by John Atchison

Created on: February 19, 2013

For those gamers that have affection for Microsoft products, there was a time when finding good role playing games was a chore. Honestly, it was not until the advent of the Xbox 360 that the company started putting out RPG games that players had enough interest in enjoying. One of the first ones that people took to was Enchanted Arms, a game that seems like a bit of a Final Fantasy ripoff. It is not, however, because it details it's own unique story and does so in an effective way.

The game centers around its main character, Atsuma, and his mysterious, but extraordinarily powerful arm. One does not know at the start of the game why he is blessed with his powers, but if gamers are lucky enough to push their way through the game, they learn more about it's origins during the trek. He has other friends that accompany him through the grid setup, which serves as the terrain of the game. Toya, Makato, Karin, Raigar, and Yuki are also part of his clan as they attempt to battle their way till the end.

Role playing games are about strategy, and the layout of the game board gives Enchanted Arms an added edge in that regard. Due to the grid like terrain, coupled with the enemy being situated on the opposite side of Atsuma, it requires a gamer to put in a fair amount of thought when it comes to strategy and defeating the opponent.

Pokemon has always been a popular game on the video game circuit, which Enchanted Arms developers were smart enough to incorporate an element that makes their games entertaining. One of the best things about Pokemon is battling other Pokemasters to try and acquire badges and other trinkets. In the case of Enchanted Arms, the Golem serve as this in the game, but with a bit more of an added bonus. Golems carry with them an assortment of different powers that can help a character through different challenges on the game board.

The battles are not long, drawn out struggles, but rather, have fast paced action. For a relatively older game, the graphics are exceptional, especially at the point when a player is using spells, which light up the board in vivid color. For all these good aspects, it should be noted that the game is not perfect. The VC, or Vitality Points, is something that can definitely use some work. When heading into the maze like Holy Beast Shrine, it is easy for a player to get confused and lost in the morass. What is also tough is finding the areas to go to get back those VC points. If a player is without them, it can be terribly hard to survive.

Gamers should be able to carry more than the nine-piece limit leveled on each type of healing item. The negatives of the game are far outweighed by the positives that it provides. The need to make a player think hard about proper strategy makes this game a winner that all lovers of RPG based games should be adding to their collection.

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