PlayStation

Wild Arms 2

It's got a great story, reinforced by solid gameplay and a unique, fun battle system, above average graphics and sound and some puzzles that are just really ingenious. Combine that with the fact that the game is long (2 discs worth at about a total of 55 hours play time) and secrets till next Thursday, and you've got a game with replay value that will keep you busy for a long time. But do yourself a favor and pick up the strategy guide or get a faq, because Wild ARMS 2nd Ignition will tease your brain to no end.

I completed the game in about 30 hours, completing a good chunk of the side-quest, but by no means all. I tried only one uber-boss, and he happened to be susceptible to instant death. In all, Wild ARMs 2 is a fine game deserving more respect than it has received.

The sequel, while delivering nostalgia by the fistfuls, never really offers anything especially new. If you liked the first game, head down to your local video store and snag a rental. It's good for a few trips down memory lane, but it's sadly not a keeper.

While it's an improvement over part 1, in a lot of areas, I still think Contrail needs to seek more inspiration with this series. This is one of the worst RPG series ever made, I'll never understand why it gets so much attention. If you liked 1, you'll probably love 2, and most RPGers shouldn't pass this up if it's 20 or so bucks. Hopefully part 3 will take the series in a better direction.

Wild Arms 2 is a slightly above average RPG. Despite smart elements like good puzzles, the search system and character customization, there simply isn't enough to bring it all together. The story doesn't hold your attention, characters aren't interesting, and the battle challenge isn't there. This is, in the end, an appropriate sequel to the average original.

Wild Arms 2 isn't bad, but it doesn't begin to approach today's standard of good, either. While a number of RPG players have fond memories of the original Wild Arms, they'll most likely be surprised and dismayed by its dinosaur of a sequel. While this doesn't bode well for Wild Arms 2, it is pleasing to note how far the genre has advanced since the original game's release.

Wild Arms 2 manages to provide some decent gameplay, but the miserable dialogue makes it hard to fully appreciate the game. The battle system is tolerable and the dungeons are fun, but none of those matter when you have to endure such bad writing. Honestly, it’s worse than the writing in some of my reviews. If you’re looking for a pretentious game with lots of dialogue, try out Xenogears instead. Not that I can fully recommend that game either.