"Best of the Series."

Well, I can tell you that I've played and beaten all three games in the Arc the Lad Collection, and I can tell you that some things just seem to get better with age. This seems to be no exception to this rule. While the first three games had a great plotline in their own right, I felt that there still needed to be more realism in the plot. Arc the Lad: Twlight of the Spirits seems to deliver it in spades from what I know. So I'll get started with the review.

Gameplay: 9/10

While not perfect, it most certainly is amongst the best strategy RPG I've played thus far. Most towns are typical, just press X to check things out and talk to people. But in battle is where the game shines. I like how you don't have a ''square grid'' for the character anymore, this adds to the realism if you ask me, as you're now allowed to fully control where you want the character to go, as long as they're within a certain amount of space, like most strategy games. However, there is a twist in that you can now control the full degree of where you want your character to attack, all you need to do is hit the R1 button and it shows you the “attack center” within the range of the attack. This adds the extra element of strategy to the game, and gives you that much more to do. The only downside I can find to the whole thing is that the game itself is slow-moving. If it moved that much faster, I’d give it a perfect ten.

Graphics: 10/10

So far I can’t seem to find anything wrong with how this game looks. It suits the mood perfectly, and everything looks great. While the towns feel kinda cookie-cutterish in regards of design, the world itself looks awesome, even if it is just point and click and you’re there. I like how the names of the areas you fight monsters in seem to fit in with how the outside world looks. So if you go to somewhere like “Chaos Forest” or “Haystir Marsh”, you’re going to get the surrounding environment as well. Most of which looks fantastic and is a treat for the eyes. Heck, the character designs are amongst some of the best I've seen as well. Everything looks as good as Final Fantasy 10, which is an achievement.

Plot-Line: 10/10

I am impressed with how much the Arc the Lad series has matured over the years, this one has to be the most realistic plotline yet, as it deals with many issues that are present here in the real world, like racism, segregation, corruption amongst your own race, and the ever present question of “Which is better, a more advanced civilization or a peaceful one?” This, combined with believable characters, has to be one of the best plotlines to come along in a long, long time. I am not going to spoil anything for those who haven’t played it yet, as I want them to spend the 40 bucks and be blown away by it as I was.

Sound: 10/10

While I am disappointed that the kicking battle theme that was common in the demo of the game has only been heard once and that was fighting in Plumb Canyon. For the most part the music is awesome, and gets it’s job done perfectly. Believe it or not, they used guitar for most of the songs present in this game, combined with techno-ish beats and orchestral sounding music. It’s very good stuff, and pleasant to the ear. Much better than most of the pop-ish stuff I heard in the previous Arc the Lad trilogy. I’d have to say that this soundtrack scores a “best in series” mark from me.

Overall: 10/10

Well some would ask why give this game a 10? Because it deserves it is why! Yes, the battles themselves might be a little slow, it is easily forgiven when you get sucked into the world of this game. A must-own for anyone who likes a great game with a mature plotline, and a damn decent soundtrack to boot as well. Well worth the 40 bucks to play it, I’d recommend it to those who loved the Arc the Lad Collection, and to those who just want a damn good Strategy/RPG to play with. What are you waiting for? Go get it now!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/03, Updated 06/29/03