Enchanted Arms is the best Japanese RPG on next-gen consoles, but that’s because it’s the only one. The colorful adventure is typical in just about every imaginable way, and while the battle system has a hint of originality, it’s all blown to bits by the random nature of the grid system.
Enchanted Arms
FromSoftware · Aug 29, 2006
About
The Xbox 360's first Japanese RPG places you in the control of Atsuma, who early in his adventure manages to inadvertently open a seal which revives the fierce Devil Golem. You'll make use of Golem support characters as you work through the game's strategic battle system. The game has over 100 Golems which can be assembled using ingredient items. Characters can be customized using the "SP" experience points that you gain in battle. As the story develops, players face increasingly difficult challenges and learn to master Atsuma's special fighting and magical abilities.
Trailers & screenshots
Scores by platform
7.0
Critic reviews
- 7.0Enchanted Arms is a decent RPG that – while filled with repetition and scavenger hunt annoyances – has reached a higher level of quality than any other first-gen RPG released for PSone, PS2, GameCube, or the original Xbox. (First-gen are the games released within the first 6-8 months of a console’s release.) Its flaws prevent it from being recommended as a purchase, but anyone who enjoys RPGs is encouraged to play it. The game is just as strange and flashy as it looks – but among that weirdness is a game that’s pretty darn fun.
- 6.5Enchanted Arms is a slightly above-average RPG at best. Yes, it's the first role-player to feature traditional turn-based combat on the PS3, but there are so many shortcomings to the actual game that I can only recommend the $60 investment to the hardest of hardcore RPG fans. There's nothing here that stands out. You've done it all before.
- 6.2Overall, Enchanted Arms is a decent RPG experience, especially for those gamers looking for their role-playing fix on the PlayStation 3. If you've already played the game on the Xbox 360, there isn't much more here for you. The thirty new Golems and the Sixaxis support don't really offset the loss of online play. However, if you're just looking for an RPG to pass the time, you could do worse than Enchanted Arms.
- 7.0It's a fine balancing act Enchanted Arms pulls off: removing frustrations, spicing the JRPG recipe with just enough depth, tinkering and collecting to keep you constantly engaged, but not so much that it stops being what a JRPG should be, the videogame equivalent of comfort food.
- 7.0The biggest disappoint is how pitiful the narrative is. If anything, the story should be at the front lines of every RPG, but unfortunately these days, that's not the case. If you can get around its archetypal characters and unoriginal, yet functional, mechanics, Enchanted Arms can make a nice addition to your JRPG-less Xbox 360 library.
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