Lawrence.com

The makers of Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits have experimented with the series. Developer Cattle Call has jumped ship from the traditional Arc the Lad turn based RPG into a Kingdom Hearts style of action RPG. The new installment even includes online play where gamers can engage in 4 vs. 4 deathmatches or tackle missions together in a party of four. With the addition of an ideally kick ass online mode and a more action oriented combat system, could it be possible that this sequel doesn't live up to the concept or the series?

It shames me to say it, but End of Darkness does just that: fails in almost every single aspect of its own concept. On paper, EoD should be stellar. The problem is that EoD is more of an expansion pack and the developers treated it this way. There are little touchy areas within the combat system that make it plain frustrating and more like a chore than entertainment. You have different combinations of moves that can be executed and while your options are open as to what you can do during combat, you'll end up spamming the X button (your main attack). The combat system is centered on your ALD gauntlet. This is a wristguard you wear to which certain ability and skill cards can be equipped. These cards can be ranged weapons (arrows), spells, healing, etc. Even with different abilities and whatnot, the AI is nowhere smart enough to where you'll have to get into a deep combat strategy. Not only does this botch down the single player mode, but the multiplayer mode is plagued with the same effect. Combat also seems a bit laggy and late to response, which doesn't help with the spamming factor. There'll be times where you are inclined to hit the attack button more because you're not sure if the game registered your attack.

The combat system is what makes or breaks this type of game. Unfortunately it breaks it and the other aspects of the game don't help either. As far as the story goes, you play a young lad, Edda, who evidently is an exorcist waiting to be discovered. It seems that certain demons/spirits are randomly attacking people all over the world. It's up to Edda to find a way to exterminate the problem. The story is RPG cliche and very predictable. You'll find the same RPG archetypes that you find in any other ones: amnesia, man vs. machines, underdog rises up, love story, etc. The plot twists you encounter are boring and dull. Suffice to say, it appears the writers of EoD were out of plot twist ideas and lazily forced some out.

Graphically the game is not as bad as the rest. The game has many colors, although not as vibrant as you would want it. As with most RPG's, you'll visit a variety of environments, all decently pleasing to the eye. I strongly believe that the graphics don't look as good or sharp as they could because of the lack of brightness to the game. On another note, the animations were very hard to deal with. For some odd reason, voice acting was taken out of the game and replaced by awkwardly performed gestures and comical lip-synching movements. At first I was able to cope with it, but after a few hours I could barely stand them. The game uses the exact same scores and sounds from Twilight of the Spirits, which further shows how the game was treated.

If there's one factor that saves this game, it is the multiplayer. And although the online play doesn't live up to what it should, it's still an enjoyment to get a group of people together working as a team. Cattle Call made a very smart move by enabling voice chat and smacking the "broadband only" sticker on. Without the voice chat, I can't see the online mode being as fun as it is. It has an MMORPG feel to it as certain players will be given different tasks such as spell casting, tanking, healing, and more. I found the 4 vs. 4 mode to be the most fun, just because it was quick action and no down time. The co-op side is also a joy to play, but the problem is that you have to deal with the AI, which ruins it.

Arc the Lad fans can look at this game as what Final Fantasy fans got out of FFX-2. The game may not be labeled or priced as an expansion, but at heart that's exactly what it is. You can tell from the get go that the game is not polished and the same effort put into previous Arc the Lad's is missing. If you feel that the online mode is enough for you to want this game, then it's definitely something to look into. If you're looking for a strong single player RPG, look somewhere else. Lastly, if you are an Arc the Lad fan, be prepared to cringe.

(The Japanese servers for this game have been closed for more than a month now due to the lack of interest in the game. Judging from the participation I found online, don't be surprised if the servers in the U.S. get shutdown sometime soon as well.)

Graphics: C-

Sound: D+

First Play: C-

Last Play: F

Gameplay: D-

Overall: D- 60%