"Oooh that hit the spot..."

If like me you've been wondering where are all the good rpgs. If you've been thirsty for a story, an epic tale, to keep you hooked for hours, rejoice for a new tale in the classic Arc the Lad series is here, Twilight of the Spirits and a damn good game it is.

Story 10
The absolute most important part of any rpg, and Twilight of the Spirits delivers a powerhouse of a tale. The game has two main characters. Kharg, a young man raised a prince in a warm loving environment and firm believer in justice and defending the weak. And then there is Darc, a half human, half Deimos outcast, who spent nearly his whole life as an abused slave, and the of survival of the fittest is the only way he knows how to live. The two heroes of our story live in a world that has used up all of its resources except Spirit Stones, which is itself running short, and highly coveted by both the human and Deimos races. The humans use the Spirit Stones as an energy source to power their cities, and the Deimos a varied race of demon-like beings, depend on them for their magical abilities. Conflict over the Spirit Stones and territory have led to bitter hatred between the two races. The story is into separate chapters apiece for Kharg and Darc as they pursue their own goals. And of course the fate of the world depends on both races and both heroes uniting to defeat the evil that threatens their existence

Gameplay 9

Turn based strategy combat is the name of the game here. Unlike most turn based strategy combat games (tbsc), which use a grid system to position your characters on the field, Twilight of the Spirits allows the characters free movement within their range. Combat isn't difficult and after the first few fights you'll be right at home. Magic and Skills are dependent upon spirit stones and you can only find these during battle and and from merchants; if you run out during a fight and the enemies don't drop any, that's it for magic or skills for the rest of the fight, however the game allows you to stockpile and you can recharge afterwards and they're pretty easy to find. Characters get experience according to how much they participate in battle, if a character does nothing they get nothing.
In terms of Magic and Special Skills each party has its specialties, Kharg's party consisting of humans dont use magic but weapon based skills instead. Darc's party consisting of Deimos are all about magic power. Characters gain new abilities through the class system and every time the class goes up new abilities are open to them but they need to earn points in battle to learn them, and you earn points by battle participation same as experience.

Graphics 8
The graphics in the game are great. The characters are nicely modeled and the environments are richly detailed, although the NPC's throughout the game are pretty generic, and since the environments aren't pre-rendered, why couldn't I get a rotable camera? At least for battles? Oh well... during cutscenes the characters have limited facial expressions but you usually get the point and the emotions come across, but Kharg walks a fine line between looking like a little boy or a pouty girl...

Music 10

The second most important part of an rpg if you ask me, and its my review so I say it is!! And that's a good thing 'cuz the music in this game is great. Crystal clear, and each track is just right for the situation or atmosphere. If you have a good audio set up you are in for a real audio treat. Oh and the voice acting doesnt suck either, in fact its pretty good, actually you might find yourself turning up the volume during cut scenes with voice work. The character also make witty remarks during battle although you might get annoyed after the hundredth 'So you defy me!?'', from Darc, but you have the option to turn of the voices during battle so its up to you. Overall the music is great and if you're into game soundtracks and they release this one you might want to pick it up.

Replayability 8

Never really sure how to rate an rpg in terms of reply value. I mean once you beat it you've already been through all the twists and turns and the whole emotional ride, but I guess that makes it more like you favorite movie or book, and you might want to come back for the ride one day. In that case Twilight of the Spirits, is definitely worth a few rides, and I guarantee it will become a collector's item and well worth having in your library.

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits gets an overall 10 from me 'cuz its a damn fine game period. And in a world devoid of good rpgs nowadays I'm not just saying that 'cuz the picking are slim, Twilight of the Spirits would hold is own against any of the good ones out there and is a worthy addition to the series

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/07/03, Updated 07/07/03