Playstation 2 - Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits

Format
Playstation 2
Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer
Cattle Call
Country of origin
Japan
Release date
US: 2003
Genre
RPG

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits

By David Rasmussen
3rd Jul 05

As you no doubt know, the newest Arc the Lad game (End of Darkness) has finally hit game shelves -- eventually. Now, in theory, the game SHOULD have been out June 14th (a few days ago as I wrap this review up) but somehow it ended up being… well… MIA. Blockbusters is becoming entirely too lazy these days since now they can’t even deliver a simple game on time… or is the game delayed? Actually, as luck would have it, I was on a three day work related trip to Kona for a weekend (and boy do I have the reviews to show for it) and I did NOT find a single copy of End of Darkness anywhere! Guess it’s delayed, but how long it’s going to be MIA remains a mystery… for now.
Anyway it’s a good thing that this week is nostalgia week since that means I can spin the clock back a few years for a look at the last Arc the Lad game to hit way back a few years ago, mainly Twilight of the Spirits.

Twilight of the Spirits was the little game that could. It wasn’t the biggest game of the year from my reckoning, but it was damn good in my book. And now that you can get Twilight of the Spirits for $20 since it’s been a few years since it came out then now would be a good time to invest in this!
It all started in the aftermath of the Arc the Lad game that came before this (from my understanding of the story) when the world was split between two races. The human race, and a new species of demon that began to surface post the events of the previous Arc the Lad, known as the Deimos. These two races didn’t seem very compatible, and soon they were at each other’s throats fighting for domination of the world. In the end they split the world down the middle and called a truce, each retreating to their own side to live in peace. But peace on the old Earth would not last as you’ll see… yeah, apparently the Arc the Lad games takes place in some far flung future where the Earth we know is gone and replaced. Weird, eh?

Anyway part of the agreement of splitting the world in two was that humans and Deimos would not interact anymore, but that wasn’t going to last. Sure enough a human female fell in love and became one with a Deimos male and… well… lots and lots of “togetherness” eventually brings JedI twins… or just twins in general. They’re separated and they end up living apart. The woman (who turns out to be royalty) raises her human looking son to be a good man, while the father dies and his Deimos/human hybrid son becomes a slave… yet also grows up to be somewhat good, in his own way.

Somehow events are kicked into motion by an ancient evil that will bring these two back together again, reveal their past, and set them on a quest that will ultimately pit them against this darkness that seems to have come from the previous Arc the Lad game… or something like that.

Along the way each forms their own party of friends who helps them on their quest.
And, yes, wouldn’t you know it! That same people each picks has a deadly grudge against their opposite on the other side of the equation (except for two, a boy who is in fact a prince and a strange other dimensional female girl who end up having feelings for each other… how weird!)

Anyway the story, split into chapters that bounces back and forth between the two principal characters (complete with their own theme music that plays on the animated world map area - that actually moves as you watch the waves roll in, the grass sway and the lights of cities flicker for starters - as you travel the world), is one of friendship, trust, destiny and overcoming one’s differences to save the world.

Controls are about the easiest you can find for a RPG. All you need to know is that everything during combat situations can be worked with only two buttons (the X button and the Triangle button)! That and simple system of moving/battling makes this an easy game to learn. Add to that the amount of characters you can add to each party (up to six each), not to mention the customizable abilities that grows in skills as you earn experience from battling, this all makes for one solidly done (yet easy to master) game system.

Combat itself is simple. All your powers (magic) is powered by these stones called “spirit stones”, which you need to constantly resupply when you run short. That means you need to exercise some strategy when out on the road campaigning since running short of Spirit Stones means running short of magic, and that can be a bad thing when you are in a pinch! That’s one of the things I like about this game’s gameplay system.

Other than that the game is solid. And now that you can probably get it for about $20 or so it’s also an affordable little RPG worth getting your hands on. I also heard there’s supposed to be an Arc the Lad Collection of previous games, but I haven’t seen it… wonder if that’s any good?

The story is OK, though it’s not the best (it tends to fall into predictable clichés at times), but the gameplay is solid enough by my accounts and it’s easy to learn (and fun to play). Bottom line? For $20 or so dollars it’s not brain surgery! This is affordable, so go get it, and play it! Easy enough. Breakdown time!

Arc the Lad : Twilight of the Breakdown
What’s Hot?
It’s a good RPG. It’s story isn’t the best, but it’s an easily accessible game that you’ll learn quickly and master with time and effort. You upgrade yourself through the purchase of gear and level ups, as well as the “purchase” of skills (which is ranked by stars denoting the ability you need to master said skill) which makes for a very solid base to hone your characters skills on. No customizable characters, of course, but that’s OK since the story features a wide array of characters. It’s not the best RPG out there, but it’s a solidly done one that deserves your time and attention.

What’s Not?
It’s a strange little game. Mixing text reading with the occasional cut scene with voice acted dialogue is nice, but the story told is not the most original. Nevertheless it’s acted well enough (the voice acting) and the gameplay makes up for the rather “been there, done that” storyline of Twilight of the Spirits. The animation is great, and I like the soundtrack of the game (from the custom “theme songs” of each main star, to the other music abound in this game). It’s a likable game that could, and does deliver. And (again) it should be had for a low price nowadays so there’s no reason not to try this game out.

Moments to Remember?
You’ll get attached to a few of the characters, and find some of their stories to be compelling… not very original, but more than enough to keep you interested in this game.

What to Ignore?
Hmm… I’d personally would like to ignore the fact that while so called bad dude Darc’s friends never once abandon him even when things seem bleak, so called good dude’s Kharg’s friends dump him so damn fast once they learn he’s part Deimos! Sheesh! Some friends dammit!! Then there’s the so called budding romance between the “monkey boy” who is a real prince on the side of good, and the strange female entity that controls people like puppets that pops up about halfway or farther into the story… what’s up with that?!? Who thought that was a good idea?!? It’s not bad but… really, where did that come from? And how the heck did they hit it off anyway?!? Weird!!

And speaking of that girl in question I’d also like to ignore what I call the most pointless cut scene in games! When you finally met her, after fighting your way into her “resting place”, you’ll be treated to a 30 second cut scene where she rises from her resting spot and says her name… end of cut scene. What the hell… did we really need a cut scene just to hear her say her name?!? Damn!!

Overall?
If you are like me then you are not the happiest of campers when games suddenly start to dawdle and not come out when they’re supposed to come out. You’re all set to get it and the game just drags it’s virtual feet all of a sudden! Well if you are an Arc the Lad fan, or even if you are not, then Arc the Lad : Twilight of the Spirits is for you. It’s a solid enough little RPG that could, and has some nice moves.

If you are STILL waiting for End of Darkness then you’ll find picking up Twilight of the Spirits will provide you with lots of diversion to keep you occupied until End of Darkness finally releases… whenever that’ll be! And, yes, if that game EVER releases I’ll review it… and ONE more.

Just how can you claim a game that allows you to make your own RPG can be rated E for Everybody when nobody knows the kind of RPG I’d make? Striving to break the laws of allowable RPG-ing with a sledgehammer, I’ll start my first review of the Fall of 2005 with this musical question : “Is RPG Maker 3 really an RPG maker, or a time killer that does nothing but insult your intelligence?” Yup. I’m going to delve into the rather dubious distinction of a game that claims to allow you to make your own RPG, which is exactly what I’ll do! I’ll make my own RPG, just like how I’d write my own fanfics… and if you know my fanfics you know what you’ll be expecting from me!
So when this “game” (RPG Maker 3) comes out in August let’s see if I can’t bend, break, slash and burn every law of E for Everybody RPG making while I’m “playing“ this game… so stay tuned.

-- David Rasmussen 3rd Jul 05

Playstation 2 Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Images