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A very competitive RPG to the FF and Zelda series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 25
Date: May 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I never owned a Dreamcast so I haven't know this game until it comes out on GameCube.

The first impression was "huh? Air Pirates? A bit corny then". But then I read so many good reviews on different gaming magazines that I eventually got a copy of it myself. I imported it from States for I have a Jap+States Cube (and an Australian Cube - but this game is a hard to find gem in Aust.) and tried it out.

The starting part was like typical RPG stories, hero got involved in an evil plot while looking for his dreams. However, the story gets better and better and you got some good tricks and twists from time to time.

For the battle system, it is like a mix of Final Fantasy and Wild Arms. It is turn based which you go through different commands for different characters and you have different elements and class of magic. So you would expect to see Fire Fira and Firaga but in a different term. Also it adopts a SP system which is similar to the FP system in Wild Arms 3. You accumulate SP every turn and when certain amount of SP is accumulated, then you would be able to perform a super move. The difference between Skies and Wild Arms is the SP in Skies is shared among all 4 characters, so you have to plan ahead strategically as super-moves could cause devastating attacks or protect your parties from enemies attacks. Nonetheless, you could speed up your SP accumulation by using your turn to Focus, which could be helpful under certain occasions.

On top of regular battles, the introduction of ship battles gave you an alternative in game play. Nonetheless, since most of the ship battles are story driven, they are mostly boss battles that could take up a lot of time. You really need to plan strategically to win these battles and it could take you a whole hour to finish one if planned badly. The crew system in the ship battle nonetheless is very unique and despite you might not be usuing the crew in the battle a lot, when you use them, they DO contribute to the whole battle.

In terms of story, Skies of Arcadia is very clever in a way that some of the side quests are actually stories that you could weave into the main story. The side quests also integrate into the game world very well. For example the Bounty Hunting side quests make you feel like you are really a good pirate going around the world ridding the evil, no matter big or small. The dialogues are actually less corny than expected. The Final Fantasy series sometimes is annoying because of really bad dialogues and extremely stupid characters. However in Skies, the characters are well balanced and they have the kind of subtle humour that you would share their laughter. I think in terms of character building Skies of Arcadia is much better the most of the Final Fantasy series.

Another strong part of Skies of Arcadia is the vast world they was built in the game. Each world has their own distinct culture and by upgrading your ship, you would be able to reach areas that are not opened to you before and there would be new discoveries for you to earn a good fortune from. The dungeons in the world of Skies of Arcadia are also cleverly built. I particularly like the one that you need to wear the underwater suit from time to time to solve the puzzle. They are really well designed, and at the same time integrated to the particular culture of that dungeon world. You would be able to find cultures similar to the Maya, Arabians, Westerners and the Orientals, and these are just a few of them.

There are heaps to do and play with in Skies of Arcadia and it could take you a considerable amount of time to finish it if you want to do everything. The only down side of the game is the random battles are like stars in the skies. It could get really annoying at the beginning for your weak characters. However, running from battles are not recommended in a way that it could affect certain course of the story and character development in the later part. I heard that Sega actually reduced the encounter rate in the GameCube version. If so, I feel sorry for the players of the original one then.

All in all, Skies of Arcadia is a very well developed game with brilliant ideas. So far, everyone I know who had played this game love it and as I said the game is a rare commodity in Aust. and the price at ebay for a second hand copy is staggering. This could tell how good this game is considering it has been out for so long already. I heard the sequel is in development for GameCube, just couldn't wait at all now.

A different kind of RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 23
Date: April 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Okay. First off, I'm going to say that if you've played a lot of rpg's in the past, Skies of Arcadia will surprise you constantly.
Since the beginning, it's seemed that Squaresoft has dominated the console RPG world. I've long been a fan of the Final Fantasy line of RPG's, and have come to expect certain things from the genre having been saturated with the certain style that Squaresoft has. Anyone who's played a couple FF games will probably agree with me.
Now, I've also played a few non-squaresoft RPGs, and up until now I've really been disappointed. I've found that most other games can't really stand up next to the FF line. But then I played the Dreamcast version of Skies on recommendation from a friend and thought, wow. I couldn't put the game down. Though very different from the Squaresoft style, I didn't see it as a disappointment, I saw it as refreshing. You get a completely different experience from Skies than you would from a Final Fantasy game. While it borrows a few things, mostly the world of Skies is well-thought-out and original. The cliche's (whether fun or slightly annoying) of Squaresoft's style are thrown aside and replaced with a brand new system of gaming. I'm not saying that it's better, but it's certainly a game that any Final Fantasy fan should try out.
Having sold my Dreamcast in favor of Christmas money, I'm excited to hear that Skies has been ported to the Gamecube.

One of the Greatest RPG's Ever Made

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: January 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The few people who played Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast regard it as one of the greatest RPG's ever made - most of them will put it on their list of "Top 5 Greatest RPG's Ever" and many consider it the greatest even. If you are a fan of any of the Final Fantasy's, Suikoden series, or RPG's in general, you will love this game.

If you want to know about this game I recomend reading up on the Dreamcast version. By now you should know a bit about this game but if you don't, let me just give you a hint to the kind of enjoyment you will get from this game. Picture commanding your own flying battleship with up to 22 crewmates and preparing to engage in a massive air battle with an enemy ship - awesome background music ensues and you spend the next 20 minutes simply partacking in perhaps the most fun turn-based battle ever. Trust me, there is nothing more fun that Skies of Arcadia ship battles (the ships fight with cannons and stuff) - the only thing I wish this game had was more of them. The majority of the battles are very Final Fantasy-ish.

The Gamecube version, by the way, will be significantly improved. In fact, the lead director said herself (yes, one of the few major Japanese RPG's to be developed by a woman) that this is the "definate" version of Skies of Arcadia. Thus, I have listed the additional features that the Gamecube version will have...

BETTER GRAPHICS
Better draw distance, less load times, higher resolution textures, and higher polygon counts and more detail on many of the characters.

BETTER GAMEPLAY
Enhanced and tweaked battle engine over the previous one and much less random encounters (the original had so much it was extremely annoying) and the EXP-gaining system has been tweaked. Also, loading times have been significantly reduced. In fact, the battle engine and random encounter system was the only flaw in the original version of the game and the creators have listened to their critics and have fixed it - thus making the Gamecube verson of Skies a flawless masterpiece.

NEW EXTRAS
5-10 hours of new playable backstory so that you can learn more about the characters, new wanted quests that let you hunt down fugitives for fame and fortune, and plenty of new sidequests, fish to catch, islands to discover, weapons/items to find, and EVEN NEW CHARACTERS including a new female bounty hunter that will play a major role in the game.

Anyways, please do not be fooled by the kiddy image of this game or the strange art style. This is in no way a kids game. There is lots of liquor drinking in the game (they call it liqoa though) and in fact, the US version of the game was censored because in the Japanese Dreamcast version there was a scene which implied the rape of a girl. Please do not mind the censorship however, it was more of a culture change than censorship (in Japanese culture rape isn't as serious an issue as it is here) ..they just changed the scene a bit but basically the final product is still the same. I'm just saying, this game has an incredibly great story and although it's visual style appeals to kids it is in no way a kids game.

This awesome Dreamcast game stands the test of time!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 16
Date: December 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The definitive RPG for Gamecube is finally here! The gameplay is bursting with innovation, which is very noticable after you play a while. The random battles are toned down from the original, making it easier to play through. The battle system is like no other RPG, but the learning cuvre is a little steep at times. Graphically, it is nice, although a little more detail would have helped. Framerate and animation are pretty good however. If you ever gets frustrated with typical RPGs (FINAL FANTASY X), you should try it. Even if you already own this on Dreamcast, the journey is magical enough to take again.

Second Chance at a Great RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: January 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you're one of the many poeple who passed on buying a Sega Dreamcast, you're lucky enough to get a second chance at a really good RPG you may have missed. Vyse, a good hearted air pirate in a world where ships sail through the skies, battles alongside his friends against an evil empire bent on world domination by controlling powerful weapons. Not the most original story, but the characters are fun and entertaining enough that you feel invested in the story. The menu-based combat is easy to pick up and carries over nicely into the ship battles. For the less battle oriented, there's enjoyable side quests like discovery hunting, crew recruiting, and even a little town decoration. Even fans of the game on the Dreamcast may find the new version worth picking up for the added features. These extra battles and item hunts are well blended into the game, expanding on the story rather than just making the gameplay a little longer. RPG fans should give Skies of Arcadia a try; they won't be disappointed.

My Cause Shaking,Temporary Blindness,and Hyperventilating

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: July 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

We all know the CameCube Desparetly needs an RPG game [That's Good Mind You]. Skies of Arcadia Legends is just the game that you need. There's lots of magic and the plot is very intriguing and keeps you playing for hours. I enjoy the complex characters and quests that are imbedded in the game. Don't the expect the graphics to be spectacular, but the game intracacies more than compensate for that minor drawback. Flying your ship is very easy and you will learn quickly. The same goes for battles against enemies. In parts of the game you may find yourself stuck, but its easy to return the point at which you got confused and continue from there. Each character has a specific atribute that you can employ when needed. There are many spells for each color, for example green- the power to heal and create poison to damage foes, red - makes firey explosions and improves your attack attribute. Your game collection will not be completed until you own this game. DEFINATELY BUY IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPPOINTED.

SKIES WILL RISE

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: February 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

So a new Rpg has come out to fill out another slot on the cube's small Rpg Library. Honestly I am not a gamecube fan. I like ps2 a lot more. About one week ago I planned to sell my cube after being dissapointed with prime. Now after playing this game I dont think I want to sell it anymore. It is superb The only reason I am wasting my time on writing this review, is to tell you how great of a game this is. Trust me if you have the slightest interest in Rpg's then hurry to the store and pick up a copy of this game. So now your wondering why its a great game, well thats just what im about to tell you right now.

PROS:

Great Rpg story
Different approach in plot. The main character doesn't fall in love at the end.
40 or more hours of gameplay.
Cool characters include hot polygon babes, which almost every rpg has.

Big world.
Great battle system.

You can recruit like 20 different people on your ship and control them.

makes great use out of gc controller

Cons

[not so good] dreamcast graphics (u get used to it quickly though)

No voice acting, just subtitles.

Bad sound effects

TAKE a look at how many pros there are compared to cons. This game is a must buy for rpg fans. It has amazing gameplay. Stay away from this game though if your one of those xbox technical [people] and only care about the graphics.
PEACE BUY THIS GAME

The RPG for non-rpg fans and fans alike

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: April 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A few years ago, I had this game on my Dreamcast, and I could never stop playing it. Night after morning after afternoon to night again, I would be lazily sitting in my room awaiting the next heroic and brave adventure of Vyse the sky-pirate (Much like the disney movie Treasure Planet). There is so much to do in this game, and so many places to explore, and one of the only RPGs that has a relitavely open-ended way of playing it. The main plot is pretty unorigional and expected, but has some great twists, and MANY smaller sub-quests to do that always motivate you on to the next level. For example, in one part (big spolier here), when trying to hunt the large killer whale of this fantasy world, with a compainon whale hunter, you get shipwreked and have to take care of Vyse on an Uncharted Island for three days, then get rescued by a woman-loving and rather whealthy sailor who tells you of a legend of ancient treasure hidden on an uncharted island. While this is all happening, your other two lady compainions, who survied in the shipwrek, were rescued by the very woman the wealthy sailor was running from. Then, being dropped off at a (Greatly themed) dessert village, find one half of the treasure map where those ancient riches are buried. Vyse, while being dropped off at the same island, finds the other half, and comicaly walks past his two shipmates alot without ever noticing them. Later on, both partys eventually meet up at the uncharted treasure island, and after solving some two-person puzzles, finnaly become reunited again!(Spoiler Over now). After going through one-in-a million of these small complicated-yet-simple, and WIDLEY varried sub-quests, you are always motivated to continue on. Its such great storytelling that makes this title one of the most unique RPG's out there. The "ground" battle system is nothing new, basic turn based ground fighting with actions like attack, guard, cast magic, and use item, but has a great way of getting the player not confused with all the items you have. OTher RPG's (FF series) has many-many items that comonly get piled up in the player inventory and get him/her confuesed about what to do with them, none of that here. Instead of having a single ice based, water based, ligting based weapon each, you can change a weapon or item to each one of those elementals, saving ALOT of space in the inventory and brain power. WHile this may be the only innovative feature in the fighting system, the player will usually be having to much fun with the fantastic storyline to even bother, as it has practically no downfalls to it. The ship-fighting is a wonder that will forever be remembered, While two sky ships carefully glide through the air side by side, shotting at each other with side-positioned cannons, with commmon panoramas and great other camera angles circling the action, this can be overwhelmingly the most fun part of the game, next to being told the story of course. The ships all fight loosly similar to ground fighitng people, but each crew menber can be asigned a ceratin task, like atttacking, repairing, casting magic, and then speacial attacking. Ypu also get to see some info of what the enemy ship will do next turn, so with each turn you get a chance at throwing the perfect "combo" at the enemy, for example, Crew Member A starts off the round by sheling, or incrasing the defense of it. Crew Member(CM) B then shoots a basic cannon at the opposing chip, CM C then does another basic attack, and CM D then casts a magically-cast cannon ball of the opposing elemental at the enemy, while CM E finished the round off with a devistating special attack. Watch as the enemy ship catches on fire and slowly sinks toward the unknown depths of the sky, not standing a chance with it's measly two CMs. The sound effects are pretty averge, but with no voice acting, except a "whoa" or "hey" at important events, unlike soome people, I am not against this. I think that the voice actors that sega did hire dont sound at all like their characters and if I had to listin to their voices through the whole game, it would of made a completly unenjoyble experiece, but, like i said before, the player will have so much fun watching the story than to bother. The music tracks, I think, are great. Remember on Zelda64, when you first sat foot on Hyrule feild, looking at it's vast, enourmous lands of posibilitys and beauty, and then there was an excellent, perfectly fitting tune to go in the backgoround. With the combination of these two attributes, you probably inerly giggled with delight and became overwhelmed with adventure at your first step upon that beautiful field. Now imagint the same thing, only in Skies of Arcadia, and instead of being in the main feild/center of the world, its everywhere. That sense of adventure, wonder of exploaration, follows you all throughout this game, never stoping at even the deppest and darkest dunguens. This overwhelming sense of adventure, and the perfectly fitting characters and storyline along with it, is what makes Skies of Arcadia so great. From slicing through the whispey clouds at middle sea (or sky,), or frommarching through a savage-roamed forest, and even when running through a poverty striken and dirty city, this sense of adventure follows you throughout the whole game, and theres not a single moment that feels bland, or boring, not a single moment. WIth this implemented so well, along with the ship batteling system, and stupendous storyline, Skies of Arcadia has easily became my favorite RPG of all time, and will probably be there for a very long time, as it easily stomped on and sliced the throat of FFX and FFVII.

A Great RPG on a System That Needs One

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: May 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Gamecube is significantly lacking in RPGs, and this, in my opinion, is the best. The graphics, while being of Dreamcast quality (which, as you poor souls that own one know, are less than spectacular,) are actually halfway-decent. The sound could be better, and the music is pure MIDI madness, but the rest of the game more than makes up for it. The turn-based battle system is quite easy to learn, and even the ship is easy to fly. The hardest part of the game is collecting all of the hidden Moonfish (invisible, flying fish you feed to a bird in return for items) and Discoveries; I've been playing for upwards of 85 hours total and STILL haven't found everything. However, all of this searching has been well worth it, as the discoveries' descriptions are hilariously naive (the one of the satellite in particular is well worth the time invested) and the items received from the bird are amazing. The plot is definetly well thought out, and the levels are very well-designed. Overall, an excellent game well worth [the money].

Awesome Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: December 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've played this game and..........IT ROCKS! ou get your crew and team, upgradeable weapons, a little metamorphing pet (uh, thingy) that helps Fina fight, and of course, FLYING SHIPS! You gotta love being to fly around floating islands in a flying boat!

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