Where the Hell is Wild Arms?
For all intents and purposes, the PS1 managed to carry the RPG haven mantle that first originated with the SNES. In the PS1 era, we have seen many RPG games spring beside the more famous names. Or rather, besides Final Fantasy.
Naturally, the volume of JRPGs released meant few could stand out, especially when the rigid confines of the genre showed signs of stagnation.
Enter the Wild Arms series, which managed to stand out from the rest of the pack with its unique setting. While other RPGs usually feature a high fantasy setting, or even a more modern one, the Wild Arms series chose to be influenced by the Wild West and Spaghetti Westerns while maintaining the Japanese roots of the genre.
With its combination of quality gameplay, interesting puzzles, unique Wild West setting, and excellent soundtracks, the Wild Arms games managed to hang on with the RPG giants for a while. Even reaching the milestone of securing an anime series at one point.
Yet, the series couldn’t keep consistent interest, and releasing a final game on the PSP in 2007.
Just what the Hell happened here?
The Wild Arms series consists of five numbered JRPGs, and the final PSP game which is a big departure from the rest. It has been created by Media.Vision, and largely overseen by producer Akifumi Kaneko from its inception.
All games were released exclusively on Sony platforms, which makes sense as the series started with direct Sony support. It was part of the early aggressive effort to build the PlayStation library. This relationship apparently stopped with the fourth game, where Sony Entertainment no longer assumed publishing duties, but it looks like they still retain the rights to the franchise in some capacity.
A) The Main Series:
While sharing the name of the world, Filgaia, all numbered games are unrelated to each other. Elements of the series, such as guns, robots, and the Wild West desert theme are present in each game, but to different degrees.
All critical ratings are from Gameranking.com, and commercial performance is based on some research by me.
1- Wild Arms:
The first Wild Arms game was in fact one of the first RPG games on the PS1, and it benefited greatly from being released before the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII. As such, it managed to avoid direct comparisons and be judged purely on its merits.
While Wild Arms is not known for its engaging or deep battle system, it tried to engage players out of battle as well. With the introduction of dungeon puzzles, which are navigated through tools specific to each character, Wild Arms managed to become more engaging than the average JRPG out of battle.
Combining late SNES era sprites outside of battle and blocky 3D polygons in battle, the first game’s major innovation to the genre was in its excellent Anime opening sequence that became a staple of the series, along with an excellent soundtrack. The opening gave a distinctive style to the world that the soundtrack by Michiko Naruke further cemented as you explored it.
In all of this, the game tells a story about how technology evolves to both help humanity, as well as being capable of destroying it. The theme of environmentalism started with this game, but the focus is mostly on the silent protagonist brandishing a forbidden weapon, and his companions as they fight both gods and men.
2- Wild Arms 2:
The second Wild Arms game might be one of the most ill-treated games on the PS1. Being released after the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, the game was criticized from the beginning for not being like them. For having blockier graphics than FFVIII, and for simply not being another Square RPG. The current view of the game is much more positive than contemporary reviews.
Personally, I consider this the best game in the franchise, and a better game than FFVIII. Featuring an excellent cast of characters, and a story that manages to be interesting throughout, the game delivers in both plot and gameplay. While I don't remember much of the plot of games I played 16 years ago, Wild Arms 2 had many memorable scenes that I not only enjoyed while playing the game but influenced how I viewed game plots in the future as well.
While the turn-based battles are nothing major, the game continues using the puzzle-base dungeons of the first game to a great effect, helped by a less annoying random encounter rate. It also improves on the graphics of the first game and has one of the best soundtracks of the PS1 era. One element that is best consigned to the past though is its terrible localization.
3- Wild Arms 3:
I didn't appreciate Wild Arms 3 enough when I first played it in my early teenage years. While I enjoyed and completed it, I found the game lacking in many ways. First, I disliked the fact that the main protagonist, Virginia, was female. Second, I hated that there were only four playable characters in the game . Finally, I didn't dig the cartoony cell-shaded look.
Today, I recognize those "flaws" as the game's most pronounced strengths. Virginia Maxwell is by far the best Wild Arms main character, with realistic development and a human side that we manage to empathize with as we continue the journey with her. As for the rest of the party, they were fixed from the start as four, and that led to an in-depth exploration of each character, granting the party a better way to develop. Finally, the cell shading was excellent, and it fit well with the desert world of Filgaia and aged beautifully with time.
Years after the fact, I recognize Wild Arms 3 as one of the best RPGs on the PS2, a system not wanting in that genre. As the final Wild Arms game following the classic style, it was a huge send-off to old-school JRPG gameplay and the franchise’s puzzles.
Of particular note though is the final boss, which is annoying as hell. It doesn't have two, three, or even four final forms. It's a battle featuring nine damned forms to fight through before you manage to see the end credits.
4- Wild Arms 4:
The fourth game is where the series shifted the most. Not only did the game significantly change its traditional battle system and dungeon puzzles, but also changed composers midway due to health reason (hence sound style) and adopted a more modern look than the Wild West style the series is famed for. Not to mention the fact that this is the moment Sony stepped out of publishing duties for North America altogether.
Obviously, the scale of these changes surprised and antagonized the already limited fan base. I cannot understand why Media.Vision didn't just try to implement these changes more gradually, because through Wild Arms 4, they couldn't carry with the continuity that might have happened after the well-received Wild Arms 3.
However, while the changes were jarring, this wasn't a bad JRPG. In fact, the confusing HEX battle system is fun once you get the hang of it, and different enough if you are fatigued from turn-based battles. Ironically, if the game didn't attempt to change so much so fast, this could have been a welcome change to the formula. Instead, it was treated as an aggressive side-way step that disregarded the series's identity.
5- Wild Arms 5:
Wild Arms 5 sees the series back to its Wild West roots, while also showcasing all the playable characters from the past games in elaborate cameos to celebrate the series's 10-year anniversary. Since this is the last mainline Wild Arms game to be released, this was one bitter-sweet send-off.
Directly building on the mechanics of Wild Arms 4, the game features a better HEX battle system and a game environment that is fully scaled. This means there isn't any overworld, as the game's locations are connected as if in one big dungeon. Ultimately, this marks the final departure of the series from its old school RPG roots, which many PS2 JRPG were trying to modernize anyways.
Still, Wild Arms 5 is a pretty solid game, with the added bonus of meeting your past favorite characters.
B) Other Titles:
These are basically the two games that are not numbered in the series
1- Wild Arms Alter Code: F:
Remasters and remakes were less common back in the PS2 era, but there were still many examples of both. Alter Code: F, is a complete remake of the first Wild Arms game, transforming that game's chunky PS1 graphics to the low res 3D models of the PS2, as well as expanding the story.
This is the definitive version of the first game, as it faithfully updates the graphics while retaining both gameplay and story elements. It makes me wish Wild Arms 2 had such a treatment. At least, that is what it would have been if not for a terrible localization effort and a myriad of technical issues. Still, these faults don’t detracts from what is ostensibly a brilliant remake that may have the best Michiko Naruke soundtrack.
Ironically, despite y praise for the game, it might be a central reason why Media.Vision tried to shake up the series after it. Managing to barely sell 100K units, I doubt the game managed to justify the cost of the remake. Also, it must have sent signs to Sony that the West is simply not that interested in JRPGs and hence this was the final Wild Arms (and maybe JRPG?) game published by SCE.
2- Wild Arms XF:
When a console series releases a portable game, there is an inclination to change the genre of the series in the process. On the PSP, Wild Arms became an SRPG.
It's worth noting that Wild Arms FX is very much a Wild Arms game in terms of story, setting, and style. Ironically, even though the gameplay is widely different, FX manages to pay tribute to the HEX battle system of 4 and 5 by having HEX tiles instead of squares.
Of course, being a spinoff of a not-so-popular game on a not-so-popular console, the game didn't particularly light the world on fire. Although it was a decent enough SRPG.
When analyzing why any series dies, the most obvious answer would be a financial decline. Sometimes, that decline is related to the series itself, or it is related to the developers and/or publishers of the series. Still, it is always interesting to research those exact trends and learn the reasons behind such a decline. In many ways, we wish the gaming industry would do this to learn lessons, but I am not sure that they do.
Lukewarm Commercial Reception:
The Wild Arms series was never a huge seller. Only the first game managed to reach the million units mark, and barely at that. From that point, the series didn't experience a true downward trend, but rather a normalizing in the 500K units line. We could assume that another Wild Arms game will sell around that number at best unless it somehow accidentally catches a drift on the public zeitgeist.
For a series that is known for reusing assets, and not investing much in production values, we can conclude that Media.Vision probably managed to bring a little profit with what little sales they had.
Consequently, with the number of units being normalized at 500K, what matters more is the budget of each game. At 400K units, and with a game price of 60$, a break-even budget would be about 9 Million Dollars. If making a game exceeds that amount, then publishers will start losing money. And this is without considering declining game prices, and the MMRI.
Increased Production Costs with the PS3:
The PS3 simply killed the mid-tier Japanese developer, or pushed them all to portables and mobile. After Wild Arms 5 on the PS2, Media.Vision developed 11 games, and only one of them was on the PS3. The complicated demands of the system, as well as the sudden jump to HD, both contributed to significantly increasing the development cost of games. For the Wild Arms series, it simply did not become feasible to make a JRPG game with less than a 9 Million budget, especially as the 2008 financial crisis started wrecking lives.
For Wild Arms to be successful, it would have needed to break that 1 Million barrier at least, and the history of the franchise meant there was serious doubt in it being able to do so. Other avenues such as portables and Nintendo consoles wouldn't have worked, as the series became synonymous with the PS brand, and the PSP wasn't such a big hit.
Sony Abandoning the Franchise:
That the PS3 basically killed a lot of mid-tier franchises was indirectly Sony’s fault, with the abandonment of many of their franchises as they confusingly aimed west being a direct insult to their longtime fans. Wild Arms joins a list of franchises like Crash and Legend of Legaia that were inexplicably left to die (Crash will be featured in this series one day). Even before the PS2, Sony showed a reluctance to support their JRPG series. In fact, with their removal of any support from Wild Arms, Sony showed they did not care about supporting the genre themselves.
Today, Sony still owns the franchise, and with the development costs going down with the PS4 as well as a resurgence in the JRPG market, a Wild Arms game can make sense. Except, this is another franchise that Sony probably forgot they own.
If a series doesn't deserve to "live" then we wouldn't be upset when it stops. This is not the case with Wild Arms, a franchise that I still think can offer gamers a unique JRPG experience. Here is why I think it should be resurrected.
Unique Setting in the RPG Genre:
There aren't many games with a Wild West setting, and the RPG genre itself seems the least suitable for that setting. Yet, Wild Arms managed to own that setting, and in the process became the only RPG where we can see characters that would feel at home in a Clint Eastwood movie. Except, in a more Japanese way.
The Wild West of the Wild Arms series is more fantasy-oriented. Guns are often ancient weapons of war, and there is always a mystical overtone that involves robots or some other entity It all combine to give the series one hell of a setting to launch a good story from.
Of course, the setting wouldn't be nearly as evocative if not for the brilliant soundtrack that accompanies each game. If series composer, Michiko Naruke, comes back to make the soundtrack then we once again can have an Ennio Morricone-inspired soundtrack in an RPG.
In a nutshell, a Wild West RPG will not happen outside of the Wild Arms name.
We Need Console JRPGs:
At one point, the JRPG was the prime gaming experience. Graphics, sound, and story all fused to make games that had no equal in other genres. As gaming progressed to the mainstream, and people started looking for games taking less of their time, the JRPG either specialized into specific niches or went away altogether.
Still, a couple of JRPGs held on, and one of them was the Wild Arms series. However, the rising costs of development made sure that even the strongest mid-tier franchises started dying.
The JRPG genre still thrives, not only in handheld games, but also on consoles where it has shown a renewed resurgence. A return of the Wild Arms series should guarantee a quality console JRPG, at least if it is anything like the first three games. It's not a triple-A game we are asking for, but a return of the mid-tier game that made the SNES, PS1, and PS2 libraries thrive beyond the big names.
Boomerang:
Boomerang is a cyborg cowboy, who instead of shooting his gun throws it like a boomerang for some massive damage. Not only is he mysterious, quiet, and a basic ripoff of the Clint Eastwood cowboy archetype; but he also has his own whistle theme. Simply a badass, Boomerang encompasses the sense of style the Wild Arms series is known for.
With characters like Boomerang, the series managed to create lifelong memories for me using only limited visual and audio cues. Once I fought Boomerang, and that was for a brief moment, I knew I would never forget him.
The Wild Arms series never pretended to be more than a welcome adventure in a strange dying world inhabited by interesting and memorable characters. While at times pretending to be profound, it is not more profound than the average Spaghetti Western. Yet, like those Spaghetti Westerns, the experience manages to be more than the sum of its parts.
When I originally wrote this blog years ago, the future of the bespoke Wild Arms series was bleak, as it indeed remains the case these days for any game holding the name. However, there was a rumor in the wind that a revival was coming, but it was still a rumor then. At the time, I argued that a mobile game was unlikely given Sony’s control of the franchise, and thought that the rumors would most be about a spiritual Kickstarter or a collection of some sort. I thought that a Kickstarter project was unlikely and that a collection was the probable source of the rumors.
Well, it turned out that I was wrong.
Armed Fantasia:
In a surprise few saw coming, a Kickstarter was announced to revive not one, but two PS1/PS2 era classics. A single campaign dedicated to reviving the dormant franchises of Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts (which I should write about as part of this series), with Armed Fantasia: To the End of the Wilderness obviously being the Wild West JRPG spiritual successor.
Since the crowd-funding campaign was led by series creator Akifumi Kaneko and had the support of much of the talent making the games, including composers Michiko Naruke and Noriyasu Agematsu, it was obvious to all backers that this was for all intents and purposes the sequel to the Wild Arms games that we would never otherwise get. The game is set to release in 2025, and it looks like it's going to try and be a homage to the first 3 games in the series, with turn-based combat and puzzle-heavy dungeons, but with the style and character designs of the fifth game. 
It is too early to say if Armed Fantasia would be a worthy successor to the Wild Arms name. However, I think its release is an obvious message by Sony regarding the franchise’s fate; that it no longer cares for it but will not release the name. Hopefully, Kaneko’s newest venture will find a lot of success, and we get a continuation of this storied franchise through the spirit of its successor as it reaches towards the ends of the wilderness.
Naturally, the volume of JRPGs released meant few could stand out, especially when the rigid confines of the genre showed signs of stagnation.
Enter the Wild Arms series, which managed to stand out from the rest of the pack with its unique setting. While other RPGs usually feature a high fantasy setting, or even a more modern one, the Wild Arms series chose to be influenced by the Wild West and Spaghetti Westerns while maintaining the Japanese roots of the genre.
 |
| It's like finding a treasure in the middle of the desert |
Yet, the series couldn’t keep consistent interest, and releasing a final game on the PSP in 2007.
Just what the Hell happened here?
The Wild Arms series consists of five numbered JRPGs, and the final PSP game which is a big departure from the rest. It has been created by Media.Vision, and largely overseen by producer Akifumi Kaneko from its inception.
All games were released exclusively on Sony platforms, which makes sense as the series started with direct Sony support. It was part of the early aggressive effort to build the PlayStation library. This relationship apparently stopped with the fourth game, where Sony Entertainment no longer assumed publishing duties, but it looks like they still retain the rights to the franchise in some capacity.
A) The Main Series:
While sharing the name of the world, Filgaia, all numbered games are unrelated to each other. Elements of the series, such as guns, robots, and the Wild West desert theme are present in each game, but to different degrees.
All critical ratings are from Gameranking.com, and commercial performance is based on some research by me.
1- Wild Arms:
- Released: PS1, 1996 in Japan and NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCE.
- Critical Reception: 78.89%.
- Commercial Reception: Nearly 1 Million Units sold.
The first Wild Arms game was in fact one of the first RPG games on the PS1, and it benefited greatly from being released before the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII. As such, it managed to avoid direct comparisons and be judged purely on its merits.
While Wild Arms is not known for its engaging or deep battle system, it tried to engage players out of battle as well. With the introduction of dungeon puzzles, which are navigated through tools specific to each character, Wild Arms managed to become more engaging than the average JRPG out of battle.
Combining late SNES era sprites outside of battle and blocky 3D polygons in battle, the first game’s major innovation to the genre was in its excellent Anime opening sequence that became a staple of the series, along with an excellent soundtrack. The opening gave a distinctive style to the world that the soundtrack by Michiko Naruke further cemented as you explored it.
In all of this, the game tells a story about how technology evolves to both help humanity, as well as being capable of destroying it. The theme of environmentalism started with this game, but the focus is mostly on the silent protagonist brandishing a forbidden weapon, and his companions as they fight both gods and men.
2- Wild Arms 2:
- Released: PS1, 1999 in Japan, 2000 in NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision, Contrail.
- Published: SCE.
- Critical Reception: 67.73%.
- Commercial Reception: 670K Units sold.
The second Wild Arms game might be one of the most ill-treated games on the PS1. Being released after the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, the game was criticized from the beginning for not being like them. For having blockier graphics than FFVIII, and for simply not being another Square RPG. The current view of the game is much more positive than contemporary reviews.
Personally, I consider this the best game in the franchise, and a better game than FFVIII. Featuring an excellent cast of characters, and a story that manages to be interesting throughout, the game delivers in both plot and gameplay. While I don't remember much of the plot of games I played 16 years ago, Wild Arms 2 had many memorable scenes that I not only enjoyed while playing the game but influenced how I viewed game plots in the future as well.
While the turn-based battles are nothing major, the game continues using the puzzle-base dungeons of the first game to a great effect, helped by a less annoying random encounter rate. It also improves on the graphics of the first game and has one of the best soundtracks of the PS1 era. One element that is best consigned to the past though is its terrible localization.
3- Wild Arms 3:
- Released: PS2, 2002 in Japan and NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCE.
- Critical Reception: 77.57%.
- Commercial Reception: 620K units sold.
I didn't appreciate Wild Arms 3 enough when I first played it in my early teenage years. While I enjoyed and completed it, I found the game lacking in many ways. First, I disliked the fact that the main protagonist, Virginia, was female. Second, I hated that there were only four playable characters in the game . Finally, I didn't dig the cartoony cell-shaded look.
Today, I recognize those "flaws" as the game's most pronounced strengths. Virginia Maxwell is by far the best Wild Arms main character, with realistic development and a human side that we manage to empathize with as we continue the journey with her. As for the rest of the party, they were fixed from the start as four, and that led to an in-depth exploration of each character, granting the party a better way to develop. Finally, the cell shading was excellent, and it fit well with the desert world of Filgaia and aged beautifully with time.
Years after the fact, I recognize Wild Arms 3 as one of the best RPGs on the PS2, a system not wanting in that genre. As the final Wild Arms game following the classic style, it was a huge send-off to old-school JRPG gameplay and the franchise’s puzzles.
Of particular note though is the final boss, which is annoying as hell. It doesn't have two, three, or even four final forms. It's a battle featuring nine damned forms to fight through before you manage to see the end credits.
4- Wild Arms 4:
- Released: PS2, 2005 in Japan, 2006 in NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCEI, XSEED Games.
- Critical Reception: 72.81%.
- Commercial Reception: roughly 300K units sold.
The fourth game is where the series shifted the most. Not only did the game significantly change its traditional battle system and dungeon puzzles, but also changed composers midway due to health reason (hence sound style) and adopted a more modern look than the Wild West style the series is famed for. Not to mention the fact that this is the moment Sony stepped out of publishing duties for North America altogether.
Obviously, the scale of these changes surprised and antagonized the already limited fan base. I cannot understand why Media.Vision didn't just try to implement these changes more gradually, because through Wild Arms 4, they couldn't carry with the continuity that might have happened after the well-received Wild Arms 3.
However, while the changes were jarring, this wasn't a bad JRPG. In fact, the confusing HEX battle system is fun once you get the hang of it, and different enough if you are fatigued from turn-based battles. Ironically, if the game didn't attempt to change so much so fast, this could have been a welcome change to the formula. Instead, it was treated as an aggressive side-way step that disregarded the series's identity.
5- Wild Arms 5:
- Released: PS2, 2006 in Japan, 2007 in NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCEI, XSEED Games.
- Critical Reception: 72.69%.
- Commercial Reception: nearly 400K units sold.
Wild Arms 5 sees the series back to its Wild West roots, while also showcasing all the playable characters from the past games in elaborate cameos to celebrate the series's 10-year anniversary. Since this is the last mainline Wild Arms game to be released, this was one bitter-sweet send-off.
Directly building on the mechanics of Wild Arms 4, the game features a better HEX battle system and a game environment that is fully scaled. This means there isn't any overworld, as the game's locations are connected as if in one big dungeon. Ultimately, this marks the final departure of the series from its old school RPG roots, which many PS2 JRPG were trying to modernize anyways.
Still, Wild Arms 5 is a pretty solid game, with the added bonus of meeting your past favorite characters.
B) Other Titles:
These are basically the two games that are not numbered in the series
1- Wild Arms Alter Code: F:
- Released: PS2, 2004 in Japan, 2005 in NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCE.
- Critical Reception: 73.35%.
- Commercial Reception: About 100K units sold.
Remasters and remakes were less common back in the PS2 era, but there were still many examples of both. Alter Code: F, is a complete remake of the first Wild Arms game, transforming that game's chunky PS1 graphics to the low res 3D models of the PS2, as well as expanding the story.
This is the definitive version of the first game, as it faithfully updates the graphics while retaining both gameplay and story elements. It makes me wish Wild Arms 2 had such a treatment. At least, that is what it would have been if not for a terrible localization effort and a myriad of technical issues. Still, these faults don’t detracts from what is ostensibly a brilliant remake that may have the best Michiko Naruke soundtrack.
Ironically, despite y praise for the game, it might be a central reason why Media.Vision tried to shake up the series after it. Managing to barely sell 100K units, I doubt the game managed to justify the cost of the remake. Also, it must have sent signs to Sony that the West is simply not that interested in JRPGs and hence this was the final Wild Arms (and maybe JRPG?) game published by SCE.
2- Wild Arms XF:
- Released: PSP, 2007 in Japan, 2008 in NA.
- Developed: Media.Vision.
- Published: SCEI, XSEED Games.
- Critical Reception: 68.67%.
- Commercial Reception: About 120K units sold.
When a console series releases a portable game, there is an inclination to change the genre of the series in the process. On the PSP, Wild Arms became an SRPG.
It's worth noting that Wild Arms FX is very much a Wild Arms game in terms of story, setting, and style. Ironically, even though the gameplay is widely different, FX manages to pay tribute to the HEX battle system of 4 and 5 by having HEX tiles instead of squares.
Of course, being a spinoff of a not-so-popular game on a not-so-popular console, the game didn't particularly light the world on fire. Although it was a decent enough SRPG.
When analyzing why any series dies, the most obvious answer would be a financial decline. Sometimes, that decline is related to the series itself, or it is related to the developers and/or publishers of the series. Still, it is always interesting to research those exact trends and learn the reasons behind such a decline. In many ways, we wish the gaming industry would do this to learn lessons, but I am not sure that they do.
Lukewarm Commercial Reception:
The Wild Arms series was never a huge seller. Only the first game managed to reach the million units mark, and barely at that. From that point, the series didn't experience a true downward trend, but rather a normalizing in the 500K units line. We could assume that another Wild Arms game will sell around that number at best unless it somehow accidentally catches a drift on the public zeitgeist.
For a series that is known for reusing assets, and not investing much in production values, we can conclude that Media.Vision probably managed to bring a little profit with what little sales they had.
Consequently, with the number of units being normalized at 500K, what matters more is the budget of each game. At 400K units, and with a game price of 60$, a break-even budget would be about 9 Million Dollars. If making a game exceeds that amount, then publishers will start losing money. And this is without considering declining game prices, and the MMRI.
Increased Production Costs with the PS3:
The PS3 simply killed the mid-tier Japanese developer, or pushed them all to portables and mobile. After Wild Arms 5 on the PS2, Media.Vision developed 11 games, and only one of them was on the PS3. The complicated demands of the system, as well as the sudden jump to HD, both contributed to significantly increasing the development cost of games. For the Wild Arms series, it simply did not become feasible to make a JRPG game with less than a 9 Million budget, especially as the 2008 financial crisis started wrecking lives.
For Wild Arms to be successful, it would have needed to break that 1 Million barrier at least, and the history of the franchise meant there was serious doubt in it being able to do so. Other avenues such as portables and Nintendo consoles wouldn't have worked, as the series became synonymous with the PS brand, and the PSP wasn't such a big hit.
Sony Abandoning the Franchise:
That the PS3 basically killed a lot of mid-tier franchises was indirectly Sony’s fault, with the abandonment of many of their franchises as they confusingly aimed west being a direct insult to their longtime fans. Wild Arms joins a list of franchises like Crash and Legend of Legaia that were inexplicably left to die (Crash will be featured in this series one day). Even before the PS2, Sony showed a reluctance to support their JRPG series. In fact, with their removal of any support from Wild Arms, Sony showed they did not care about supporting the genre themselves.
Today, Sony still owns the franchise, and with the development costs going down with the PS4 as well as a resurgence in the JRPG market, a Wild Arms game can make sense. Except, this is another franchise that Sony probably forgot they own.
If a series doesn't deserve to "live" then we wouldn't be upset when it stops. This is not the case with Wild Arms, a franchise that I still think can offer gamers a unique JRPG experience. Here is why I think it should be resurrected.
Unique Setting in the RPG Genre:
There aren't many games with a Wild West setting, and the RPG genre itself seems the least suitable for that setting. Yet, Wild Arms managed to own that setting, and in the process became the only RPG where we can see characters that would feel at home in a Clint Eastwood movie. Except, in a more Japanese way.
The Wild West of the Wild Arms series is more fantasy-oriented. Guns are often ancient weapons of war, and there is always a mystical overtone that involves robots or some other entity It all combine to give the series one hell of a setting to launch a good story from.
Of course, the setting wouldn't be nearly as evocative if not for the brilliant soundtrack that accompanies each game. If series composer, Michiko Naruke, comes back to make the soundtrack then we once again can have an Ennio Morricone-inspired soundtrack in an RPG.
In a nutshell, a Wild West RPG will not happen outside of the Wild Arms name.
 |
| With a soundtrack that brings the heat and dryness of the desert right into your living room |
We Need Console JRPGs:
At one point, the JRPG was the prime gaming experience. Graphics, sound, and story all fused to make games that had no equal in other genres. As gaming progressed to the mainstream, and people started looking for games taking less of their time, the JRPG either specialized into specific niches or went away altogether.
Still, a couple of JRPGs held on, and one of them was the Wild Arms series. However, the rising costs of development made sure that even the strongest mid-tier franchises started dying.
The JRPG genre still thrives, not only in handheld games, but also on consoles where it has shown a renewed resurgence. A return of the Wild Arms series should guarantee a quality console JRPG, at least if it is anything like the first three games. It's not a triple-A game we are asking for, but a return of the mid-tier game that made the SNES, PS1, and PS2 libraries thrive beyond the big names.
Boomerang:
Boomerang is a cyborg cowboy, who instead of shooting his gun throws it like a boomerang for some massive damage. Not only is he mysterious, quiet, and a basic ripoff of the Clint Eastwood cowboy archetype; but he also has his own whistle theme. Simply a badass, Boomerang encompasses the sense of style the Wild Arms series is known for.
With characters like Boomerang, the series managed to create lifelong memories for me using only limited visual and audio cues. Once I fought Boomerang, and that was for a brief moment, I knew I would never forget him.
The Wild Arms series never pretended to be more than a welcome adventure in a strange dying world inhabited by interesting and memorable characters. While at times pretending to be profound, it is not more profound than the average Spaghetti Western. Yet, like those Spaghetti Westerns, the experience manages to be more than the sum of its parts.
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| Wait a minute, there is something in the winds |
When I originally wrote this blog years ago, the future of the bespoke Wild Arms series was bleak, as it indeed remains the case these days for any game holding the name. However, there was a rumor in the wind that a revival was coming, but it was still a rumor then. At the time, I argued that a mobile game was unlikely given Sony’s control of the franchise, and thought that the rumors would most be about a spiritual Kickstarter or a collection of some sort. I thought that a Kickstarter project was unlikely and that a collection was the probable source of the rumors.
Well, it turned out that I was wrong.
Armed Fantasia:
In a surprise few saw coming, a Kickstarter was announced to revive not one, but two PS1/PS2 era classics. A single campaign dedicated to reviving the dormant franchises of Wild Arms and Shadow Hearts (which I should write about as part of this series), with Armed Fantasia: To the End of the Wilderness obviously being the Wild West JRPG spiritual successor.
Since the crowd-funding campaign was led by series creator Akifumi Kaneko and had the support of much of the talent making the games, including composers Michiko Naruke and Noriyasu Agematsu, it was obvious to all backers that this was for all intents and purposes the sequel to the Wild Arms games that we would never otherwise get. The game is set to release in 2025, and it looks like it's going to try and be a homage to the first 3 games in the series, with turn-based combat and puzzle-heavy dungeons, but with the style and character designs of the fifth game.
It is too early to say if Armed Fantasia would be a worthy successor to the Wild Arms name. However, I think its release is an obvious message by Sony regarding the franchise’s fate; that it no longer cares for it but will not release the name. Hopefully, Kaneko’s newest venture will find a lot of success, and we get a continuation of this storied franchise through the spirit of its successor as it reaches towards the ends of the wilderness.
The "Where the Hell is…" blogs are going to be a series where I discuss the decline and disappearance of game franchises that interested me greatly, and now are gone. For a series to be covered, it needs to have three or more games, an unresolved conclusion, or different storylines and is a series I somewhat played. Please feel free to give me any feedback or recommendations, as I always try to write better blogs.
This blog was originally written in the community blogs of Destructoid on June 2nd, 2016.
This blog was originally written in the community blogs of Destructoid on June 2nd, 2016.
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| And this is Boomerang if you are wondering |
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