Skies Of Arcadia starts off in a way that could be considered cliché. The main plot elements hover around the tried and true formula. An outlaw hero with a heart of gold, crystals of unknown origin with fantastic powers, and floating islands. And if SOA has stayed with this traditional plot, it would have been a good game. But about half way through the first disc, its take a tremendous twist for the better. Merge the innovative scenario with a cast of truly likeable heroes and truly detestable villains and you have the workings of a modern day classic.
Skies Of Arcadia also manages to work in some unique systems never before seen in RPG's. One of these is the discovery system, which actually pays you to explore the rich, expansive environment. When was the last time you actually viewed an RPG overworld as something to explore instead of a required area to progress to the next dungeon? SOA does this and allows you to sell your discoveries to local adventure guilds.
Combat is divided into two types. The Hand-to-Hand Combat is executed using a central "pool" of a spirit meter. This means there are no worries about conserving Magic Points, as each action is dependent on what move you executed. This eliminates "Saving up" for boss battles and gives the player a true sense of controlling the flow of each battle.
Ship-to-Ship battles (See !?! Flying Ships = great RPG's!) use a more strategic battle system, which is not quite as inventive or in-depth as the melee system, but does a fine job of accenting the differences in commanding a Galleon and simply swinging a sword.
The graphics of SOA are wonderful, they take everything that the Dreamcast has always promised an RPG could be and put it into action. While not one specific area of the graphics stand out, the total feel is of extremly high quality. If you needed another reason to pick up a Dreamcast, this is it. Skies Of Arcadia has the indefinable something that holds a good RPG together and takes it to the next level.
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