Developer Media.Vision, this time with the help of fellow developer Contrail, are back in the saddle again! Bringing us the 2nd Ignition in the Wild ARMs series, released for the PS1 in the year 2000, this is Wild ARMs 2.
Once again we find ourselves in the world of Filgaia with ominous forces hoping to unleash an evil upon the world, heroes in the wrong place at the right time, and plot twists you'll see coming from a mile away but never ruining the enjoyment in the moment. Filgaia is still the barren, decaying, wasteland it was in the first game but, that's where the similarities end. In fact, it's not even certain this is the same Filgaia from this games predecessor. Where this game excels at being a true sequel is it's ability to stick to the Sci-Fi, Fantasy motif with that sweet Western frosting on the surface.
The graphics of this one are just a touch disappointing considering the game was released a full 3 years after Wild Arms. Just like the original the design is 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds during overworld travel and full 3D during battles. Don't get me wrong, it's my favorite in this series but even when I first played it back in the day I was hoping for a bit more. The soundtrack however did not disappoint one bit. Michiko Naruke, who composed the soundtrack on the first game, is back on board for this one and it sounds just as catchy.
In Wild ARMs 2 you will experience much the same as you did with the previous game in the series only everything is doubled. Double the playable characters, double the ARMs users, double the DISCs, double your pleasure, double your fun, double mint gum! In this Filgaia ARMs are not taboo weapons. Both the mercenary for hire, Ashley, and the former hero turned prisoner Brad, use there ARMs openly. With the help of the crest sorceress in training, Lilika, they will recruit 3 more members into their Agile Remote Mission Squad to stop the terrorist organization Odessa from destroying their beloved Filgaia. Discovering what it really means to be hero along the way.
Released on the PS1 mere months before the debut of the Playstation 2. This game was valiant effort to give Sony's first console one last hurrah before the world of 128-bit was open to the Media.Vision team. A great addition to the series, many would say the best, Wild ARMs 2 is surely a treasure among Playstation's vast library of hits.