Wild Arms 5 Critic Reviews

Wild ARMs 5 is one of the best RPGs to hit the PS2, simple as that. An old-school approach to the genre whittles down the gameplay to simple, core elements while stripping out all the annoying bits that have built up over the years. A definite buy.

With a fairly lengthy main quest and extras galore, at only $40 it's armed thievary.

On its tenth anniversary, the series has managed to come up with its biggest and brightest entry yet with a stock of engaging battles, quirky cutscenes, and slick shooting.

The sometimes ridiculous characters, anime presence, and engaging story line work together with intensely fun and strategic play mechanics to make this installment of the ARMs series the best yet.

The other major RPG released this week, the disappointing "Blue Dragon," promised to transport players back to those beloved days. Wild Arms 5 is the game that actually delivers.

This Cowboy RPG generally doesn't mosey too far from the old dusty trail, but when it does (hex battles, spurs and... well, that's all we can think of) it's a good thing.

It may have taken ten years, but it appears that with Wild ARMs 5, the series is ready to make the jump from appetizer to main course.

The story is elementary with having to fight a great evil to save the world. But forget about the oversimplified storyline; the characters in the game are wild and crazy enough to keep players curious.

It's a solid RPG experience, but its dated graphics, odd storyline resolution and sometimes weak dialog hamper the game

There's a lot of genuinely amusing character interaction, but the adolescent teasing and mock anger routines get old quickly, and they simply didn't put enough effort into most dungeons.

Although it is not extremely challenging, the scale and scope of the game will keep you hooked.

Though rough in places, the RPG series' latest entry is one of its weirdest, if not best.

When you throw into the mix six playable characters, a traditional RPG equipment and statistics system, cool cut scenes and voice acting, and an impressive battle system, you have the makings of an enjoyable game.

Enjoyable, but its newcomer emphasis stops it being essential.

The final half of Wild Arms 5 is incredible. The story, dungeons and battles all come together to create a game that is as good as traditional RPGs will ever get. If only the same could be said about the initial slog, it’d be a classic.

Hardcore RPG fans that are willing to overlook Wild Arms 5’s obvious faults will likely still get enjoyment out of the title. For everyone else however, there are much better RPGs on the PS2 that are more worth your while.

Unfortunately, Wild Arms 5 lets itself down by using the tiresomely repetitive structure of "visit dungeon, fight boss, return to village, proceed to next dungeon."

Only a diehard Wild Arms fan will be able to take these physics, and much of the game, seriously.

Still, the cool battle system and character customization options keep it from reeking of cattle crap.

For those who are not fans of the franchise, "bland" is perhaps the best way to describe Wild Arms 5.