The original Playstation system gave birth to many iconic RPGs. Working Designs, while not a new developer back then, was known for its unique spin on the genre. Already established as a developer that produced must-have titles, it had amassed a large library of releases that spanned from the Turbografx-16 to the Sega Saturn. The original Playstation was no exception.
Arc the Lad III is a sequel to an iconic role-playing series developed by ARC Entertainment that had won the hearts of many gamers. With beautiful 2D graphics, strong character development, and endless hours of questing, it was considered a worth-while investment for any gamer to own.
As a young man named Alec, you aspire to be a Hunter ever since your life was saved by one. With the aid of your enthusiastic friend, Lutz, you both begin the journey to acquire your hunter license after saving the village Sasha from a bandit attack.
Arc the Lad III plays like your standard RPG from the 1990’s. It utilizes a standard menu system for items, equipment, character status, character recovery, current jobs (or quests), and game options. This menu can be accessed during combat, city exploration or via the world map. Items can be used to heal party members at anytime and in-game options like window colors (among other things) can be manipulated.
Combat is executed a bit differently than most Japanese RPGs. Instead of being attacked every few steps, encounters occur when entering a new area/room. This eliminates the frustration some games would cause. Occasionally, enemy encounters will happen on the world map, but they’re not as frequent. Actual combat is turn-based using a grid-like system. Before combat commences, a menu appears to select your party members.
Once the party member selection is complete, combat beings on a linear play field. Sections where your character can move will flash blue. If you happen to land next to an enemy, you can attack immediately by pressing the X button for a melee attack or Square button to cast a spell. The Circle button acts like a short cut to your magic menu and Triangle ends your turn.
Combat is very stylish and has plenty of impressive animations (even by today’s standards). Even at earlier stages in the game, Lutz’s Knife Rain spell looks fantastic as a hail of daggers rain down on encroaching enemies.
Arc the Lad III uses an automatic leveling system that relies on experience (a common staple in most RPGs). While there is little character customization beyond equipping new armor and weapons, this doesn’t deter from the overall experience.
There is plenty of locations for the gamer to explore. Despite being an older title the game play holds up well. MonkeyPawGames is working diligently to revive classics like Arc the Lad III, and it’s good to know that gamers can look forward to new releases.
Even if you weren’t old enough to remember Arc the Lad III for the original Playstation, you owe it to yourself to experience it. The Arc the Lad collection (containing all three games) sells for about $80.00 on reputable reseller websites, but each game can be purchased for $5.99 on PSN. Support MonkeyPawGames and their efforts to bring us the crowning jewels of classic gaming.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Arc Entertainment
Publisher: MonkeyPawGames
Price: $5.99 (Available on PSN)
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Rich 2D graphics bring the world of Arc the Lad III to life. | |
| Sound | |
| The in-game soundtrack is what you would expect: it's catchy and memorable. | |
| Gameplay |  |
| The turn-based combat is silky smooth. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| You owe it to yourself to play Arc the Lad III. | |
