Wild Arms Alter Code: F brings back the charm and the quaint feel of that world of the original game
Gameplay : 8/10: Pretty much the same as the original except that you now have to use the Search Function like the previous 2 Wild Arms to find places on the map. If you ask me, the Search Function is pretty much useless seeing as places you need to go to next will be marked on the map.
Graphics : 7/10 : I'd have to call this graphics engine fairly ugly overall. This late in the PS2's career, I've come to expect better, even when the game doesn't opt for cel-shading (which creates a bit more vibrancy overall). I felt the spell effects were probably the best representation of the graphics engine, and even those weren't what I'd consider great. When you take everything as a whole, you'll see a few things you really like, and a lot of things that are just so-so. In the end, you wind up with a graphical presentation that gets the job done without doing anything to really impress you.
Storyline : 8/10 : It's time for a history lesson about Filgaia:
The Great War against the Demons that took place 1'000 years ago on Filgaia had drained the planet much of it's energy. After many treacherous battles, the Demons were finally defeated and the Guardians that protected Filgaia had disappeared alongside with the Elws who were very advanced with their technology. Mankind struggled for survival as Filgaia has been greatly damaged during the war and has begun to wither and dry out. Left behind by the Demons is an ultimate power called "ARMs" which was believed to be the cause of Filgaia's destruction. However, not everyone is able to use them.
About 998-1,000 years later, the Demons had returned and are now seeking for the powers of the Golems in order to conquer all of Filgaia. A young boy capable of wielding an ARM must now travel the world with friends in order to seek aid from the Guardians that were said to have disappeared forever according to legend.
Sound : 9/10 : Some were better, some were worse. It all depends on your style of music but I'd say that most of the musics on this game have been greatly improved from the original but to be honest, some on the original were far better than the ones that replaced them.
Battle System : 7/10 : It's the same as Wild Arms 3 but you can control up to 6 characters in battle. At least they made Rudy lose the sword and gave him the ability to use his ARM for normal attacks and not only his specialties.
Rent or Buy : What do you think? BUY!! It's worth the money and plus you can get a bonus CD (Limited Edition I believe) which contains the first episode of the anime series "Wild Arms: Twilight Venom" called "Sleeping Dirty".
Final Comments: Overall, I give this game a 9/10 because it nearly has the same feel as the original plus, a few bonuses which makes it even better. You can now get Ex. File Keys just like Wild Arms 3 (Except you can get even more) which will give you bonuses when you start a new game. Anyway, I will end my review here.