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The Gamecube front hasn’t seen much in the way of epic RPGs, but Skies of Arcadia Legends has arrived. Ported from the Dreamcast with slight enhancements, Legends is sure to appease Gamecube owners thirsty for a quality RPG.
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For the uninitiated, Skies of Arcadia Legends is a slightly enhanced version of the Dreamcast classic Skies of Arcadia. Players take on the role of the air pirate Vyse and company as they adventure through uncharted skies in a vast world. Along the way, Vyse will encounter enemy pirates, exotic locales and a myriad of characters delivered by an expanding and unfolding story line. Dreamcast veterans will find Legends to be a fairly straight port of Skies of Arcadia with just a few enhancements. Graphics are slightly improved, making the characters more full and rounded. Game play has
been tweaked with faster ship duels and less random encounters. New to Legends is the addition of a Wanted List, a list of criminals players can defeat for monetary rewards. Several new characters have been added to the cast, including a bounty hunter by the name of Piastol.
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Let’s get down to the details. Legends is a traditional RPG in the vein of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games. Gamers wander cities,
travel the world and explore dungeons. The most noticeable departure from the traditional format is that from the start players will fly the
skies. The world of Arcadia consists of floating islands, and the only method of transportation are powerful airships.
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While flying the skies and exploring dungeons, gamers will encounter various creatures. These random battles are fought in a turn based style similar to other RPGs. Each character has their own unique way of attacking and special moves.
Before each turn, gamers choose their actions from the standard fare of attack, magic, or items. Although there are a variety of offensive and defensive spells available to learn, magic takes a back seat to physical attacks. Gamers likely won’t find spells useful for anything besides healing.
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Sometimes while sailing the gamers will find themselves dueling in ship to ship battles. These are also turn-based, but they play quite differently than regular battles. Maneuvers and attacks are chosen before a round, with each character having their own choice. Players must time their movements wisely, paying attention to their opponents, or end up crashing into Deep Sky. Eventually, Legends gives you command over your own ship and crew. Crew members can be found all over the world, hiding deep inside dungeons, hanging around port towns or in the skies on their own voyages. Besides offering varied and entertaining personalities, each crew member offers bonuses during ship battles.
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Random battles aren’t enough to make an RPG, but Skies delivers a deep and entertaining, if slightly cliché, story line that should keep you involved. Every land has its own tales which
intertwine with the main plot line. Most of the inhabitants, including minor characters like crewmembers, have their own stories and motives,
making the world seem full of real people, rather than just a few heroes.
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The graphics are good, but nothing too special. Everything is in full 3-D, a nice change from pre-rendered or flat backgrounds common to RPGs. Character models are smooth and cartoonish; fitting for a game like Legends. The skies, where you spend most of your time, are bright, but rather simplistic. Cities and dungeons can be beautiful and panoramic, but are generally run-of-the-mill.
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While the sound is standard fare (footsteps, sword slashes, and so forth), the music is
excellent. The mood, whether melancholy, joyous, ethereal or dire, is greatly amplified by the powerful soundtrack. Oddly enough, the soundtrack for the Dreamcast version sounds fuller than Legends on the Gamecube, but not by much.
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All in all, Skies of Arcadia Legends is something RPG fans shouldn’t miss. Compliments of Sega, the Gamecube finally has an epic RPG worth buying. Arcadia veterans will need to decide if a few improvements make Skies worth a second purchase, but Gamecube owners who never played it on the Dreamcast will not be disappointed!
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Pros:
- Forty to sixty hours of game play
- Recruit a crew from a variety of characters across the lands
- Build your own base of operations
- New side quests and characters not available on the Dreamcast
- Excellent musical score
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Cons:
- Magic system poorly integrated
- No voice acting besides uninspired one liners
- Graphics, while often beautiful, don’t aptly utilize the Gamecube’s
power
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