Arcana
Reviewed by Jason Kowalczyk
The time, I believe, was 1992. A Link to the Past had recently been released,
and the SNES was in its heyday. But while all of my classmates were
spending their summer playing Contra 3 (a very good game in its own right),
I was playing an RPG by HAL called "Arcana". Arcana is one of those love it
or hate it games. The graphics and sound were good for the time, but the
endless mazes and rather stilted dialogue scared off most people. The game
begins with a nice intro moving explaining the history of the world of Arcana.
The game takes place in a land called "Elemen", and while once a land of peace,
constant warring between petty rulers lead to a time of chaos. Galneon, an evil
wizard, managed to become the ruler of your homeland (I forget the name, off
the top of my head), and it's your job to stop his vile forces from reviving
Rimsala, an ancient sorceress bent on Armageddon. The game has an interesting
take on the average RPG system. You can have up to four members in your party,
but one spot is always taken by one of your elemental summon spirits. The cool
thing is that you can switch between the four elementals during a battle, so
if one gets damaged, you can use another. After a battle, your spirit helpers
heal as you take steps around the dungeon.
Graphics: 8 out of 10
One of the best things this game has going for it is the graphics. There's a
very stylized feel to it. All of the characters' graphics are on cards, and
they animate inside them. This is especially cool in battles, as the monsters
squirm around and look all menacing. Most RPG's of the time had stationary
graphics during battles back when Arcana was released, so this really made
the game stand out. Also, when you turn a corner, the game animates the
entire turn. I don't know how many of you have played the old Wizardry
games, but in those, when you turned a corner you just flickered into the
next hall. Arcana was the first I had seen where there was a full animation
for the corner turn. It probably doesn't sound that impressive, especially in
this day and age, but take my word for it. It was cool in 1992!!! The
backgrounds were impressive, as well. I clearly remember gawking at the
scrolling clouds in one of the outside areas, and telling my sister how
amazing it was. Parallax! Wow!
Music and Sound: 8 out of 10
The music was also very good for its day. It had a very foresty-medeival
feel. I can still remember the town and dungeon themes. Very catchy. There
was even a sound test mode for the game, but I don't remember the code offhand.
Game Challenge: 9 out of 10
Expect to do a lot of level building in this game. Also, while the game makes
an auto map for each dungeon you visit, there's no real way for you to know
where the bosses are until you run into them, so you end up replaying areas
a lot. Treasure chests are kind of annoying, too, as the only way to find them
is to search every dead end in each dungeon. You don't actually see a chest
until you touch the wall of those spots. Perhaps the designers wanted to
encourage the players to search every inch of the game to find all of the
loot. It was a good idea, but as I mentioned, since there's no way to tell
where a boss or an exit to a floor is until you find it, it can get frustrating.
Game Play-Fun: 7 out of 10
Arcana is divided up into around 5 acts. As you progress you make new
friends and enemies, and gradually grow in power. The plot isn't really
anything earth shattering, but it can be fun at times. The art style helps a
lot in drawing the player into the game. Managing your cards for the hero's
special spells and learning to use each spirit helper at the correct time is
cool. It would have been nice to see the idea built upon in a sequel.
Frustration
I would say the most frustrating part of the game is the ending, which, after
all of your hard work, doesn't feel too rewarding. This is a problem developers
still have, even in the 128 bit era.
Replayability: 6 out of 10
As with any RPG, once you've beaten it, the only real reason to play it again
is to find any secrets you may have missed the first time around. Your best
bet is to just let it sit on your shelf for a few months to a year before you
pick it up again.
Overall: 7 out of 10
Overall, I'd give Arcana a 7 out of 10. It wasn't exactly Chrono Trigger, but
it was miles above Eye of the Beholder. The SNES had a lot of great RPG's,
and this one is definitely worth looking into if you've never played it before.