Review
We play Wild Arms: The 4th Detonator...
Wild Arms 4: The 4th Detonator is as standard as Role Playing Games come, and for certain gamers, that can sometimes be a bad thing. But just because this game doesn’t deviate too far from traditional RPG style gaming doesn’t mean that it isn’t every bit as fun and thorough as it’s predecessors. In fact, what can be considered Wild Arms 4’s only real unique feature, the new hex-based battle system, lends just enough diversity to set this RPG apart from the countless others of its kind. Gone is the old turn-based engine, breathing new life into this otherwise typical RPG adventure.
While fans of the series might expect another Western style adventure like the previous titles, refreshingly, most of the action takes place in a much more futuristic setting this time around. Key features such as dungeons and drifters still occupy the game, however; Wild Arms 4 centers around a more modern world that has just been ravaged by war.
As usual, the game’s storyline is complex and thorough. You are immediately immersed in the worldly affairs of Filgaia as innocent teenage kid Jude Maverick, who’s got an awful lot to learn and prove throughout gameplay.
It all begins as an accident, when Jude stumbles upon a hidden construct lingering above an ocean. There, he mistakenly activates a gun that fuses itself to him but loses control, blasting a hole in the machine responsible for stabilizing his world. Fortunately, Jude teams up with a group of characters that are trying to escape the government, which is determined to fuse ARMs such as the one Jude encountered to their bodies in order to create war resilient weapons out of them. Yulie, Arnaud and Raquel travel all over Filgaia’s many islands with Jude in order to escape and overthrow the ruling democracy.
This is a pretty serious concept for this otherwise fantasy-based series. But in addition to its somber beginning, Wild Arms 4 distinctly veers away from the lighthearted Western fantasy themes of past with the abundance of war machinery, ravaged military bases and scattered human settlements, genetic tampering and destruction. With such serious overtones and a sense of urgently needed heroic intervention throughout gameplay, you can definitely say that the series has grown up.
The new hex-based battle system also accounts for a large part of Wild Arms 4’s development. Instead of the traditional turn-based battle system common to many RPGs including the other three titles in the Wild Arms series, players and enemies are now located within seven hexes on the battlefield. Each hex can hold one or more enemies, depending on their size, as well as one to four of your party members as well. This makes positioning a factor, adding more strategy to gameplay.
Battles will begin with characters automatically placed within the hexes. You can only melee monsters in the hex closest to you, you can flank your enemies (or be flanked by them) so you need to think carefully about who your characters are exposed to. Ley points also add more strategy to battles. Three hexes on the outer edge of the battle zone feature three of four elements (fire, water, earth, and wind). If you stand in one of these hexes, attacks will be altered due to the element’s influence upon them. For example, if you stand in a fire hex, fire attacks will be reduced by half. At the same time, if you position Arnaud to stand in a water hex, his blast magic will drench monsters. Positioning strategy is equally important as deciding which skills and attacks to use.
Skills cost both magic and force points depending on the type of skill you decide to use. Not only do you have your choice in various magic and force skills, but you also have a choice in who or what you use them on. You can use an attack on an enemy, for example, or choose to use a skill on an entire hex. Using a skill on a hex will automatically affect the enemies that are standing on it.
Aside from the battles that account for most of gameplay is the time spent in towns and dungeons. As with the previous titles, dungeons contain a hefty amount of various puzzles to solve, including the typical jumping puzzles (which can get irritating after a while because of how redundant they are).
Besides the new theme and battle system, most of the game’s features are nothing new. So if you liked any of the original Wild Arms titles, this one will definitely be just as enjoyable. But if you didn’t like the other three titles, Wild Arms 4 just might be the one to change your mind about the series. It’s a thorough and conventional RPG style game, but with a few new modern features. And the solemnly futuristic post-war setting definitely gives the game a more serious feel. All in all, this game qualifies as an RPG worth playing.
Top Game Moment: The new hex-based battle system is definitely the definitive aspect of Wild Arms 4. Battles now rely on a hefty amount of strategy, making them all the more meaningful and exciting, while providing a fresh break from the traditional turn-based system. As a result, battles are fun again, thanks to the new battle system.
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The new hex-based battle system adds to the game’s futuristic feel |
Wild Arms 4 breaks away from the series' Western theme |
While fans of the series might expect another Western style adventure like the previous titles, refreshingly, most of the action takes place in a much more futuristic setting this time around. Key features such as dungeons and drifters still occupy the game, however; Wild Arms 4 centers around a more modern world that has just been ravaged by war.
As usual, the game’s storyline is complex and thorough. You are immediately immersed in the worldly affairs of Filgaia as innocent teenage kid Jude Maverick, who’s got an awful lot to learn and prove throughout gameplay.
It all begins as an accident, when Jude stumbles upon a hidden construct lingering above an ocean. There, he mistakenly activates a gun that fuses itself to him but loses control, blasting a hole in the machine responsible for stabilizing his world. Fortunately, Jude teams up with a group of characters that are trying to escape the government, which is determined to fuse ARMs such as the one Jude encountered to their bodies in order to create war resilient weapons out of them. Yulie, Arnaud and Raquel travel all over Filgaia’s many islands with Jude in order to escape and overthrow the ruling democracy.
This is a pretty serious concept for this otherwise fantasy-based series. But in addition to its somber beginning, Wild Arms 4 distinctly veers away from the lighthearted Western fantasy themes of past with the abundance of war machinery, ravaged military bases and scattered human settlements, genetic tampering and destruction. With such serious overtones and a sense of urgently needed heroic intervention throughout gameplay, you can definitely say that the series has grown up.
 |
|
 |
|
Skills can be used on both hexes as well as enemies |
Jumping Puzzles are still a large part of the action |
The new hex-based battle system also accounts for a large part of Wild Arms 4’s development. Instead of the traditional turn-based battle system common to many RPGs including the other three titles in the Wild Arms series, players and enemies are now located within seven hexes on the battlefield. Each hex can hold one or more enemies, depending on their size, as well as one to four of your party members as well. This makes positioning a factor, adding more strategy to gameplay.
Battles will begin with characters automatically placed within the hexes. You can only melee monsters in the hex closest to you, you can flank your enemies (or be flanked by them) so you need to think carefully about who your characters are exposed to. Ley points also add more strategy to battles. Three hexes on the outer edge of the battle zone feature three of four elements (fire, water, earth, and wind). If you stand in one of these hexes, attacks will be altered due to the element’s influence upon them. For example, if you stand in a fire hex, fire attacks will be reduced by half. At the same time, if you position Arnaud to stand in a water hex, his blast magic will drench monsters. Positioning strategy is equally important as deciding which skills and attacks to use.
Skills cost both magic and force points depending on the type of skill you decide to use. Not only do you have your choice in various magic and force skills, but you also have a choice in who or what you use them on. You can use an attack on an enemy, for example, or choose to use a skill on an entire hex. Using a skill on a hex will automatically affect the enemies that are standing on it.
Aside from the battles that account for most of gameplay is the time spent in towns and dungeons. As with the previous titles, dungeons contain a hefty amount of various puzzles to solve, including the typical jumping puzzles (which can get irritating after a while because of how redundant they are).
 |
|
 |
|
Strategy is key during high-energy battle sequences |
Our teenage heroes have the fate of Filgaia in their hands |
Besides the new theme and battle system, most of the game’s features are nothing new. So if you liked any of the original Wild Arms titles, this one will definitely be just as enjoyable. But if you didn’t like the other three titles, Wild Arms 4 just might be the one to change your mind about the series. It’s a thorough and conventional RPG style game, but with a few new modern features. And the solemnly futuristic post-war setting definitely gives the game a more serious feel. All in all, this game qualifies as an RPG worth playing.
Top Game Moment: The new hex-based battle system is definitely the definitive aspect of Wild Arms 4. Battles now rely on a hefty amount of strategy, making them all the more meaningful and exciting, while providing a fresh break from the traditional turn-based system. As a result, battles are fun again, thanks to the new battle system.
