3

4 /5

In ancient times, a war was fought against demons on a world named Filgaia. The planet bears the scars of this encounter as much of the world is barren and the ocean has turned to sand. For different reasons, four characters set out to become "drifters" and make their own path over the plains. Virginia Maxwell chose this trip on a steam train because she was bored by the monotonous life in a sleepy village and wanted to explore the world. Treasure-hunter Jet Enduro thinks the train will bring him to a place where a flower with magic powers can be found. Gallows Caradine is a shaman of his tribe and is the guardian of a sacred artifact. Clive Winslet is a cynical archaeologist and part-time bounty hunter. A fateful encounter aboard a train will bring these four together and mix them up in the doings of a mysterious organization of scientists. This Council of Seven once was formed to renew the life force of Filgaia, but now seems to be harnessing it for their own means.

This third installment of the Wild Arms series continues the tradition of two previous games, adding a stronger emphasis on the (fantasy) Wild West atmosphere. Characters have the ability to attack using ARMS (projectile weapons), use special abilities, use items or cast Arcana (magic). From the beginning of the game, each of the four characters has an introductory chapter before becoming a party and traveling together. The battles are random, with a FP gauge which fills while attacking and defending, and usage of Arms and magic which require FP, similar to the second game of the series. Later on, special vehicles feature their own type of battle system. Other similarities to the previous game include the search system (towns and dungeons are not indicated on the map until you discover them), the ability to cancel a random battle and special abilities used outside of battles to solve puzzles. A new feature is a dialogue based on key words, similar to a system commonly used in adventure games, which allows a more flexible use of dialogue options.