Enchanted Arms
| Enchanted Arms | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | From Software |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Masanori Takeuchi |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) | Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Online multiplayer |
| Distribution | DVD, Blu-ray |
Enchanted Arms, known in Japan as [eM] -eNCHANT arM- (エム エンチャント・アーム Emu Enchanto Āmu), is a science fiction/fantasy-based role-playing video game developed and published by From Software for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Although the game was intended to be an Xbox 360 launch title for the Japanese market, its release date was pushed back to January 12, 2006, by the developer, From Software. Ubisoft published the game in August 2006 in North America, and in September 2006 in Europe. The game retitled as Enchant Arm for its Japanese PlayStation 3 release. At the time of its PS3 release, it was a launch title for the European market.
Since its release, it has been confirmed that the game uses only a single DVD, in contrast to earlier multi-disc reports. It also comes with an art book and mini-calendar in Japan. The supplementary content included with the initial American product shipment was a 48-page prequel manga.
Reception
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Enchanted Arms received positive reviews, with an average critic score of 72.08% for the Xbox 360 version and 66.52% for the PlayStation 3 version at Game Rankings,[1][2] In the October 2006 issue of Official Xbox Magazine, Enchanted Arms received a review score of 6.5 from the editors. The magazine stated: "But ultimately, it's hard to whole-heartedly recommend this game to anyone but the most diehard turn-based RPG fanatics." GameSpot [3] gave the game a 7.1, claiming that the game is an experience quickly forgotten after finishing. However, the title did receive a score of 84% from RPGFan.com, an 8/10 review score from Play Magazine, an A- from Gaming Age, an 8.5/10 score from Planet Xbox 360, an 8/10 from GameCola, and an 8/10 card from Deeko.com. The G4 program X-Play gave Enchanted Arms for the Xbox 360 a 4 out of 5 and the PlayStation 3 version a 2/5.
In its review Deeko.com called Enchanted Arms "a great game" and stated that its storyline is surprisingly enjoyable and its battle system is addictive. They go on to state that the full-motion video cinematics of the game are described as on-par with Square-Enix's offerings. The review also mentioned the in-depth character development of Atsuma, whose torment and emotions intensified as the story moved. This made him unique and more human compared to the lead characters of other RPGs. RPGFan.com reviewer Patrick Gann, who gave the game a score of 84%, extolled the game's visuals and gameplay, calling it "one of my favorite RPGs of the year." [4]
Penny Arcade spoofed the game's critical reception in its cartoon dated September 6, 2006. In the accompanying column, and additional news post the authors assert their opinion that many of the 'flaws' highlighted by reviewers are actually common features of the Japanese RPG genre, with Tycho writing: "Japanese role-playing games tend to be fairly linear in terms of narrative and feature a ton of strategic combat. These are genre staples. If you don't like those things, or if you wish they were something else, that isn't really the genre's fault. If you told me that you weren't fond of turf or "kicking," I would hope that you'd have the wisdom to avoid soccer." and that at least one review included severe factual inaccuracies
Notes
- ↑ "Enchanted Arms for Xbox 360". Game Rankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Enchanted Arms for PlayStation 3". Game Rankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ GameSpot
- ↑ RPG Fan
External links
- ENCHANT ARM 公式サイト From Software's Enchant Arm site
- Ubisoft's Enchanted Arms site
- Enchanted Arms Metacritic review aggregation
- Q&A with Ubisoft Localization Specialist Michiko F.
- Enchanted Arms at MobyGames
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