a hold of your own personal battleship, the ship battling gets even deeper thanks to the Crew system. You’ll be able to recruit many crewmen and women all over Arcadia, and there’s two options for each major position of the ship. Choosing which one to use depends on what you want – one Lookout, Domingo, gives you a “spell” that increases your Critical Hit, while TikiTika automatically increases your Torpedo hit percentage. Which you prefer is your choice, and there’s 11 positions to tinker around with to find what is perfect for your method of play. Another awesome customizable feature you can do is setting up your own Pirate base. Your crew will settle there when you’re ashore, and you can buy goods from them, talk to Pinta for VMU questing, communicate with your crew, set up the way your base looks, and more. Tracking down all 22 crewmembers is sort of like finding Discoveries. Some are easily found, wandering about the game’s various cities, but some are tricky to trace, and will test your mettle as you recap everywhere you’ve been in an attempt to recruit them all.
Skies would not be so incredible if Sega had not tapped Yutaka Minobe and Takayuki Maeda to produce the musical score. The essence of piracy oozes from these excellent songs. Each piece rings true of its area. Sailor Island…sounds like it’s an island full of pirates looking for work. It reminds me of standing on a dock by the ocean, watching boats sail on by. The epic battle themes that shift depending on how well you’re doing. Encouraging when you’re winning, but nail-biting as you’re struggling. And the way the music changes as you sail from region to region, reflecting that area’s culture. Absolutely brilliant. Ixa’taka remains one of my favorite gaming tunes ever, thanks to its pounding tribal drums and chants. Nasrad drips heat from its Morocco-esque tune. Lower Valua is dark and loaded with impending doom. I could go on with every song on this soundtrack, but I don’t think I need to (or should…this article would be REALLY long). Kudos to these fine composers for creating a masterpiece in gaming music.
In conclusion, Skies of Arcadia ended up becoming the ideal for me. I’ve dreamed of a game having this much scope and enjoyment wrapped up inside it, and Sega delivered it to me in spades. I was genuinely surprised with its quality, and nothing else has quite hit me as profoundly as Skies has. It is this one game that I can easily say is why I love the Dreamcast, and gaming in general. Love live Skies!
The Gamecube version is a little more compressed than the DC original on a music/sound front, but the QoL features and additional content does make it definitive, especially the new bits with Piastol, Doc and Maria. As Bongo said, I really hope Sega gets it on NSO sooner than later; there's really no excuse now!