Enchanted Arms: Not So Enchanting

I waited for the release of Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 because I previously thought that there was going to be major improvements over the Xbox 360 version that had been released last year. Enchanted Arms is the first turn-based combat role-playing game to reach the Playstation 3.

Overall, it remains much like the Xbox 360 version, except it lacks online multiplayer altogether. However, the usage of the Sixaxis controls brings some cool moves to Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3.

Storyline

Welcome to Enchanted Arms. This is a world in which humans have control of magical puppets known as golems to do their bidding. Over a thousand years ago, there was a major uprising that was caused by some “devil golems” that appeared and instilled the seed of rebellion amongst the golem population. Humans eventually won the day in that war but…

You are Atsuma, one of the students at the Enchant University and a future Enchanter. Golems are once again performing their duties under human control. There’s even a debate that over whether or not the devil golem rebellion even happened. When Atsuma and some of his friends cut class to have fun during the Yokohama Founding Festival, they learn that devil golems are back once again as a major threat to the entire universe. It’s up to you to save the day!

Gameplay

Like most role-playing games, Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 offers a career mode, in which the story of Atsuma is developed and the battle goes under way. People will continue to join Atsuma’s quest as the storyline progresses. Every character will be able to level up and learn new skills. Players will be able to form a battle squad of four people.

The turn-based combat takes place on two side-by-side 4X3 grids. You’ll be facing off against your enemies on separate grids. This grid system forces players to think strategically as to where to place key units in battle and to consider every unit’s battle modes (melee or ranged, for example). Players will be able to unlock over 100 golems to use in battle. These golems will have different abilities. Players will also be able to create custom golems by gathering cores found in the environment, in battle, or in shops around the world.

Even with this wide selection however, the combat quickly becomes dull and repetitive. There’s a very “Pokemon-ish” feel to Enchanted Arms; players will be encountering a never-ending stream of random battles while out on the field. Enchanted Arms even provides the option of letting the computer simulate the fights while you sit back and watch, which seems to me like the developers knew the combat was going to be boring after excessive play.

The overall environments are fairly empty. You won’t find many structures and objects in the environment throughout the entire journey. Furthermore, the cut-scenes are terribly directed. In-game characters have stereotypical roles (which is a toss-up based on individual preference), and the voice acting isn’t so great either. Let’s not even talk about the script; the conversational exchanges between in-game characters are terrible and lack any flavor whatsoever. The instructions for performing simple actions are overly complicated when a simple sentence will do; for example, there’s a whole page on how to climb a ladder.

Replay Value

Even though Enchanted Arms presents barely decent gameplay, players will definitely keep going with the game for a while simply because there are more golems to unlock. Every golem is unique in a way, whether in physical appearance or combat ability. I continued playing for over two days even after I had pretty much finished the story because I wanted to see what funny golems I could create.

After that though, there’s really not much reason to play anymore. By the end of the game, you’ll be fairly efficient with the strategy involved when playing against the AI. Players won’t find anything new or exciting after “beating” the game.

Graphics

Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 features colorful animations that have plenty of special effects. The texture quality is clear and character details are acceptable. The graphics give a clean and polished feel, definitely worthy of the Playstation 3.

Sound

The music differs from area to area and between combat modes. After a while though, I just turned off the background music because it was just so annoying. The music has good quality, but just feels too redundant after several hours of play time.

My recommendation: Play your favorite album in the background to relax or grab yourself a book to read while the AI finishes the simulation of the combat.

Controls

The controls for Enchanted Arms are definitely something to get excited about. If you’re thinking about motion sensory, then think Playstation 3 Sixaxis. Players can shake the controller to make Atsuma perform a special move after filling an attack meter. This move is actually quite cool, adding an extra 20% damage to the attack. Players can also wave the controller to get Atsuma to use his grappling hook when competing in some mini-games (like a pizza-eating contest).

I found the Sixaxis controls easy and fun to use. The sensory is quite good and not very complicated; overall motion detection was fairly accurate.

Online Multiplayer

Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 was a major disappointment for RPG fans looking to battle it out online. With no online multiplayer whatsoever, players won’t get to enjoy features like the leaderboards for the battles and the title’s casino games that are available for the same title on the Xbox 360 console.

Final Thoughts

Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 is fairly similar to its Xbox 360 version, except it has no online multiplayer options and has the extra Sixaxis controls as compensation. The overall gameplay is expansive, but turns redundant after a while. Enchanted Arms for the Playstation 3 is a must buy for hardcore RPG fans looking for something interesting (customizing own golems), but buyers should consider getting the Xbox 360 version if they can.