Wild Arms Alter Code: F Impressions

Sony Computer Entertainment's Wild Arms Alter Code: F was not playable at Tokyo Game Show 2003, even though the game is scheduled for release only two months from now. Instead, the company showed a promotional movie for the game at its booth. You can find this movie in the Wild Arms Alter Code F media section on GameSpot. The game's graphics are evidently more detailed than those of Wild Arms 3. The artistic style in the new game seems to have moved away from presenting characters as "super-deformed" (short characters with exaggerated feet, hands, and faces), and instead has taller characters than those featured in Wild Arms 3.

Sony has confirmed that Alter Code: F will use some of the gameplay mechanics from Wild Arms 3, such as the "crossfire sequence system" used in the battle screen, in which characters run around continuously. The game still has random enemy encounters, which can be avoided to a certain extent by using the migrant meter system. Alter Code: F will be adopting character voices for the first time in the series, but no samples were available for hearing at the show. The series' music composer Michiko Naruke will once again be handling the music. While her art style seems to have changed a bit since Wild Arms 3 and her manga based off the series, illustrator Wakako Ooba will be handling the artwork again as well.

Wild Arms Alter Code: F is scheduled for release on November 27 in Japan at the retail price of 6,800 Yen. There was no new information released on Wild Arms- Another Code: F during the show.