Enchanted Arms

The game is unpretentious and makes no apologies for being exactly what it wants to be - and that is a game with a beautifully crafted storyline, intriguing characters, plenty of humour, and everything you want from an RPG. Forget the naysayers, this is really a class act.

It's not "Oblivion," and it's not trying to be. Enchanted Arms is to Tactics-style RPGs what Oblivion was to action-RPGs. A solid next-gen effort from an underdog developer.

The apparently complex combat system and intriguing game world set up some solid groundwork for Enchanted Arms to continue to keep you entertained for a long time.

It’s well-paced, fun to play, and has some chuckle-worthy dialogue at times.

Enchanted Arms is not perfect but it is very close and will keep JRPG lovers busy for quite some time (around 80 gameplay hours to be exact).

From Software's older RPGs were barely playable, but this one was one of my favorite RPGs of the year. The eye candy is the game's defining feature, but it doesn't attempt to stand on that aspect alone.

The combat system is different and requires more strategy compared to other RPGs.

[eM] is most impressive when placed in its proper context: From Software managed to craft a sprawling, 60-hour-long, traditional J-RPG on a next-generation platform in an incredibly short ammount of time....and it's actually pretty darn good. [Mar 2006, p.61]

Meshing a well-told and captivating story with a strategic battle system, a bevy of collectable minions and a gorgeous world, Enchanted Arms is a great way to start of the JRPG tradition on the Xbox 360.

I see the Live portion of Enchanted Arms as a pure bonus which is a start, and a glimpse into the future of more turned based online features.

It’s not a landmark adventure, but it is a worthy adventure.

I also found it strange that wherever Atsuma went there was always a cloud of dust at his feet. Not sure why this bothered me, but it did.

It’s not even in the same stratosphere as Oblivion, but it does offer a futuristic, far Eastern flavor that Elder Scrolls lacks.

Enchanted Arms could best be described as a Japanese-style RPG for Dummies: it introduces players to the sort of Eastern RPG philosophies that games like Oblivion tend to shy away from: soap-operatic stories, linear narratives, turn-based combat, and lots and lots of collecting things.

The good options for auto fighting, fast forwarding through battles and scores of golems to hunt are brought down by several unfortunate shortcomings. The battle system is generic and battles occur far too often for their own good, making for gameplay that can get boring at times.

Enchanted Arms is a completely standard RPG with some charming gameplay and plot elements that make it slightly better than average.

[EM]-eNCHANT aRM- has a predictable, yet entertaining, plot featuring a small cast of likeable characters, a moderate sized world that will take about 40 hours to explore, and a good battle system. Sure the graphics are a mixed bag, music is strangely absent, and the encounter rate is high, yet it's still a nice start for next-gen rpgs. [JPN Import]

A solid Japanese RPG that fans of the genre will enjoy, but not quite superb enough to interest new players in the genre.

An excellent first foray into the next generation of RPGs for Microsoft. It's both beautiful to see and a lot of fun to play.

Enchanted Arms offers a compelling yet comical story that will at times make you laugh out loud or at the least, bring a smile to your face.