Role players, rejoice! Wild Arms 2 is finally on the shelves, and it should keep you busy and smiling until Labor Day.
The original Wild Arms made its debut about four years ago, but suffered from the comparison to SquareSoft's Final Fantasy VII, which came out around the same time and was, to put it bluntly, lots better.
WA2, developed by Contrail for Sony's PlayStation, is derivative, no question about that. You'll find aspects of Final Fantasy, Zelda and other RPGs, but they have been massaged and buffed to fit perfectly with the WA2 environment.
You play the game through the eyes of three key characters. There's Ashley Winchester, a fierce adventurer who carries within him the cruel and powerful Black Knight. The others are Lilka Eleniak, a young girl who yearns to be a witch, and Brad Evans, who prefers force over a more subtle approach. In mid-game, you meet Tim Rhymeless, Mariandel and Kanon.
Wild Arms 2 sends you on a long and involved quest, and every character is needed to reach the end. Combat is in the traditional RPG (Role Playing Game) style. Unlike most adventure shooters, you don't face a constant stream of enemies, since battle in an RPG is just a part of the game, not its reason for being.
Despite that, the combat system is vast and complex, with weapons galore. There's also a new option which in some cases lets you avoid a fight so you can continue your quest. If an enemy appears with a black exclamation point over its head, hitting a specific controller button will let you ignore him. A white exclamation point means you have no choice but to mix it up.
Wild Arms 2 isn't the most up-to-date RPG around, but it has been designed so well, and there's so much to do, so many puzzles to solve, that you won't notice or if you do, you won't care.
Graphics and control get a B; sound is a B-. Overall, a solid B.
Rated E, for all ages.
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