Of all the problems that Wild Arms 2 has (and although it’s a fun game once you get into it, it does have more than its fair share of problems), probably the largest is the graphics. The maps are done Xenogears-style, with sprite based characters running around in 3D worlds. Of course, it’s done nowhere near as gorgeously and convincingly as Xenogears, looking more like a poor man’s version of Alundra 2 (which wasn’t all that hot in the graphics department in and of itself). The battle engine is basically the same battle engine that was used for the first Wild Arms, years ago. I almost feel that the game would have looked and played better if the same graphical style was kept from the first one -- plain 2D graphics, albeit lushly drawn -- as opposed to the pixilated 3D that the game gives us.

Thankfully, the presentation is picked up by the music, which is that same wonderful fantasy-western style that most of us loved in the first Wild Arms. Of course, those of you that didn’t -- well, just turn the TV down. The special effects in battle are passable, but sometimes tedious, and the sound effects are merely mediocre. The music is really where it’s at.

Wild Arms 2, thankfully, is quite fun to play, at least after you get past the first few hours. The game details the adventures of, at least in the beginning, three main characters: Ashley, an ARMs-toting sword master; Jack, an ex-con that can beat the tar out of anything and everything; and Lilka, a novice magic-user. Veterans of the first game will notice the extreme parallels between the two’s characters. That being said, in this game, you can get considerably more people to join your cause, which makes it a good bit different from the first Wild Arms in that respect. Like the first Wild Arms, you’ll spend the first few hours playing each character’s back-story, and then after a bit, you’ll get all the characters to join up for the real adventure. Besides having ARMs (which are basically kick-ass guns that knock the crap out of all the bosses), your characters are members of a group called ARMs that is basically a nonpartisan police force. Imagine if the U.N. had the ability to beat the crap out of anyone who caused problems, instead of having red-tape, and you’ll have an idea of what sort of group ARMs is.

Unfortunately, the first few hours of the game are a real drag. I had to force myself to play them, hoping that the game would get better. Thankfully, it did, around the six-hour mark. The story really never improves, but the tasks that you are put to are a lot more interesting. The game has a few interesting additions to normal RPG fare. For one, places are not shown on the map until you’re told about them, and then go looking for them while pumping the “Search” button. Although this is mainly a pain in the ass, it actually makes a good bit of sense. What are the chances of you seeing a small building from miles away? Nil. It does seem a little silly sometimes, though.

An extremely cool add-on, however, is the little exclamation points that appear over your head when you’re about to have an enemy encounter. If the exclamation point is red, you have no choice but to fight, and may have been surprised. But if it’s white, that means that the enemies are (ostensibly) no match for you, so you can simply tap the cancel button and not fight them. I found myself fighting more often than not, because upgrading ARMs costs an, er, arm and a leg, but it’s nice when you’re trying to run through an old area fast in search of something. You also get Personal Points, which can be used to increase how much health you get every level-up, your defensive ability against various things, and the strength of your attacks. This allows for more customization of your character than most games of the genre.

Depends on how you play. If you don’t mind running around and leveling up, and if you use your Lucky Cards correctly and get mad experience from the bosses, you’ll find Wild Arms 2 pretty simple. If, on the other hand, you’re not careful about how you spend your Points and you try to run through the game, tapping “cancel” for every low-level fight and not upgrading your ARMs, you’ll get the tar kicked out of you. So do yourself a favor and play careful.

Other than the “search” function, all of the game’s controls and mechanics make a good bit of sense. The tools are back from the first Wild Arms, and although they are a completely different set, they are basically used the same way. The game font is sometimes bothersome, with a six looking a whole lot like a zero, but that’s a pretty minor problem.

Overall, if you liked the first Wild Arms, or are hankering for a somewhat old-school RPG, and don’t mind toughing through a boring first few hours, you’ll find that Wild Arms 2 is a nice little gem -- a few scratches here and there, but nothing that makes it unenjoyable.