The first two games in the Wild Arms series garnered attention and acclaim as they brought classic console role-playing to the original PlayStation. Though crafted in the same story-telling spirit, Wild Arms 3 (titled Wild Arms Advanced 3rd in Japan) boasts major technological improvements and a number of new gameplay elements. Featuring "stroke-shaded" animation-style graphics, a "Wild West" setting, and a completely 3D game engine (not just for battles, as in the previous games), Wild Arms 3 is designed to make good use of the power of the PlayStation 2.
Wild Arms 3 features four main characters and takes the time to let players become acquainted with each of them. The "drifters" Virginia, Gallows, Jet, and Clive are four very different adventurers whose paths intertwine toward a shared destiny. Though each has his or her own personal motivations, all four seek an explanation for why the once-verdant lands of Filgaia have become dry and barren. Differences must be overcome and the characters must act in harmony if they are to truly understand the ancient mystical forces at work.
The game takes place on a version of the planet Filgaia that is desertic to the point of having even its seas made of sand; supposedly the result of an ancient war. Four adventurers, known as 'Drifters', find themselves chosen to wield the power of the planet's spiritual protectors, The Guardians, to stop a prophesied but unknown menace to their world. As they adventure together, they are opposed by other drifter teams, from a trio of fanatical scientists called The Prophets, and from the "Demons" of Filgaian legend, eventually making startling discoveries about their world's true history, and their personal connections to it.
As the drifters move through the desolate land of Filgaia, they are challenged with a number of mysteries to solve and barriers to overcome. The different special abilities of each character must be used to solve different parts of the game's complex puzzles. A technique dubbed "expressive communication" is designed to allow players to quickly gauge the moods and emotions of the onscreen characters. Monsters, villains, and other horrible creatures stand between the drifters and their destinations as well. The Wild Arms 3 turn-based battle system is designed to offer players an intricate level of control, allowing tactics that make wise use of the various powers and weaponry of the drifters while presenting combat with cinematic flair.
CHARACTERS:
- Virginia Maxwell is an 18-year-old drifter who is searching for her long-lost father, whom she believes to still be alive. It is her life's wish to know and live the "Drifter" life, as her father did. Her ARMS are two revolvers given to her by him.
- Gallows Carradine is a 24-year-old Baskar native seemingly intent on escaping his hometown and priest bloodline by working as a low-rent Drifter bandit of some sort. His grandmother, Halle, gives the party hints and direction throughout the game, while disparaging her "useless" grandson. Gallows' younger brother Shane is a dream-seer for the tribe, and his predictions are known to always come true, his latest vision was of a "Blue Menace" who would seek to destroy Filgaia, eventually revealed to be Siegfried. His ARM is a sawed-off shotgun, and the only of the four main characters' weapons that is never discussed in the plot.
- Clive Winslett is a 30-year-old cool-headed bounty-hunter with a soft spot for his family, consisting of his wife, Katherine, and their young daughter, Kaitlyn. Clive is tormented by an event in his past in which his mentor, Professor Berlitz, was killed during an excursion to delve into the mystery of Filgaia's past. Berlitz sacrificed himself to save Clive, whom his daughter Katherine was engaged. Clive's ARM is a sniper rifle, which was one of many inventions developed by his mentor.
- Jet Enduro is a cold-blooded boy who suffers from amnesia and who lets nothing get in his way. It is learned at Leyline Observatory that Jet's original name was "Adam Kadmon" (which refers to "Primal Man" in Kabbalah), as stated by Werner Maxwell. His ARM is a machine gun, and unknown to Jet, it was designed to be usable only by him. He has a connection to Virginia's father
MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION:
...A great mix of classic RPG elements with a wild west storyline." - PSM
Desolate wastelands and eroded memories are the remains of a dying world. Sparse settlements provide protection from the harsh enviroments. Few dare to roam beyond the town's boundaries. The ones that do are proclaimed 'Drifters'. The ones that survive are heralded as legendary.
Intense battle sequences amplified by dynamic camera angles
An epic tale filled with six-shooters and mystical spells
Summon ancient all-powerful guardian powers
Explore dungeons littered with traps and complex puzzles
FEATURES:
- Third & First person perspectives.
- 3D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- SCIFI, Wild West & Anime themes.
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