I'm replaying Skies of Arcadia Legends on the 'pube, and FUCK ME LOOSE AN' JUICY if this still ain't one of the best RPGs ever assembled. The pacing and plot delivery are superb, the low-poly art direction still works, the dungeons are still insanely good, and all the sidequesting shit is so wonderfully coupled to the game proper that I actually ENJOY dorkin' around (as opposed to Twilight Princess).
It has its faults, enumerated so as to shut the haters up in advance: battle animations are a little too lengthy, blah blah animu, ship battles are OMG slow, and Vyse has terrible fashion sense.
I think the combat system is actually damn good -- it's certainly a sore sight better than the fighteratin' in shit like the Xenosaga titles, and it's more strategic than, say Dragon Quest 8. For depth, it's roughly on par with FFX -- elemental matchups mean everything, and knowing when to focus and/or defend instead of attack is key.
(also, I like the ship battles -- they're slow and utterly lacking in real challenge, but it really adds something to the game as a whole, thematically, to duke it out with airships from time to time.)
The whole game is just so fucking CHARMING, and that means a lot from a chronic hater like me -- especially a chronic hater so weary of anime and JRPG convention. Vyse has no personal failings and he has a good attitude even starting out; Aika is chipper but also knows when to take shit seriously; and Fina is a brickhouse. (Fuck, you seen the thighs on that white girl? Damn!) There's no goofy romantic subplot penned by an otaku vet what's never romanced in his life, and the villains run the gamut from kooky to legitimately menacing. Plus the whole Silver Moon sequence -- fuck yeah. The whole experience has this sort of threatening-yet-heartwarming Miyazaki vibe to it that no other RPG has adequately captured, in my jaded ol' opinion.
ANYWAY: appreciate, fegs!
