PyroPlayer Magazine - PPM Adventurer's Guild

Wild Arms

Media.Vision * Sony CE * PLAYSTATION * Now Available

Attention, RPG fans! Here's another treat to sink your teeth into! Moving beyond their disappointment Beyond the Beyond, SCEA is seeking to prove its worth and ingenuity as a role-players' powerhouse with Wild Arms. Your quest is substandard, encompassing a far-off world and protagonists looking to save it from hordes of invading monsters (Go play Suikoden if you're looking for a strong story). The heroes of Wild Arms, Rudy Roughnight, Jack Van Burace, and Cecilia Adelyhde lead the way, and the developers have enveloped a healthy dose of character development to keep players invested in the fates of each. These heroes can be controlled individually in order to navigate mazes and solve puzzles with the use of key items such as bombs and whips - a la Zelda - utilizing their tools to advance forward.

This is not an action-RPG, however, and combat scenes are traditional and turn-based. When engaging with an enemy (via random encounters), the action shifts to a 3-D combat sequence featuring large, detailed polygonal characters and an interface reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII. We do wonder if the devs originally planned for 2-D battles and perhaps changed course due to Sony of America's staunch No 2-D policy, but that is merely speculation. The musical compositions are mostly limited to short arrangements, meaning annoying repetition is a likely occurrence in dungeon exploration. That all said, the number of sub-quests and hidden items and spells keep these areas fun and exciting. A great RPG to try out once you've exhausted the available slate.

Printed in Issue #43, Holiday 1997

Vandal Hearts

Konami CE * Konami * PLAYSTATION * Now Available

Vandal Hearts emerged from the ethers without a shred of hype prior to its release. Yet this strategy game with RPG elements and an intertwining plotline may be a sleeper hit. Taking place in a time of dismal, political turmoil in the mythical land of Ishtaria, this tale surrounds Ash Lambert and his comrades. The story may sound grandiose, but it's altogether an extraordinarily linear affair - essentially a straight series of battles that will take experienced players less than a full day to complete. Adopting a similar structure to that of the Shining Force series, players will navigate 2-D, hand-drawn sprite characters on a 3-D, grid-based landscape, rotating and zooming the map as needed. Members of the host party all have their own unique moves and attributes that help differentiate them.

Various troop types (21 in all!) level-up with experience and can be entirely upgraded. For instance, an archer can advance to either a ranged bowman or an uber-mobile hawknight. Battles themselves are engaging and highly strategic.An intuitive control scheme and adjustable camera view makes planning attack and defensive operations a breeze. Battle objectives thankfully vary from the tired "Kill All Enemies!" approach with missions to protect key structures or meeting a set time limit. Draw up a battle plan first, as rushing in will surely end poorly. Excellent, blood-pumping tunes and gritty war sounds accompany the action nicely, so feel free to turn up that stereo. VH's cohesive presentation and addictive gameplay will have players' hands cramping as they spend hours getting engrossed in it.

Printed in Issue #43, Holiday 1997