Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits

Can't be praised enough for its truly excellent storytelling, but the greatest coup for the title is that the game wrapped around this tale is engaging, surprising, and very well done. [July 2003, p.103]

While the graphics could have used a slight facelift, the story is what Arc the Lad is all about and that aspect alone makes this a worthy purchase for any RPG lover.

The lack of originality may not put it in the running for game of the year, but the well-designed gameplay will keep you busy for some time.

The storyline is excellent and the look of the game is as well. The controls may take some getting used to, but the overall design of the game is superb.

A fresh and near flawless game that will envelop you early on for hours upon hours of watching and playing time with its engaging storyline and gorgeous graphics and will keep you wrapped around its little finger until the final showdown with the mysterious enemy.

A pure, simple and satisfying role-playing game that is easy to pick up, easy on the eyes and downright absorbing, eventually. Great game, great game.

Despite its relatively simplistic nature and less than inviting challenge, the interpersonal relationships between the game's fascinating characters and its entertaining battle system are quite enjoyable.

A better than average RPG. Woo-hoo…

Its story is deep and subtly confronts real issues such as blind hatred against others just because they’re different. This is a game where the characters are the central players who aren’t secondary to a new age, preachy plot.

It may not be as appealing in the graphics as the other high class games, but the battle and story are pretty well-executed.

Fans of the original gmes will surely dig this latest installment (and will enjoy the occasional subtle references to previous titles), and everyone else ought to at least get sucked in by its unique story line. [July 2003, p.93]

Deimos or human, if traditional role-playing games rock your world, Arc will draw you in and hold you spellbound. The gameplay basics may adhere unashamedly to the tried-and-trusted RPG formula of exploring, talking, levelling up and shopping, but if it works, why change it just to be clever? Why? WHY!!??

An extremely well produced title in virtually every respect. Striking visuals and an exceptional soundtrack are delightful superfluities, but the gameplay is what matters, and Arc the Lad has always been solid in this department.

Strangely, despite Arc the Lad: TotS being anything but innovative, it has an interesting charm and still manages to be quite fun.

It's a solid RPG that doesn't take many chances, and while it may not set the role-playing world on fire, it's still a lot of fun.

It contains one of the most impressive and gripping storylines in recent memory, which can be easily related to today’s headlines without beating you over the head with its metaphor.

Forget about the old-school gameplay and squatty heroes of the original games - Twilight features expansive 3D worlds, cool anime-style characters, and radically reworked gameplay. [July 2003, p.57]

Where the game really shines is in presentation, however, something that rescues an otherwise bland adventure and helps raise it from a mindless, linear quest to the promise of seeing something interesting with each new locale.

I liken it to a big, dumb, friendly guy: an affable, warm-hearted chap that you'd be friends with in real life even if he doesn't offer any useful insights or advice. Reliable, trustworthy and true: that's Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits.

A refreshing game that is straightforward, easy to follow and most importantly, it's fun.

The graphics and music are very strong, and often approach "Final Fantasy X" quality, but the visual design is much less inspired. [July 2003, p.32]

A nice try at an RPG – it has a nice fresh plot that can both bore you and enthral you at the same time.

This 40-hour quest could've really used a few legitimate dungeons to explore, but the narrative and combat alone kept me hooked. [July 2003, p.106]

Though flawed and not very much like previous Arc titles (Random battles! In an Arc game!), Twilight's fast-paced fighting and decent story save it from RPG oblivion. Don't worry—it does pick up after the beginning.

This game needed to get a big kick in the pants in the gameplay and graphics area, and that plot seriously needed to be worked on. This could have been a lot more fun...but it definitely needed a lot more work.

Despite the fun combat, decent visuals and eclectic but strangely catchy soundtrack, the lack of depth and unfulfilling story left me lukewarm and yearning for another adventure with Arc, Elc or Alec... A solid RPG, nothing less, but nothing more. [July 2003, p.75]

Most RPG fans will find some good fun here. However, it just doesn't live up to the older games in the series. It features some interesting perspectives with its dual stars, but its questionable delivery and lack of really compelling gameplay holds it back.

Not the best that the genre has to offer. But, the battle system and the decent story go a long way towards making the experience worth the while.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment is just how easy the game is - winning battles doesn't take much strategy, at least not until the final boss.

Technically competent but uninspired and ultimately unsatisfying, “Twilight of the Spirits” is this year’s sacrificial lamb to the altar of the next-generation RPG genre’s rising standards.

There's nothing to stop a dedicated RPG fan from having a thoroughly good time but the Arc the Lad games have always had a derivative heritage and this is competent but sadly no different. [Sept 2003]

The story and the graphics certainly make the grade, but a few tweaks are still needed in the gameplay to cement this one as a classic.

Tries hard to please RPG and strategy fans, but it spreads itself so thin in the process that it won't do much for either. It isn't terrible, but everything in it has been done to death.

While your average consumer may struggle to justify another investment of time and money in such an incredibly generic adventure, we genuinely found a lot to like in Sony's latest RPG and we feel a sense of injustice that this enjoyable little game is in danger of being overlooked completely ... the game still delivers an enchanting experience. [Feb 2004, p.122]

The genre has moved on. I hope that the next entry in this series can catch up.

Overly generic... This game has been made before, and its has been made better. [July 2003, p.71]

I actually found myself being so bored at one point that I took to reading out the characters lines in silly voices just to entertain myself.