Skies of Arcadia: Legends

Plot

Skies of Arcadia: Legends follows an ambitious young Blue Rogue pirate named Vyse. His father, Captain Dyne, is the captain of the Albatross: a mighty pirate airship that is feared by the Valuan Empire. Vyse, the crew, and his father travel the skies in search of other pirates as well as Valuan battleships to take any valuables that can be found. While on such a mission Vyse runs into a Valuan captive, a young, shy girl named Fina, and this is where the adventure really begins. Fina tells Vyse little but her name, and revealed nothing about her secret mission, only that Vyse must trust her, and help her complete her important agenda.

As everyone gets some rest, Vyse and his best friend Aika notice a moon stone fall from the sky and land on a distant island. The young adventurous pirates that they are, Vyse and Aika make their way to the distant island to claim the magnificent moon stone. As they embark on their journey the Valuan Empire decides to ambush the Blue Rogues' home, Pirate Isle, and abduct Fina, Captain Dyne and other loved ones. As soon as Vyse learns of this he and Aika make the only decision they can, to save the Captain and the rest of the Blue Rogues. Soon, Vyse and Aika embark on their own, meeting many interesting people and traveling to majestic cities and villages. After rescuing Fina they learn about the Valuan Empire's plan to gather and control an ancient evil and use that evil to control the world. It is Fina's mission and destiny to stop this evil, and with Vyse, Aika and a eclectic cast of others, nothing can stop them.

Blue Rogues vs. The Black Pirates.

Vyse and his father are Pirates, however, there are two types of Pirates and their incentives are very different. Blue Rogues fly under a blue-skulled flag and do not attack unarmed ships such as merchant vessels. Blue Rogues take pride in their actions and only attack ships that are armed and bigger then their own ship. Black Pirates fly under a black-skulled flag and attack anyone in their sights. Unarmed merchant ships and battleships alike are not safe, they attack them for pure pleasure, killing, and treasure hunting.

Battle System

The game features a turn-based battle system as seen in many other JRPG's. Characters can use their turn to attack or use an item or special ability. Battles take place in three dimensions with characters moving around the battlefield automatically to attack their designated targets. A tactical element is introduced by changing the weapon's element, which also changes the color. This doesn't take a turn and is useful when the enemy's weakness is known to the player. The party shares a pool of SP, used for special moves. Characters can use a turn to charge more SP so they can unleash a devastating super move the following turn.

The game also features aerial ship-to-ship combat, likewise turn-based. These battles are more tactical in nature as they have to choose what types of weapons to use, when to heal and whether to use evasive action or an all in advance.

Characters

Vyse - The main character of Skies of Arcadia: Legends. A young boy part of the Blue Rogues who has great hopes and ambitions of sailing to the end of the skies.

Aika - Part of the crew of the Albatross and childhood friend of Vyse. She's impulsive, but strong and reliable.

Dyne - Captain of the Albatross, a feared pirate ship, and father to Vyse. He is a trusted leader and respected among his crew.

Fina and Cupil - Fina is a mysterious, quiet girl that through curious events teams up with Vyse to take on the Valuan Empire. By her side is her trusted pet Cupil who can change shapes and helps Fina during combat.

Drachma - An old sailor that Vyse meets early in his adventure. Drachma has a heavy conscience and helps Vyse throughout his adventure in hopes that he will also get a chance to settle his past.

Gilder - Another Blue Rogue that captains the Claudia. He's free spirited and travels wherever the skies take him in search of treasure and women.

Empress Teodora - The Empress of the Valuan Empire. She is obsessed with conquest and power, no one dares challenge her reign.

Prince Enrique - The son of Empress Teodora and the Prince of the Valuan Empire. Enrique does not agree with his mother, however, he is powerless to stop her.

Lord Galcian - The commander of the entire Valuan Empire Armada, and he head of the master plan to control the ancient evil. He has 5 subordinates as well as one Vice-Captain.

Ramirez - Lord Galcian's Vice-Captain. Ramirez is a close conspirator with Lord Galcian and carries out many of Lord Galcian's dirty work. He seems very mysterious and coy, however, and has a mysterious link to Fina.

Ships

Albatross - Captain Dyne's ship. It was destroyed by the Valuans when he, his crew, and Fina were captured and taken to the Grand Fortress. He later rebuilt the Albatross II, a ship that looks very similar, to replace it.

Little Jack - This is the name of the old ship that Drachma captains. Although the ship is an old fishing ship, it has been fortified to fight against heavily armed Valuan Battleships.

Claudia - A classy ship that Gilder owns. Gilder mainly uses it as a means to escape from Clara, but it is also a ship that can hold its own in an airship battle.

Delphinus - A prototype Valuan battleship owned by Enrique. As the story progresses, Enrique gives the ship to Vyse in order to escape the Valuan Grand Fortress a second time on the condition that Vyse takes Enrique with him to stop Valua's ambitions for conquest. It sports the Moonstone Cannon, the most powerful airship weapon ever created.

The Valuan Empire Armada - Lord Galcian controls five Captains who make up the Royal Armada and are the last line of defense between Vyse and the Empire. Alfonso, Gregorio, Vigoro, Belleza, and De Loco all have their own unique battleships and must be approached in different ways.

Differences from Dreamcast version

While the port still features random enemy encounters, the frequency of such encounters has been greatly decreased. The persistent random encounters was one of the chief criticisms made of the original version.

Two new side quests have been added; the first involving the collection of "Moon Fish" in order to allow a small girl to open her heart and speak again, receive rare items (including ones unlocked from Pinta's Quest, which utilized the Dreamcast's VMU card) and learn more about the backstory of General Ramirez. The second quest, involves encounters with a Air Pirate hunter named Piastol, who blames Vyse for the death of her father. This side quest also ties in with the "Moon Fish" side quest.

Additionally, more 'discoveries' have been added for Vyse and the Blue Rogues to find, a few crew members like Domingo can join up sooner, and optional boss battles with bounties on the new "Wanted List" can be fought.

Other Info

1 player

Memory Blocks needed: 3