Fistful of Gella

Well, things seem to be moving apace in Wild ARMs 2.  It's been a while since I've utterly torn through a PS1-era RPG, but that's what's happening apparently.


There's lots of good things in this game.  The enemies are (mostly) pretty damned freakish, and while they are your standard polygonal garbage of the time, they actually are something to look at; even compared to big names like Final Fantasy VII, they hold their own quite well.  Unfortunately, most spells and spell-like effects are pretty lackluster from a graphics standpoint, and this is exacerbated by technical hiccups and oddities (there seems to be a very short but noticeable loading time for each effect, multi-target attacks have a habit of staggered sequence instead of one 'big boom' effect, onscreen damage results are also staggered).  The ARMs weapon concepts are realized fairy well, making for 'big gun' options and actually needing a bit of strategy to work properly.


The dungeons are mostly enjoyable to wander through.  The puzzles tend to be straightforward without feeling dumbed down.  There are a few here and there that are quite obtuse, with one in particular being both absurdly simple and maddeningly off-the-wall.  SPOILER WARNING:  There comes a point where the games wants you to listen to enemy communications, but doesn't tell you how (and neither does the official guide).  The solution is to walk up to various locked doors and use the 'call' option from your menu.  END SPOILERS.  All I can really say is that old RPG problems are old, and even players like me that grew up with the older style and its inherent frustrations can smack into walls like this fairly easily.


Oh, and this game likes to use 'tools' (think Zelda-style gear, but with its own flair) for puzzles.  Some of them are about what you'd think (Fire Rod, Freeze Rod, and Bombs do what you think they do), with a throwing knife and a familiar being fairly creative variations on things.  Hilariously, one 'tool' is the ability to deliver a mighty kick.  But even it pales compared to the item radar tool, the aptly named Booty Call.  Yes, that's right, if you can't find something, it's time for a Booty Call!


On that note, it's time to go.  The Harvest Never Rests!