There are some bold words indeed being said by the PR team behind Arc Rise Fantasia -- an upcoming RPG for the Wii. Seeming to sense the disturbing lack of epic JRPGs out there, Ignition Entertainment has leaped upon the opportunity to tell disillusioned fans that Arc Rise is the place to get their fix.
"A critical element of any JRPG is story," explains Ignition. "As one plays the game, one gradually gets to know the heroes of Arc Rise Fantasia and how their lives are shaped by each other and the challenges they face.
"As the mercenary L’Arc, players embark on a journey to defend the Meridian Empire from invasion. Apprehensive towards his chosen path, L’Arc faces a life altering decision. As the plot thickens, relationships become complex -- hinting at unforeseen consequences with unlikely friends and treacherous foes.
"Arc Rise Fantasia reveals the unique pasts of these anime-inspired archetypes as players battle through a world of exploding monsters, magic orbs and bittersweet romance. A thrilling narrative rises as alliances form and parties assemble. Told within gorgeously animated cut scenes, as well as manga-inspired 2D dialogue sequences, the story deepens and unfolds in unexpected ways. This is the classic, sweeping storyline that JRPG fans have been craving."
These guys aren't mincing their words! The Wii is starting to resemble a real breeding ground for promising RPGs, with both this and The Last Story leading the vanguard. I'm certainly looking forward to checking it out, and watching the Wii become an ironic haven for hardcore roleplaying gamers. While we wait for that to happen, check out some brand new screens for Arc Rise, designed to show off the game's storytelling.
Contest:
8:00 PM on 03.29.2010
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This is going to be epic.
The battle system sounds pretty neat too.
I just wish Ignition hadn't gotten a hold of the game. They're even worse than NISA is now, which is really saying something. XSEED should have held onto it.
This would be because most of the best RPG developers are smaller Japanese companies that can't afford to produce 360/PS3 games. The Wii's pretty much their last home console-wise.
I mean really, stuff like Shadow Hearts: Covenant wasn't amazing looking or anything, but it was still better than everything else out at the time. And since those developers know that they don't have the visual power to blind people, they have to actually create solid stories and good gameplay in order to hook people.
G-MAN CONFIRMED.
Honestly, it's still sounds like standard cookie cutter bullshit, but I'll wait and see to give it a chance.
Even though that is true, Shadow Hearts died because, IMO, they left what made their games stand out in the first place. It is a shame they were drowned out by stuff like FFX, which IMO, doesn't hold a candle next to Shadow Hearts 1 & 2.
But other than Shadow Hearts, I've not been impressed by most of these small company RPGs. They're so heavy on the cliches that you can cut it with a knife.
Basically, it's harder (though not impossible) to traffic nostalgia on a new console, whereas it's easy on last gen's hardware.
I'm sold!
And Shadow Hearts died because Aruze died and so Sacnoth/Nautlius ended up being set out on their own, where they became feelplus, which you might remember did go on to make Lost Odyssey.
And really, complaining about cliches is just ridiculous. If you get caught up on RPG cliches, I really hope you harp on every other genre out there because the entire gaming industry is so filled with them that it's amazing. You aren't going to get away from them and pretending that they're in some way worse in RPGs is just a flat-out lie. Just play and enjoy the games.
The cheaper it is to make, the more you can do with it. HD ain't making it happen. If there was really a wealth of RPGs to be had on 360 and PS3, I'd have one by now.
I have cannot remebered the last time there has been a true Final fantacy game, and I don't think there ever will be since the guy that made Final Fantacy is now working for another companie.
"As the mercenary L’Arc, players embark on a journey to defend the Meridian Empire from invasion. Apprehensive towards his chosen path, L’Arc faces a life altering decision. As the plot thickens, relationships become complex -- hinting at unforeseen consequences with unlikely friends and treacherous foes.
"Arc Rise Fantasia reveals the unique pasts of these anime-inspired archetypes as players battle through a world of exploding monsters, magic orbs and bittersweet romance. A thrilling narrative rises as alliances form and parties assemble. Told within gorgeously animated cut scenes, as well as manga-inspired 2D dialogue sequences, the story deepens and unfolds in unexpected ways. This is the classic, sweeping storyline that JRPG fans have been craving."
I'm a big JRPG fan and I love my Wii, and I don't want to sound skeptical here, but..
The above sounds almost exactly like every JRPG that's come out since the SNES. Anime-inspired characters, 2-d "manga-inspired" talkyboxes, how the storyline unfolds, unlikely friends, treacherous foes...
I can't say I'm at all more excited about this game after hearing all that. But here's hoping it'll be a good one in the end.
I love it, count me in!!! :D
I love it, count me in!!! :D
^^THIS^^
If there is one genre that can get away with this and still keep it's fans happy it is the classic JRPG. As long as the battle system doesn't wear thin TOO quickly, the glitches don't kick you in the balls TOO hard and the characters and storyline aren't TOO douchey then this is another 20+ hours of same same fun I'll probably be enjoying.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
What's wrong with an RPG on the Wii? No, there aren't a lot. Doesn't mean they don't exist.
It's kind of offsetting that this game doesn't look that appealing to me, despite the fact that I'm a JRPG whore. I can't figure out what it is, but something just makes me not care. Regardless, I agree with pedrovay2003, the Wii could definitely use a JRPG. I think JRPG fans will agree that we don't really give a shit if it's generic...just like how FPS fans don't care about how generic WW2 shooters are.
Attempt operation 'melodramatic teen fight against evil'. Execute!
With each jrpg doing less to impress, they are becoming like Terminators, cut from the same mold. Just why exactly should I invest time and possible emotion into this story and characters over the last one? I'm sure many will enjoy and lap it up regardless.
Come back, Demons Souls and Persona.
Western RPGs are absolutely no different. They all pull from the big list of tropes found in western fantasy literature and never bother to aspire to anything greater. And yet people fawn and ooh and ahh over how amazing they are, despite the gameplay never actually changing more than a little bit here and there.
It's sickening how massive the double standards found in the gaming public are these days. The only reason the retarded gaming public has become apathetic towards JRPGs is because of the massive "anti-weeaboo" bullshit that's now taken over the anti-emo wave. It's the cool thing to hate anything "animu" and thus it's all the same garbage, nevermind that the Japanese have created more varied battle systems than anything the west has ever attempted. They just get slammed for being the "same" and people never actually try them.
Many fans IMO, feel obligated to support every jrpg, just because they are such, and I think that's kind of jaded. I expect some to go on the defensive, because they'll lap up anything like this. There's a reason why Demons Soul is pushing the genre forward, beyond those who aren't even jrpg fans. This Arc game however is more of the same. Even I can see when a western rpg is average or doesn't try enough, and I'd call them out for such, in the same regard.
Too expect everything to be original some might say is lofty, but some degree of originality should be strived for. The most recent jrpg exmaple of this is Infinite Space on DS, which again carves itself from the pack enough and still be cool. As such, I will buy Infinite Space.
You mistake me, sir, for I'm a big anime/manga fan alongside being a gamer, but even I can see when something isn't trying very hard, pretty much sucking the marrow of jrpgs long played and completed before it. Kudos to those jrpgs that try to strive for more, but this is another jrpg day at the office. This game is cookie cutter, Terminator avarage, just like The Last Rebellion. But alas, by all means, buy it if that's what you want to play and enjoy.
I'll come back, when I get the jrpg about old japanese folks in a retirement home, trying to fight demons that have secretly possessed the people running it. Now that, I would buy. Why? It'd have a better story, good social commentry on japan's aging populous, old age and death (a dose of supernatural if you like), and would have some better characters that break the bullshit mould we've been sold for years. Unfortunately, few developers in japan that will try this kind of thing, and thus the genre slowly stagnates.
Mmmm. think I may pitch that to my friend, who made his own jrpg, not a bad idea at all.
The Wii is almost looking tempting again...but I dunno. I suppose I'll have to keep watching.