skies of arcadia review
Skies of ArcadiaThe Dreamcast arrives at the height of its career and welcomes the excellent Skies of Arcadia which completes the game library of the console now well supplied in terms of RPG. As innovative in its scenario as in its gameplay, Skies of Arcadia stands out as THE title to own at all costs on the 128 bits of Sega. Respects.
Skies of Arcadia, or Eternal Arcadia in VO, is located in an imaginary and magnificent world where the continents, the cities and the forests levitate in the air like floating islands. It is in this magical and bewitching universe that the blue pirates live, mercenaries with a big heart who fight against the dictatorship of the Valuan empire. No need to go into more detail on the scenario that I prefer to leave to you to discover for yourself, and which was also widely revealed during the preview. Just know that the adventure will have nothing in common with what you have already discovered through other RPGs, the scenario proving to be as fun as it is exciting and sometimes dramatic.
The characters, who benefit from very manga expressions at the level of the face and the look, are really sympathetic and charismatic. No wonder when you know that the world of SoA was imagined by Rieko Kodama, an RPG legend recognized through the Phantasy Star series. The world of SoA is a vast universe to explore which will not fail to recall the adventures recounted by Robert Louis Stevenson: treasure islands, vast territories to discover, rogue pirates, ship battles, everything is there! If we add that all this is in the air and that we can discover all kinds of Mayan, Asian, Saharan and many other civilizations, we can only try to recognize that SoA is a pleasant journey, a total change of scenery through an adventure full of twists and turns.
The realization is also impeccable. The 3D environments are particularly detailed and colorful, and show an originality that makes the atmosphere of SoA really fabulous. Only the management of the views leaves a little to be desired, the movement of the camera being too long when it does not stuck squarely in one direction. At the action level, the game is divided into two totally different phases but which are ultimately based on the same principle: the points of spirits. Whether during random battles in dungeons or during boat battles, you will have to manage a certain number of spirit points which will allow you to launch special attacks. If the fights seem a little soft at first because of the few attacks available to the characters, these duels quickly become the keystone of SoA.
With a certain quota of SP (points of spirits), you will have to each turn to find the best possible combination knowing that each character has a whole panoply of movements: escape, guard, attack, objects, magic, special attacks and focus ( to accumulate SP). The possibilities are endless and give combat a truly exciting tactical aspect. The same goes for ship battles, where we see the two buildings evolve together throughout the duration of the fight following the course of actions indicated by you and the opponent. The result is so effective that I dare not imagine what it could give in a universe like that of Albator, which would adapt wonderfully to this type of game.
But the most incredible feature of SoA is that, unlike almost all existing RPGs, there is absolutely no need to spend time experimenting. The progression is done without dead time once we understand the combat system, and the scenario evolves quickly, constantly introducing new playable characters or not, some of which may even be added to your crew to upgrade the power of the ultimate special attack available at maximum SP. At a certain stage of the game, Vyse will therefore be able to command his own ship and recruit up to 22 sailors to constitute his crew. The adventure of Vyse and the blue pirates then becomes truly captivating, the side quests being numerous and varied. You will be able to discover unexplored territories and sell your discoveries to the guild. You almost have the feeling of rewriting history when the characters, whose personalities complement each other wonderfully, gradually realize that the Earth is round.
It would take a novel to successfully evoke all the aspects of this prestigious title which allows itself the luxury of constituting one of the longest console games. Without avoiding a single fight but without spending time developing my characters, it took me 50 hours to finish the first CD, knowing that the adventure extends over a total of two GD-Roms. Last precision before you go to your favorite reseller, Skies of Arcadia is fully translated into French (do not rely on screenshots taken on the beta version due to incompatibility of backups), and music is among the most beautiful heard on console.
The notes
Graphics 18/20
Really detailed 3D decors that change the player and involve really nice characters. Combats are full of special effects during special attacks.
Gameplay 17/20
If they seem classic enough in the first games, the clashes become incredibly rich when you have a minimum of special attacks. Gameplay that you will have to get used to but that is the real strength of SoA. The different phases of the game (dungeon, battleships, exploration of villages) alternate so often that the interest of the player is constantly sought.
Lifespan 19/20
Skies of Arcadia greatly exceeds sixty hours of play. Once the game has started, it is simply impossible to separate from the game before having reached the end.
Soundtrack 17/20
Enchanting musical themes that adapt to all situations and take advantage of the richness of the game at the level of the different civilizations encountered.
Scenario 18/20
A quest worthy of the novels of Robert Louis Stevenson. An adventure of pirates and treasure islands in an enchanting universe, populated by characters endowed with strong personalities.
An essential title on Dreamcast. The adventure with a capital A, supported by an impeccable achievement and a gameplay that is as innovative as it is effective. Only problem, it will take you time, a lot of time, to complete the adventure.
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