Topic Title: Wild ARMs 2
| |  "Wild ARMs 2"
, Wed 30 May 05:30 AM |
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Reviews I've read of this game have been mixed - but most seem to say it has a great plot, with many gameplay flaws.
Does it have a good plot?
I just got the game in the post, but won't look at it until I've finished FF9 - which has restored my faith in Squaresoft; great game.
I don't want to get excited thinking it'll be a riveting story if it really isn't. For the record, I didn't think Wild ARMS 1 had the best of plots.
Posts: 67
| Location: Ireland
| Registered: Sun 1 Apr 2001 6:47 |  |
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| | "Re(1):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 31 May 09:30 PM | Message #2432
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wild arms 2? BORRRINNNGGG!!!!! 
seriously though, why play a mediocre game like that when you could play Valkyrie Profile, Xenogears, and Persona 2 (if your lookin for originality...)
"Everything that has form must fade away for that is natures way; yet I feel my heart being torn apart at times like these..." - chrono + cross
Posts: 232
| Location: petaluma North California
| Registered: Sun 18 Mar 2001 15:55 | |
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| | | "Re(2):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 1 Jun 04:42 AM | Message #2433
Replied to #2432 |
Because I've played them already :).
And I'm not looking for orignality - my orignal question was about the plot
Posts: 73
| Location: Ireland
| Registered: Sun 1 Apr 2001 6:47 | |
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| | | "Re(3):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 1 Jun 11:48 PM | Message #2443
Replied to #2433 |
ohh...haha sorry bout that. But yeah the plot isn't all that great either. you want a good plot....how bout
NFL gameday 2001 neon NFAA league-champions edition platinum version
just kidding
"Everything that has form must fade away for that is natures way; yet I feel my heart being torn apart at times like these..." - chrono + cross
Posts: 234
| Location: petaluma North California
| Registered: Sun 18 Mar 2001 15:55 | |
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| | | "Re(4):Wild ARMs 2" , Sat 2 Jun 03:58 AM | Message #2444
Replied to #2443 |
Are you asking for a duel?
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Posts: 201
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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| | "Re(1):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 31 May 01:26 PM | Message #2430
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Thanks for all the responses guys!
After what you all said, overall, I'm looking forward to playing the game.
Posts: 70
| Location: Ireland
| Registered: Sun 1 Apr 2001 6:47 | |
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| | "Re(1):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 31 May 07:04 AM : | Message #2427
Reply Edited |
Well, I've played through WA2 twice and liked it both times. Anyway, here're a few comments:
+Intruiging story. I've heard some people complain that it doesn't seem to be leading anywhere on Disc 1, but I never had a problem with it. Disc 2 is where things really start becoming interesting... I suggest not spoiling the plot, it really does have some major twists.
+Encounter Cancel. ^__^ You can skip all the weak battles you want, which just leaves the more powerful random enemies...
+The music is usually pretty good. However, if you liked WA1's soundtrack and expect this one to live up to the original's, you may be disappointed.
+Interesting characters, both playable and NPC. Nearly all are given development and background.
+Many secrets, hidden stuff, and a hidden character, too!
-The translation really is not very good. The game has very interesting concepts and characters, but they are hurt by the phrasing. (The characters definitely have unique personalities, but the dialogue style doesn't change much for each one--sounds like one writer telling the story and attributing different lines to different characters, if that makes sense. If not, oh well. ;-))
I never had much of a problem with the battle system or graphics... the anime FMVs are good, but there aren't very many: just the intros to both discs (but they play every time the game is loaded, so it's not hard to watch them over and over.)
Overall, I really enjoyed it, but be prepared for the translation; the game could have had so much more fire with a better translation, but I got the essence of it anyway. My advice would be to wait until reaching Disc 2 before judging the whole game. WA2 is not at all like FF9, but still likeable, IMO.
[this message was edited by Shades on Thu 31 May 07:08 AM]
Posts: 52
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| Registered: Thu 31 Aug 2000 12:43 | |
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| | | "Re(2):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 28 Jun 05:36 AM | Message #2513
Replied to #2427 |
This actually makes me feel better. ^^ I stopped playing WA2 somewhere in the middle of Disc One because I lost interest... I liked the game, but it didn't have anything to compel me to go further, even though I heard from friends that the story gets really good... *shrug*
It didn't help that I was perusing an artist's page, and happened to run across a spoiler for Irving (my favorite)... I still need to kick that person. Very, very hard.
I liked WA1, personally... nothing groundbreaking, but it was a fun game. This one seems much better, and I've been thinking of picking it up again... perhaps my PS2 will eradicate that laoding time. ^.^ I never noticed it myself, but... I'm also the person who didn't notice the slow text speed in Xenogears. Either that, or I liked it - gave me a chance to take notes. ^.~
Ja mata.
Amber Michelle
Insane Master Summoner
Art by Midori Tachibana and Amori.
Posts: 497
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| Registered: Tue 25 Jul 2000 2:55 | |
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| | | "Re(3):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 28 Jun 06:39 PM | Message #2515
Replied to #2513 |
I really liked Disc 2 of WA2, you really shouldn't see that Irving spoiler. But then the ending is absolutely fabulous, better than all FF endings if you ask me (no, there's no FMVs) ;)
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Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Hail to Cthulhu Incarnate! Dark One Reborn! Master of the Throne of the Deep! Lord of Shayol Ghul! Essence of Yin!
Devil's in His Hell. All's too bad with the world.
Posts: 344
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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| | | "Re(3):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 28 Jun 07:54 AM | Message #2514
Replied to #2513 |
quote:
It didn't help that I was perusing an artist's page, and happened to run across a spoiler for Irving (my favorite)...
...
Eeesh. Irving spoilers are the worst kind; he's the sort of character that is best appreciated/observed by each individual player. Hopefully EVERYTHING wasn't spoiled, since quite a bit is revealed on Disc 2...
Ah, Irving--from what I've seen, people tend to either love him or hate him, with very little middle ground. He's my favorite character, by any other name. ^__~ (I didn't care for the name "Irving", so I dug out one of those name books and renamed him "Idriys".) In any case, I'm glad to find somebody else who likes him; the one Wild Arms series messageboard that I know of (outside of GameFAQs, but I don't think that really counts) seems to love WA1 so much that they generally dislike WA2 for not being like WA1. Go figure.
Anyway, I suggest that you do try to finish WA2 sometime. As I've written elsewhere, the plot of Disc 1 really isn't very indicative of Disc 2; it's more to... set the stage, in a way. All I can say is to try to avoid any more spoilers about Disc 2--that's where the game starts taking more direction.
Posts: 57
| Location: Midwestern USA
| Registered: Thu 31 Aug 2000 12:43 | |
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| | | "Re(4):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 29 Jun 03:30 AM | Message #2517
Replied to #2514 |
*twitch* Well, it seemed like a pretty huge spoiler... IF it's actually a spoiler, and not just part of an RP universe or something... but it was only one.
spoiler:What she said was that he's into incest - his sister in particular. ^^ I'm not /totally/ sure it's true, but if it is, it's time I pay that person a visit...
I will start playing it again, though, after I finish Valkyrie Profile. I have a CD with melodies that sounds remarkably like the music in WA2 (which I actually like, contrary to so many other opinions I've seen), and it's made me really want to finish the game...
Ja mata.
Amber Michelle
Insane Master Summoner
Art by Midori Tachibana and Amori.
Posts: 500
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| Registered: Tue 25 Jul 2000 2:55 | |
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| | | "Re(5):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 29 Jun 07:05 AM | Message #2519
Replied to #2517 |
Ahhh, the infamous "incest theory." That whole premise is based off of a scene near the end the game. Irving and Altaecia have a bunch of dialogue (won't spoil it for you), and then the scene blacks out. I personally never read it as incest, but looking back on it, I can reluctantly see where the idea may have originated. So, IMO, it's totally up to the viewer to interpret.
Myaru, if that's the only Irving "spoiler" you have, you still have all of Disc 2's plot twists intact and waiting for you. :-)
(Valkyrie Profile, eh? I have good intentions of getting back to that... I'm at the beginning of Chapter 7...)
Posts: 58
| Location: Midwestern USA
| Registered: Thu 31 Aug 2000 12:43 | |
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| | | "Re(6):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 29 Jun 07:18 AM | Message #2520
Replied to #2519 |
Actually that theory got some merit, since it's very similar to a scene after Ashley and his girl friend... (well, at least the text after the black out) ^_^
spoiler:And how "close" is "closest" is really a question... 
And VP is really a great game, you should really finish it, then get the real ending... but then I got a question here for anyone who played through the game:
spoiler:What's the real relation between Lenneth and Plantina? Is Lenneth the reincarnation of Plantina? And is Hrist got destroyed or just sealed up?
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Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Hail to Cthulhu Incarnate! Dark One Reborn! Master of the Throne of the Deep! Lord of Shayol Ghul! Essence of Yin!
Devil's in His Hell. All's too bad with the world.
Posts: 349
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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| | |  "Re(7):Wild ARMs 2"
, Fri 29 Jun 08:58 AM | Message #2522
Replied to #2520 |
WA2, no real spoilers: Well, like I said, it all depends on how you interpret it. I just took it to be emotionally "close", since Irv seemed to be so preoccupied with ARMS that Altaecia never got to see him any more (save for serving tea during meetings ^_^). Or maybe I just don't have a mind for spotting incest, I dunno. ^_~
VP: Actually, the chapter 7 save is for my "real game." On another file, I skipped over all the gameplay of 7 and 8 to get to the ending sequences. In short, I've seen most of the game, save for the actual ending and final battle (since, skipping all those dungeons, my levels are far too low to actually finish the game. ^_^) Anyway, I think I can answer some of this...
*VALKYRIE PROFILE SPOILERS!*
Lenneth and Platina, what I know mixed with some theory:
From what I understand, since the Valkyrie is needed to collect souls only in times of war/turmoil, the rest of the time Lenneth's essence (equivalent of the human soul) is within a human body. (Say that whenever a human is born, it receives its soul, and when it dies its soul is released. Lenneth's essence is just treated the same way as a soul.) Since human bodies last only so long, Lenneth has likely been in human form before; her life as Platina was the most recent and with the deepest connection to Midgard. So, Lenneth and Platina had the same soul; I wouldn't call Lenneth a reincarnation of Platina, though--Lenneth was the original being, who existed as a human named Platina for a time.
As for the other two aspects of the Valkyrie, Silmeria's essence has been trapped by Brahms for an unknown length of time, and I really don't know about Hrist. (Idle speculation: Maybe the three aspects correspond to the three main races [humans, the undead, and the gods]? Lenneth takes human form, Silmeria was taken by the lord of the undead, maybe Hrist stays in non-materialized spirit form in Asgard? Or maybe she takes human form, like Lenneth? If so, then Silmeria, too? All sorts of interesting fanfiction potential...)
I'm not sure on Hrist's fate, either. Offhand, I'd guess she was sealed again, but don't take that as fact.
Posts: 59
| Location: Midwestern USA
| Registered: Thu 31 Aug 2000 12:43 | |
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| | | "Re(8):Wild ARMs 2" , Sat 30 Jun 10:58 AM | Message #2525
Replied to #2522 |
Let's see.
---Way too many spoilers ahead---
Platina had Lenneth's soul (Gods are souls in VP) in her body, and when called by Odin, commited suicide with the Lilly's pollen, leaving Lucian shocked.
Now why does the game advance around 10 years? oh well...
Next I know, Brahms is helding Silmeria hostage since the times of his battle with Hrist, but does not harm her because it wouldn't be honorable.
And Hrist seems like the severe Holy punishment; no mercy for Midgard inhabitants, they are slaves. She even destroyed Barbarrosa's kingdom just to prove a point: Don't try to be like Gods. I guess that's why Lezard helps in your battle against her(together with the Lenneth factor, heheh), as Lezard wanted to be like a God as well.
Is Hrist the Death Goddess, like a lot of people called Lenneth? Is Silmeria compassion, and Lenneth the warrior? that's my vision.
There is also the fact that several members of Lenneth's einhenjar seem to have lived other lives,and battled against Brahms together with Hrist. Arngrind prefers not to know, because "whatever it was, it doesn't have to do anything with what I'm now". So there is reencarnation in VP.
And last, yes, so Platina was Lenneth, and Lenneth has her memory erased by some seal Freya and Odin used on her. The seal breaks, and Lenneth is replaced by Hrist... and the story goes on...
Never the end. We shall prevail. Forever!
Posts: 513
| Location: Santiago de Chile
| Registered: Fri 20 Apr 2001 19:29 | |
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| | | "Re(8):Wild ARMs 2" , Sat 30 Jun 03:28 AM | Message #2523
Replied to #2522 |
Well, considering that the person I heard this from is also a yaoi fan... most of which seem to favor unlikely pairings (although to be fair, some do stay IC)... Eh, like I said, I wasn't /sure/... But sheesh, really...
Besides, some fangirlish pat of me says that if he must be taken, let it not be by his sister of all people. ^.^; That's a little much for me to swallow.
As for VP... I'm stuck in the Tombs of Amenti, because I got tired of trying to land on those stupid triangle platforms... that's /so/ annoying. ><; But I read the manga, and unfortunately... it doesn't mention much about Hrist at all. She's there, but not like I saw her in the game -- at least not yet. I hope I'll be of more help later. Assuming I succeed in getting through this dungeon. I want the second flame gem at the very least...
Ja mata.
Amber Michelle
Insane Master Summoner
Art by Midori Tachibana and Amori.
Posts: 509
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| Registered: Tue 25 Jul 2000 2:55 | |
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| | | "Re(5):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 29 Jun 06:46 AM | Message #2518
Replied to #2517 |
no, that's not a spoiler, and what she said is not exactly true :)
And the music in WA2 are simply fabulous, where did you see anyone think otherwise?
-------------------
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Hail to Cthulhu Incarnate! Dark One Reborn! Master of the Throne of the Deep! Lord of Shayol Ghul! Essence of Yin!
Devil's in His Hell. All's too bad with the world.
Posts: 345
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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| | | "Re(2):Wild ARMs 2" , Thu 31 May 07:35 PM | Message #2431
Replied to #2427 |
I'm surprised you don't think the loading time of the battles are too long? I think compared to the battle-loading time, all other problems are really minor ones. does WA2 load battles fast on your system? For me I counted with a stop watch and each battle can take as long as twenty seconds to half a minute to load. I always wondered if it's only my system, but I know a lot of others have the same complaints.
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Posts: 175
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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| | | "Re(3):Wild ARMs 2" , Fri 1 Jun 05:16 AM : | Message #2434
Reply Edited |
Actually, I've never paid attention to the loading time in WA2... I guess it didn't stand out as much of a problem for me; off-hand, about the only game where I have a problem with the loading time is FF6 in the FF Anthology... Blech. ¬_¬ At least with WA2 there's something to hear and see, not just a black screen for a few seconds. But, no, I've never paid attention to WA2's load time; I can't imagine it takes 20 seconds on my system. I could check...
Edit: Ok, I just checked. I couldn't find a stopwatch or anything, so I had to count (a fairly fast "one one-thousand, two one-thousand," etc.) From the moment the battle sequence is triggered (screen breaks away) to when the first commands can be put in, I counted nine to ten seconds. ^_^ Maybe it's just those few systems? Hmm...
[this message was edited by Shades on Fri 1 Jun 05:28 AM]
Posts: 54
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| Registered: Thu 31 Aug 2000 12:43 | |
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| | "Re(1):Wild ARMs 2" , Wed 30 May 11:19 AM | Message #2419
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It's an okay game, and certainly better than the first game (with the disappointing exception of the music- the soundtrack for the first game was wonderful), but I wouldn't rate it as over slightly-above-average. I didn't enjoy the first installment of the series very much, and this one was somewhat better... but nowhere near great. In my opinion, puzzles coupled with random encounters are the worst idea in the world (I didn't like Xeno's action/random encounters scheme any better, but the story was immesurably better so it almost made up for it).
I would suggest you try out Valkyrie Profile instead, or maybe Lunar.... there are quite a few RPGs out there better than the Wild ARMs series.
Posts: 19
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| Registered: Fri 27 Oct 2000 12:6 | |
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| | | "Re(2):Wild ARMs 2" , Wed 30 May 06:30 PM | Message #2420
Replied to #2418 |
This is my post about Wild Arms on another site, copy and paste, copy and paste...
Wild Arms 2, IMHO, is one of the best RPGs I have ever played. It got great story IMHO, very deep characters and a great ending (though you who expect an FMV will be deeply disappointed, while I just like game-engine endings ;).
However, there are two VERY serious problems related to this game:
1) the battle graphics is just lame. it's even more obvious when compared to the great terrain graphics.
2) This is a criticl one : The loading time for battles is simply hideous, I'd say it's a conspiracy, it's almost unbearably long, or maybe just my system (it loads other games quite fast). Each battle loading takes more than 20 seconds! Later part of the game I found myself skipping ALL battles except the unavoidable ones...
But if you can put up with the battle-related problems it's really great in a lot of areas
1) Great unorthodox story. Yes it's still about saving the world, but now the focus is more on much smaller matters.
2) Great characters and each and every one got in-depth story-wise development, unlike recent FF games where the story practically focused on only one or two of the characters.
3) Varied game system, each one got his/her own way of level up skills, and has distinctively different abilities.
4) Stunning terrain/town/dungeon graphics. Most time it's really good, and sometimes it's better than Vagrant Story!
5) Great puzzles. okay, some puzzle may be too hard for me so I have to consult the guide, but they are all really cleverly designed and satisfying to solve.
AND, 6) a good romance story! I think everyone here should know I hate love stories, especially fairy-tale kind of things. I even not really like (but of course as dislike) the love story in Xenogears. But this one got a really natural and non-intrusive and nice love story that I really almost like it (almost ;)
Oh, I should add that I think WA2 is better than Xenogears for me. Well, maybe just for me... :)
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
- John Milton Paradise Lost
Posts: 162
| Location: Dark Worlds
| Registered: Thu 3 Aug 2000 23:44 | |
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