I Wish They Were All This Awesome...

BLUE ROGUES, ATTACK!!

Okay everyone, we're going to be doing things a little differently today.

So I made another Facebook quiz... based on my favorite turn-based fantasy RPG of all time: Skies of Arcadia!

The link to the quiz (as well as several other popular SoA themed quizzes I've made) can be found below.

What Moon Were You Born Under?
Which Admiral of the Valuan Armada Are You?
What Skies of Arcadia Character Are You?

I hope you enjoy them all, because I've spent a lot of time on each of them. The fans seem to like my quizzes, so I may just keep making them.

Anyway, as you are no doubt aware, I'm playing through SoA: Legends again... you know, the Skies of Arcadia remake for the Gamecube? (If you'd clicked the dancing link, you'd know by now that the original game was made for the Sega Dreamcast, and it wasn't until later that the remake, SoAL came out for the Gamecube). It's still just as phenomenal as the first time!

Alright, so the graphics are dated. They were dated when they came out on the Gamecube, too... they didn't do much to improve it there. But this is one of those games where it wins so hard that you don't notice. The music (although low sound quality in places) is beautifully arranged, simply moving at times. The story is pure awesomeness, the characters unforgettable. And the battle systems... that's right, TWO (monster fights and pirate ship fights)... keep the random battles from becoming too sluggish and repetitive. It is still a turn-based RPG, after all, but for a game of that genre it's surprisingly exciting and fresh, even by today's standards.

My favorite aspect of the game, however, is the in-game world. It's big... real big. Lots of room to explore and, the best part is, lots of stuff to do. Not only are there optional bounty encounters and side quests galore, but there is a "Discovery" system that I've fallen in love with all over again. Scattered across the map are hidden goodies... when you happen to come across one, your compass begins to spin wildly, and a quick press of the A button reveals what you've discovered. Of course you are rewarded for your finds, but there are just so many discoveries out there on this massive map, you've got hours of entertainment right there! I've always adored games that gave you this great big world with a big, fascinating history behind it, and just turned you loose to explore. Granted, some areas are off limits until you progress further in the story, but that keeps it balanced so that the player has some sort of guideline... otherwise, you'd easily get lost in the fantastic realm of Arcadia.

I'm striving for 100% completion, but I fear that may still be too much for me. 60 hours into a game that took me 100 hours to beat the first time through, and I've already found so many Discoveries and items and even characters that I'd never met before, and I still have so much more to go! My only regret is that there aren't more RPG's out there like this... it is as though SoA has ruined me for all the other nice young games on the market.

Nevertheless, I wait in joyful hope. Perhaps a sequel, Sega? It isn't like you don't have material... you left it wide open. Perhaps a second generation, with Marco as the lead character? Or even a prequel delving into the dark past of Ramirez and the rise of Admiral Galcian? You could even go as far back as the Old Ages... how did those Purple Civilization guys just disappear? And who called down the Rains of Destruction? I'm sure there's a fascinating story behind all that, as well.

Oh geez, sorry guys, I went on a great big rant.

Just stop me next time, okay?