rest in peace to a legend!! wish this could've seen a re-release of some kind before her passing, but maybe re-releasing it to honor her would be great as well
The game is so rich that you could basically do anything with it (remaster, remake, new game based on the ancient war between civilizations, or based on the life of Daccat) and it would be fucking good. The game didn't sell that much back then but now it has earned itself such a reputation that any kind of re-release would create a thunderstorm of sales
I’ve never really been sad about a celebrity death but I literally screamed and teared up when I heard. I immediately started playing her games I owned, and finished it off with Skies
This is the one obscure game that I had as a kid and still own to this day. The Dreamcast was an incredible system for a 10 year old. I still think this is one of the best games ever made. The story telling is top notch. The pacing is really good with lots of interesting and colorful characters. They really took that Treasure Island kinda feel and implanted it into a solid JRPG.
Skies of Arcadia is in my top 10 greatest games ever made and its truly saddens me that besides us hardcore old school fans, it has mostly been forgotten by the industry. A masterpiece.
I've recently started a list of my favorite games of all time, and Skies is also on my top 10. Dude, speaking of Sega RPGs, Persona 5 Tactica is probably making my top 10 list too. It's absolutely incredible.
my favourite game of all time. there's simply not a better RPG out there. possibly the most important piece of media i've experienced for personal reasons.
This is my favorite game of all time. I've played through both versions once about every one to two years since they released. I love everything about them so much. I still get chills every time I enter the dark rift, or deep sky, or descending through the vortex to recover Fina's ship.
I agree that this is one of the best games ever made. Looking back on it Shenmue really eclipsed Skies, but as time goes on Shenmue has not aged well but Skies is like that hot milf that looks just as good as she did in her 20s.
I've owned & played Skies of Arcadia over a decade ago when I got my Dreamcast & after numerous playthroughs I've been loving it more. This game is just a feel good RPG with a lovable casts & sometimes that's all you need. I'm glad you finally got to play it & glad to see more people sharing the love for this game.
this IS a feel good game! i do like when it dips into the drama every now and then but the nice vibes are so great throughout the majority. love the characters, love exploring, love it all. what a game
Now THIS is the kinda passion that can pump up your audience! You've always helped hype up whatever game you're showcasing, but there was something inherently infectious about your zeal this time around. I am one of those morons who traded in this gem when I was but a wee lad because it was too hard for me at the time and BOY have I regretted that decision ever since. I sincerely hope the remaster/remake rumors are true, because this had me chomping at the bit to dive right into it. Thank you for always spreading the word about such incredible, underrated RPGs!
thank you for continuing to watch, i had a lot of fun making this one and i'm glad my love for this game came through with the narration! skies of arcadia deserves nothing but the best
Here's looking forward to the hopeful possibility of the rumored and much desired Skies Of Arcadia Remaster/Remake _actually_ coming to pass _and_ it being well executed and received. I thoroughly enjoyed Skies Of Arcadia myself, the Dreamcast original in particular, it would be astounding to have many of the younger players as well as those whom, for whatever reason didn't or couldn't get into either previous versions of SOA. This game deserves even more folks delving into its world, characters and just the entirety of Skies! "Blue Rogues... ATTACK!!"
This game is older than I am so I never really had the chance to play it myself until I stumbled upon it recently. I watched a full playthrough of the game but it still didn’t capture all the raw beauty of playing the game itself. I got to cry when I got absolutely demolished by Piastol for the 100th time, I got to laugh and cheer with Aika whenever we got to do something exciting in the story, I got mystified by the shrouded in clouds and hidden beneath ice dungeons, i got to cry (for real this time) with Racknam as he closed his eyes for the last time after a lifetime of pain, I got to scour every nook and cranny of Arcadia with my own hands rise far above and dwell far below the clouds to see everything the world had to offer. And for a game that I almost couldn’t have played ever! I now see why it has such a cult following, if I found this game as a kid I might’ve not given it a chance because as a picky brat, the graphics might have thrown me far off but now I can appreciate the length the devs went to put so SO much game in a medium with many hardware limitations. I feel sad that it’s a game no longer in print on a console no longer sold in stores, but hey now you can embrace the true pirate spirit! Vyse would be proud o7
Skies of Arcadia is fantastic. And the Legends version fixes a lot of the little niggles that the Dreamcast version had. Lowering that random encounter rate and also upping the xp and money gained was smart. Also, adding more to it, like the Wanted marks made things fun. They're like Super Bosses but scaled to where you are at that portion of the game. So, if they're giving you a hard time, just move forward a bit then come back and you'll be fine.
yeah these devs are really good with modernizing their games. the way they brought back og phantasy star was in a similar vain, so it's cool to see how well they were at their craft even way back then
For anyone who doesn't know about the Valkyria Chronicles series, in the first game Vyse and Aika are playable characters and Fina is an NPC. Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4 are on Switch, highly recommend.
n my opinion, this is SEGA's Magnum Opus not because of gameplay or setting, music etc. It's the greatest because it's a pure display of what SEGA was all about - Optimism, Fun, Earnestness, Adventure, Creativity and Hope
I finished this game 1 month ago for the first time ever and i CAN’T get enough. It is permanently stuck in my head. Thanks for this video! This is one of my favorite video game of all time
I can't wait to watch this after work, super excited for this .This is one of my favorite games of all time being covered by one of my favorite creator's. Keep up the great content and keep up the awesomeness.
You did an awesome job. I loved how you gave such great words for this masterpiece. Thank you. I named my daughter Arcadia after this game. Greatest game ever made. Without hesitation
Oh man Skies of Arcadia has been on my bucket list as well for years! I remember first hearing about this game from a UA-camr I used to follow pretty fervently and then being miffed because it was apparently only on Dreamcast, especially since I was just starting to get into JRPGs at the time. Then years later I would hear about Legends but I didn't have a Gamecube controller for my Wii nor a reliable way to find retro games NOR a computer good enough to emulate games on. So years went by (again) and I kinda forgot about this game UNTIL it was occasionally mentioned by certain countdown makers and naturally I went like that one meme pic Leonardo DiCaprio like "hey I know that". And so Skies of Arcadia was officially back in my consciousness, and after getting Dolphin working on a good laptop, I finally got to play the game for the first time a couple of years ago! And I stopped playing after the second dungeon. Not because the game was bad or anything, I just clearly remember being distracted a lot of other games at the time and combined with the fact that I didn't really like playing games on my laptop at the time if i could help it, SoA just kinda fell out of my play list. I do remember really liking it though! The opening was very strong and the battle system was interesting, though I do remember also taking issues with the speed and also not being able to position my characters (though I don't really remember why for that latter thing). Once I do finally go back to it (now that I have sweet and sexy desktop computer and a good chair to go with it) I'm probably gonna start it all the way from the beginning even if I do remember pretty well where I left off. Perhaps even record my playthrough for some purposes... As for the review itself, it was great once again! A lot of your gags were funny and I feel the way you had to find the love for this game by mulling it over and over really came through in your script. Another certified Zaffre banger for sure :D Also I would normally agree with the remark that derivative =/= bad but since I watch NicoB who criticizes some games for being derivative....... I absolutely 100% agree with it, my god I feel so heard
really appreciate you delving into your history with this game. i think the speed could be the one thing about combat driving people away from the game, but i've gotten super patient with slow games and the such so that never bothered me. it can be a bit much, though. hope you get back around to it man, this game is HEAT!
This video reminded me that even before 2020, this game was among the most difficult ones to follow in stores and then how hard it is to invest into older games now. Nice video!
Even though I have never met another person who played this the game was sold out at all but one store in my entire city and that was the last copy I'm so thankful my dad didn't give up and looked so hard
There was something special about games from about 1995-2000. Not sure what it was, but the move to 3d led to a burst of creativity in graphic design, gameplay and story telling. And also, small teams producing labours of love rather than corporate packages.
Couldn’t of said it better myself, it’s fantastic that the Dreamcast particularly is outputtable to 480p natively via VGA since it had a partial emphasis on computer games through easy backporting with Windows CE at the time. So if you have the TV that supports RGB-PC, they end up looking fantastic.
I've sadly never gotten to play this one myself, but it is near the top of my "most wanted" list and it is a criminal offense that Sega never rereleased this on any modern platforms. This is one of the few games where I can just watch footage of it and know I'll fall in love with it
oh i'm sure you will, it's really hard not to. here's hoping there'll be a re-release someday but for now... i mean, they *are* sky pirates... (for legal reasons i'm joking)
This game is so good and I would love to see a modern sequel with today's technology. But for those of you that love Arcadia like I do and want games with a similar feeling Solatorobo: Red the Hunter and Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana evoke some of the same vibes.
a sequel would be really cool, i'd love to see the main three grown up and re-experience the world years into the future. maybe even with some new faces - that'd be amazing. but honestly i'd kill just for a port, but some kinda hd-ification would pop off
I thought this was going to be just another random video i was going to watch before sleep, but you sold me on this game really hard. I bought it and i'm hyped to start my playthrough.
Loved every minute of this game, had it on the Dreamcast. the art, the music, the story ! Rixis music was so haunting, i could only think if the last people wiped out there by the Rains of destruction. Drachma is the 4th party member for me!
I bought this game on the Dreamcast right before they started unloading everything from Target back in the day. I only just beat it two years ago. I would pick it up in a heartbeat if they re-released it. I would love a remaster but at the same time the original is great. They could add a speed up time for the ship battles. That combat can really make the game drag. I did not have the time to play it on my Dreamcast and had to play it on re-dream due to work, travel, and kids. Still, it was incredible finally completing this masterpiece.
I have wanted to play this game for years. I know I probably should emulate it because it getting a modern re-release is most likely not happening but my code of morals won't let me. I only watched the first half of this before the story explanation because I don't want spoilers and I can tell this game is phenomenal. Here's hoping I get the chance to actually play it legitimately someday
This is the third review/retrospective of this game I've watched this week. I played Skies on the GameCube multiple times when it came out, I still have the physical copy and the system. I should really pull those out and play again.
As I like to collect games physically, I regrettably paid up for this game during the pandemic (I think around $180 or so) but it was honestly worth every penny. The premise alone hooked me but after playing to I truly understood why this game is regarded as it is. I did find the game to be a little grindy and I’ve never really liked random encounters but with a battle system as good and fleshed out as this, every battle made me feel like I was meaningfully progressing. Honestly wanna give it another replay after watching this video!
This master piece of a game, along the 2 Dark Cloud games and the 2 Mana Khemia games, are the top of my list of most desired rerelease/remaster/remake on modern consoles But among them, Skies of Arcadia is at the top of the list, I fell in love with this game after I first rented it (Legends), then got insanely lucky when the rent place shut down and sold it to me cheaply, still with its original box and manual in it, this game is easily one of my most ever replayed games of my life and 1 game I will never willingly part with, and I got this game around the middle point of life of the 7th console generation Skies of Arcadia made me realize a great story doesnt need to be all doom and gloom, that a great game doesnt need to have cutting edge graphics, that even flaws can be endearing, to me, the propouse of this games creating, for a positive experience when dark is the norm, resonated with me inmensly, I became able to exapand my vision of a work and its values, it sounds corny, but this game came to me at the perfect time to help me mature
I was lucky enough to get this on the dreamcast as a kid, so this game is hugely nostalgic for me. It's my number 1 all time favorite game. I would love for a port to steam with achievements, a remake like persona 3 reload just seems impossible but what a dream it would be to have a port and a remake (that stays true to the core of the game) This video really got me in my feelings. I do still have my copy, but yeah a pc port would be cool. With a fast forward button, lol for battles and ship battles. again I can play the game to this day without a problem, but people who are critical of the game that seems to be the biggest issue, the slow pace of ship battles specifically but all battles, as well as that under water segment being too slow. Some people, especially now adays, just don't have the patience, which is understandable. In the defense of the people who call the game grindy, The dreamcast version had a lot more random battles, that was something that was fixed in the gamecube version. Personally never bothered me, but in fairness the random encounters were a lot more frequent in the original version of the game.
Have to get my copy of SoA Legends out again after youtube recommended several reviews of this game in the last 2 days. Also got me to remember Grandia.
Thanks for such a great review of my favourite game ever, I must have completed it around 6/7 times so far, and watching this makes me want to dust off the old DC and play it through again 😀 Maybe one day we'll get a remaster/remake..
My most cherished gaming memories is my friend brininging in the menu for this game to school to show me. I bought the game straight away with any money i had saved up. I just love this game. It just oozes charm. I've not found another game that comes close to the vibe. Gimme more ship battles and air pirates you cowards at Sega!
Even when I think that Sega Magnum Opus is actually Shenmue until today (well part of my nickname makes it clear, lol ) But Skies of Arcadia is one of the RPGs that really grew on me, I love it, is a great trip and I'm glad that you enjoyed it too, even when I personally like the Dreamcast original version a little more just for the music (yeah the music is really important in a game for me) I reconigze that the Gamecube version is the deffinitive way to play in almost everything.
What I love is that about Skies is how...optimistic and rather wholesome it is. Yeah it has dark moments, but it is just so....vibrant. You aren't some edgy chosen one former royalty or the like. No, you're just a guy who, with his two girlfriends, and the power of friendship, head how to bonk an evil empire based off Spain.
You could still find Skies of Arcadia: Legends for reasonable prices in some places here in Europe when I bought it 3-4 years ago. I don't know what it goes for now but I'd argue that it's such a good game that it's actually worth a lot more than the original retail price. It's one of those few games where the inflated price actually reflects the quality of the game. Of course, it unfortunately prevents more people from experiencing this masterpiece. I get why people would pirate it, not playing it would be a bigger crime.
I've been eagerly anticipating this review and you certainly did not disappoint! Long comment incoming: Gosh, you nailed EVERYTHING that I've come to absolutely admire and utterly adore about this game so perfectly that I'm genuinely speechless. My journey with this game went like this: My older brother gifted me his GameCube when I was young, and with it, came a variety of games. Two of the standout ones being Tales of Symphonia & Skies of Arcadia Legends. Just like with Symphonia, Skies of Arcadia was a game I would play off and on, starting it but for one reason or another never finishing it. Then one day, I vowed to myself that I would play this game to completion. I wanted to prove to myself that I could play and finish a game like this, and that's exactly what I did. It's still one of the best decisions I've ever made. This is my second favorite GameCube game (Symphonia will always be #1 for me) and it's for all the reasons you mentioned in your video. This game's atmosphere is INFECTIOUS. The characters, the story, the worldbuilding, and adventure, all of it took my breath away with how incredibly FUN it was. This game highlights so many things I feel games nowadays either lack or just can't live up to. I set out with the goal to see this game through to the end, and in a way, I did exactly what the game wanted me to do. I did what the game's entire *message* wanted me to do, and that was to have the will and tenacity to go on a life-changing adventure not because it's expected or forced upon me, but simply for the pure, unadulterated joy of genuinely WANTING to. This game encompasses the very essence of adventure, the joy and compassion and drive we as human beings have to chase after the sun and see what lies beyond the horizon. That opening title screen with the endless sky beckoning you to dive in, the feeling of sailing through an infinitely endless sea of clouds and landscapes just waiting for you to discover and explore, the vibrant areas and colorful people all with their own fun little gimmicks and quirks, everything about this game just fills you with such satisfaction and fulfillment. I'm so incredibly glad I played this game. It will forever have a special place in my heart. Thank you for this wonderful review Zaffre. I can always count on you to give a game the spotlight and love it deserves
been loving reading these comments and seeing everyone's stories with this game! skies of arcadia is an adventurous game and as such people's stories with it have been so different. it's such a magical piece of work and i'm so happy to see it being discovered in such a variety. you're a lucky duck for getting this on gamecube tho, i'm still trying to get that happy ending for that opening story haha. also thanks for watching man, i really appreciate your support :)
@@ZaffreRevolution I'm like 7:30 minutes into the video as I write this. I love seeing people talk about SoA. I've been playing it since I was a kid and have enjoyed my many MANY playthroughs. Even some modded ones with extra difficulty or as simple as Fina's Blue Rouge outfit. 100/10 video game that doesn't need but DESERVES that HD port and or Remake! I'll check out your other content too! Your script for this video runs real smooth and is easy on the ears! Good stuff!
Its honestly a crime that we never got a sequel or similar game how tf theres no other exploratory jrpg with sky pirates and ship combat is beyond me also my nostalgia made me watch a bunch of reviews but the reviews are gonna cause me to replay the game at this rate (not hard to do though when this is probably my second favourite jrpg from childhood)
While I never played Skies growing up, despite a GameCube being one of my first consoles, I am sad that, twenty-two years later, this game has all but been forgotten by Sega, outside of some cameos.
Only ever played around 25% of it, I really need to go play through the entirety. Loved what I did play of it. Idk why Sega hasn't remade it yet, it would sell like hotcakes! Also the menu theme is awesome. Makes me feel like Bruce Wayne at some high end charity event..
It's amazing game, but I've only completed disc 1 of 2. My Dreamcast laser gave out shortly after I completed disc 1. There's so much rewarding exploration, the music is awesome, the sky battles are super fun, esp. against the giant weapons. The game does so much right. Someday in the near future I hope to find a good working condition Dreamcast to complete my play through of this gem.
It only took you 30 hours to play? I played game back to back when it first came out on the Dreamcast. Both times it took me 72 hours. But I grind and grind and explore every nook and cranny of this world. Anyways good video great game.
The only bad thing about this game is the random battle encounters you're literally getting in a battle like every 10 to 15 seconds other than that the game is amazing
Battles are also slow (no fast forward button, but you can speed-up battles on emulator). Also: compressed OST in Gamecube version and unbalanced magic. You use in most of time only green magic for healing, and ocassionaly red & silver magic for buff, fireball and revive (if you don't have items). Rest of game is perfect: 9,5/10.
I never finished this game as a kid I couldn't get past Ramirez just recently put 50 hours into the game and I'm going to drag on beating it as long as I can lol I really hope we can get a remastered or second version
I remember seeing a copy of this in GAME and my hand made no hesitation to grab this bad boy and empty my wallet of any valuables to purchase it, turns out the reason they had a copy was because the store manager knew that there is always at least 1 person who will buy that niche game plus it let's them find out what sort of customers lived in the area
I wonder if Sega is planning on doing a Skies of Arcadia Remake for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. If so, what will be the release date and what will be the new voice cast for the English dub of the game?
Man I wish I got this game back in the day when I had a GameCube I alwahs wanrer to try this. May need to work on getting the right emulator cause I can't afford the physical experience but damn this game looks so amazing. Amazing quality video too
glad you enjoyed the video! i think we're all kicking ourselves for not indulging on the gamecube back in the day given how expensive all of those games have become, but this one especially hurts my soul hahaha
@@ZaffreRevolution funny enough I ALSO got symphonic and i liked it...but never beat it xause inwasnt used to how long a tales game could he...straight up I remember getting to that giant tree and saying "man...this game sure is long" then somehow...stopped
Its obvious you didn't have a DC, though skies of Arcadia is definitely one of the best RPGs of all time. It was nowhere near as groundbreaking as Phantasy Star online. You ask anyone who got to play Phantasy Star online with a keyboard on the dc, and they will tell you it's not just the DC's/Segas RPG Opus, it was one of the first and last times where an online console game of its type was better than anything in the genre on PC ,pound for pound.
think how this game would BLAST in sales if people would get that this is the origin of One Piece if Sega would finally port/remake it, rip to Rieko Kodama at this point
Zaffre once again makes a video on a game I just started. happened with Tales of Vesperia happened with Azure Gunvolt 2 And now with Skies of Arcadia I'm going to skip this video now and come back once I beat the game. I'm just going to comment to give support. Have a nice day Zaffre.
Skies of Arcadia was super fun. My favorite part about it has to be the dynamic between Vyse, Aika and Fina. My least favorite part about it is the ship battles I think they suck and take too long. I think this is a game I want to be remade most after megaman starforce.
Sega seems to have a habit of making sleeper hits that are often overlooked, the Yakuza series was another one Sega came up with that took over 10 years for the west to realize that the series was incredible. I’d argue that of modern games Yakuza is Sega’s absolute best and underrated IP.
always these trashy weeb games. giving people such feels. unlike most of what the west craps out... but being mad about microtransactions and all the other bs is a feeling too i guess.
I'm so mad that there is not a modern remaster of this classic game, especially before the passing of Rieko Kodama :(
rest in peace to a legend!! wish this could've seen a re-release of some kind before her passing, but maybe re-releasing it to honor her would be great as well
The game is so rich that you could basically do anything with it (remaster, remake, new game based on the ancient war between civilizations, or based on the life of Daccat) and it would be fucking good. The game didn't sell that much back then but now it has earned itself such a reputation that any kind of re-release would create a thunderstorm of sales
I'd imagine the script would now include tweaks to incorporate the JelloApocalypse fandub hahahaa.
I’ve never really been sad about a celebrity death but I literally screamed and teared up when I heard. I immediately started playing her games I owned, and finished it off with Skies
@@drowningin same 😭
This is the one obscure game that I had as a kid and still own to this day. The Dreamcast was an incredible system for a 10 year old. I still think this is one of the best games ever made. The story telling is top notch. The pacing is really good with lots of interesting and colorful characters. They really took that Treasure Island kinda feel and implanted it into a solid JRPG.
Skies of Arcadia is in my top 10 greatest games ever made and its truly saddens me that besides us hardcore old school fans, it has mostly been forgotten by the industry. A masterpiece.
I've recently started a list of my favorite games of all time, and Skies is also on my top 10. Dude, speaking of Sega RPGs, Persona 5 Tactica is probably making my top 10 list too. It's absolutely incredible.
This game is a masterpiece indeed!
Plesae share something more like this. It would be nice for me to relive the same emotions now :)
And remember... WE ARE THOUSANDS OF FEET IN THE AIR!
DUDES ROCK
Bro bye sir
my favourite game of all time. there's simply not a better RPG out there. possibly the most important piece of media i've experienced for personal reasons.
This is my favorite game of all time. I've played through both versions once about every one to two years since they released. I love everything about them so much. I still get chills every time I enter the dark rift, or deep sky, or descending through the vortex to recover Fina's ship.
I agree that this is one of the best games ever made. Looking back on it Shenmue really eclipsed Skies, but as time goes on Shenmue has not aged well but Skies is like that hot milf that looks just as good as she did in her 20s.
I've owned & played Skies of Arcadia over a decade ago when I got my Dreamcast & after numerous playthroughs I've been loving it more. This game is just a feel good RPG with a lovable casts & sometimes that's all you need. I'm glad you finally got to play it & glad to see more people sharing the love for this game.
this IS a feel good game! i do like when it dips into the drama every now and then but the nice vibes are so great throughout the majority. love the characters, love exploring, love it all. what a game
This and Panzer Dragoon Saga are under appreciated.
Now THIS is the kinda passion that can pump up your audience! You've always helped hype up whatever game you're showcasing, but there was something inherently infectious about your zeal this time around. I am one of those morons who traded in this gem when I was but a wee lad because it was too hard for me at the time and BOY have I regretted that decision ever since. I sincerely hope the remaster/remake rumors are true, because this had me chomping at the bit to dive right into it. Thank you for always spreading the word about such incredible, underrated RPGs!
thank you for continuing to watch, i had a lot of fun making this one and i'm glad my love for this game came through with the narration! skies of arcadia deserves nothing but the best
Jelloapocalypse and friends taught me this game existed recently and I can’t believe it flew under my radar for so long
If they remake this, im pre-ordering right away.
Here's looking forward to the hopeful possibility of the rumored and much desired Skies Of Arcadia Remaster/Remake _actually_ coming to pass _and_ it being well executed and received. I thoroughly enjoyed Skies Of Arcadia myself, the Dreamcast original in particular, it would be astounding to have many of the younger players as well as those whom, for whatever reason didn't or couldn't get into either previous versions of SOA. This game deserves even more folks delving into its world, characters and just the entirety of Skies!
"Blue Rogues... ATTACK!!"
Zaffre really become the Sega RPGs guy huh........NEAT
thought rpg's would help bridge my older audience to more sega games but at this point i might as well just dive in huh? lol
This game is older than I am so I never really had the chance to play it myself until I stumbled upon it recently.
I watched a full playthrough of the game but it still didn’t capture all the raw beauty of playing the game itself.
I got to cry when I got absolutely demolished by Piastol for the 100th time, I got to laugh and cheer with Aika whenever we got to do something exciting in the story, I got mystified by the shrouded in clouds and hidden beneath ice dungeons, i got to cry (for real this time) with Racknam as he closed his eyes for the last time after a lifetime of pain, I got to scour every nook and cranny of Arcadia with my own hands rise far above and dwell far below the clouds to see everything the world had to offer. And for a game that I almost couldn’t have played ever!
I now see why it has such a cult following, if I found this game as a kid I might’ve not given it a chance because as a picky brat, the graphics might have thrown me far off but now I can appreciate the length the devs went to put so SO much game in a medium with many hardware limitations.
I feel sad that it’s a game no longer in print on a console no longer sold in stores, but hey now you can embrace the true pirate spirit! Vyse would be proud o7
Skies of Arcadia is fantastic. And the Legends version fixes a lot of the little niggles that the Dreamcast version had. Lowering that random encounter rate and also upping the xp and money gained was smart. Also, adding more to it, like the Wanted marks made things fun. They're like Super Bosses but scaled to where you are at that portion of the game. So, if they're giving you a hard time, just move forward a bit then come back and you'll be fine.
yeah these devs are really good with modernizing their games. the way they brought back og phantasy star was in a similar vain, so it's cool to see how well they were at their craft even way back then
For anyone who doesn't know about the Valkyria Chronicles series, in the first game Vyse and Aika are playable characters and Fina is an NPC.
Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4 are on Switch, highly recommend.
n my opinion, this is SEGA's Magnum Opus not because of gameplay or setting, music etc. It's the greatest because it's a pure display of what SEGA was all about - Optimism, Fun, Earnestness, Adventure, Creativity and Hope
I finished this game 1 month ago for the first time ever and i CAN’T get enough. It is permanently stuck in my head.
Thanks for this video! This is one of my favorite video game of all time
I can't wait to watch this after work, super excited for this .This is one of my favorite games of all time being covered by one of my favorite creator's. Keep up the great content and keep up the awesomeness.
thanks for leaving a comment in the meantime, the algorithm's been kicking my ass
One of my favorite games.❤
You did an awesome job. I loved how you gave such great words for this masterpiece. Thank you. I named my daughter Arcadia after this game. Greatest game ever made. Without hesitation
Title is nothing but facts. THE greatest RPG world, potentially video game world. Enjoying my playthrough of it
hell yeah this is a guy i can get down with
Needs to come back on switch or something, especially with Sega' saying they are bringing back crazy taxi, jet set radio, shinobi, golden axe etc
Oh man Skies of Arcadia has been on my bucket list as well for years! I remember first hearing about this game from a UA-camr I used to follow pretty fervently and then being miffed because it was apparently only on Dreamcast, especially since I was just starting to get into JRPGs at the time. Then years later I would hear about Legends but I didn't have a Gamecube controller for my Wii nor a reliable way to find retro games NOR a computer good enough to emulate games on. So years went by (again) and I kinda forgot about this game UNTIL it was occasionally mentioned by certain countdown makers and naturally I went like that one meme pic Leonardo DiCaprio like "hey I know that". And so Skies of Arcadia was officially back in my consciousness, and after getting Dolphin working on a good laptop, I finally got to play the game for the first time a couple of years ago!
And I stopped playing after the second dungeon.
Not because the game was bad or anything, I just clearly remember being distracted a lot of other games at the time and combined with the fact that I didn't really like playing games on my laptop at the time if i could help it, SoA just kinda fell out of my play list.
I do remember really liking it though! The opening was very strong and the battle system was interesting, though I do remember also taking issues with the speed and also not being able to position my characters (though I don't really remember why for that latter thing). Once I do finally go back to it (now that I have sweet and sexy desktop computer and a good chair to go with it) I'm probably gonna start it all the way from the beginning even if I do remember pretty well where I left off. Perhaps even record my playthrough for some purposes...
As for the review itself, it was great once again! A lot of your gags were funny and I feel the way you had to find the love for this game by mulling it over and over really came through in your script. Another certified Zaffre banger for sure :D
Also I would normally agree with the remark that derivative =/= bad but since I watch NicoB who criticizes some games for being derivative....... I absolutely 100% agree with it, my god I feel so heard
really appreciate you delving into your history with this game. i think the speed could be the one thing about combat driving people away from the game, but i've gotten super patient with slow games and the such so that never bothered me. it can be a bit much, though. hope you get back around to it man, this game is HEAT!
This video reminded me that even before 2020, this game was among the most difficult ones to follow in stores and then how hard it is to invest into older games now. Nice video!
it's a shame considering how freaking good the game is haha. and thank you!
Even though I have never met another person who played this the game was sold out at all but one store in my entire city and that was the last copy I'm so thankful my dad didn't give up and looked so hard
There was something special about games from about 1995-2000. Not sure what it was, but the move to 3d led to a burst of creativity in graphic design, gameplay and story telling.
And also, small teams producing labours of love rather than corporate packages.
Couldn’t of said it better myself, it’s fantastic that the Dreamcast particularly is outputtable to 480p natively via VGA since it had a partial emphasis on computer games through easy backporting with Windows CE at the time. So if you have the TV that supports RGB-PC, they end up looking fantastic.
I've sadly never gotten to play this one myself, but it is near the top of my "most wanted" list and it is a criminal offense that Sega never rereleased this on any modern platforms.
This is one of the few games where I can just watch footage of it and know I'll fall in love with it
oh i'm sure you will, it's really hard not to. here's hoping there'll be a re-release someday but for now... i mean, they *are* sky pirates... (for legal reasons i'm joking)
@@ZaffreRevolutioneven the game’s introduction makes notice of the fact for those who bought this treasure at current prices 😛
This game is so good and I would love to see a modern sequel with today's technology. But for those of you that love Arcadia like I do and want games with a similar feeling Solatorobo: Red the Hunter and Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana evoke some of the same vibes.
a sequel would be really cool, i'd love to see the main three grown up and re-experience the world years into the future. maybe even with some new faces - that'd be amazing. but honestly i'd kill just for a port, but some kinda hd-ification would pop off
Ys 8 is the absolute perfect 10/10 recommendation for similar games!
Both Solotorobo and Ys8 are great games! It’s always good to see fellow fans of them.
I've been waiting for this game to be re-released for forever. I never forgot it and I'm still waiting.
I thought this was going to be just another random video i was going to watch before sleep, but you sold me on this game really hard. I bought it and i'm hyped to start my playthrough.
If any game at all could even be called perfect without it sounding like bull shit, it is 100% this one
I still have my Dreamcast and Skies of Arcadia. Freaking loved playing the game! I actually pulled it out last year and played it.
Wonderful review, and yeah to say I’m sold on playing this game because of this at some point, would be a massive UNDERSTATEMENT
hell yeah!! get that skies of arcadia boy, game's so freakin frackin good
Loved every minute of this game, had it on the Dreamcast. the art, the music, the story ! Rixis music was so haunting, i could only think if the last people wiped out there by the Rains of destruction. Drachma is the 4th party member for me!
Best game ever made.
Absolutely loved this video. This is my favourite game hands down and i always love seeing people cover it, especially with such enthusiasm
Jeez, took me a year but FINALLY I can watch this now that I finished the game myself. Been waiting to see this since you released it!
Glad I finally watched this, amazing work Zaffre! It is a crime this doesn't have more likes. Keep up your amazing work!
@@RoseRedViper remembering to come back after all this time is dedication! i really appreciate you
Amazing video of one of the games of my life. Please, SEGA, bring it back somehow.
I bought this game on the Dreamcast right before they started unloading everything from Target back in the day. I only just beat it two years ago. I would pick it up in a heartbeat if they re-released it. I would love a remaster but at the same time the original is great. They could add a speed up time for the ship battles. That combat can really make the game drag. I did not have the time to play it on my Dreamcast and had to play it on re-dream due to work, travel, and kids. Still, it was incredible finally completing this masterpiece.
I have wanted to play this game for years. I know I probably should emulate it because it getting a modern re-release is most likely not happening but my code of morals won't let me. I only watched the first half of this before the story explanation because I don't want spoilers and I can tell this game is phenomenal. Here's hoping I get the chance to actually play it legitimately someday
i hope the game gets that official release at some point man. would love even a simple hd port, i think the game is perfect as is
This is the third review/retrospective of this game I've watched this week.
I played Skies on the GameCube multiple times when it came out, I still have the physical copy and the system. I should really pull those out and play again.
As I like to collect games physically, I regrettably paid up for this game during the pandemic (I think around $180 or so) but it was honestly worth every penny. The premise alone hooked me but after playing to I truly understood why this game is regarded as it is. I did find the game to be a little grindy and I’ve never really liked random encounters but with a battle system as good and fleshed out as this, every battle made me feel like I was meaningfully progressing. Honestly wanna give it another replay after watching this video!
100% one of the best experiences of my gaming life.
This master piece of a game, along the 2 Dark Cloud games and the 2 Mana Khemia games, are the top of my list of most desired rerelease/remaster/remake on modern consoles
But among them, Skies of Arcadia is at the top of the list, I fell in love with this game after I first rented it (Legends), then got insanely lucky when the rent place shut down and sold it to me cheaply, still with its original box and manual in it, this game is easily one of my most ever replayed games of my life and 1 game I will never willingly part with, and I got this game around the middle point of life of the 7th console generation
Skies of Arcadia made me realize a great story doesnt need to be all doom and gloom, that a great game doesnt need to have cutting edge graphics, that even flaws can be endearing, to me, the propouse of this games creating, for a positive experience when dark is the norm, resonated with me inmensly, I became able to exapand my vision of a work and its values, it sounds corny, but this game came to me at the perfect time to help me mature
I own and adore it's game. I do a annual play through for the past 13 years. Still haven't lost it's magic
I was lucky enough to get this on the dreamcast as a kid, so this game is hugely nostalgic for me. It's my number 1 all time favorite game. I would love for a port to steam with achievements, a remake like persona 3 reload just seems impossible but what a dream it would be to have a port and a remake (that stays true to the core of the game) This video really got me in my feelings. I do still have my copy, but yeah a pc port would be cool. With a fast forward button, lol for battles and ship battles. again I can play the game to this day without a problem, but people who are critical of the game that seems to be the biggest issue, the slow pace of ship battles specifically but all battles, as well as that under water segment being too slow. Some people, especially now adays, just don't have the patience, which is understandable.
In the defense of the people who call the game grindy, The dreamcast version had a lot more random battles, that was something that was fixed in the gamecube version. Personally never bothered me, but in fairness the random encounters were a lot more frequent in the original version of the game.
Have to get my copy of SoA Legends out again after youtube recommended several reviews of this game in the last 2 days.
Also got me to remember Grandia.
this was a beautiful game.
Thanks for such a great review of my favourite game ever, I must have completed it around 6/7 times so far, and watching this makes me want to dust off the old DC and play it through again 😀
Maybe one day we'll get a remaster/remake..
My most cherished gaming memories is my friend brininging in the menu for this game to school to show me.
I bought the game straight away with any money i had saved up. I just love this game. It just oozes charm. I've not found another game that comes close to the vibe.
Gimme more ship battles and air pirates you cowards at Sega!
Even when I think that Sega Magnum Opus is actually Shenmue until today (well part of my nickname makes it clear, lol ) But Skies of Arcadia is one of the RPGs that really grew on me, I love it, is a great trip and I'm glad that you enjoyed it too, even when I personally like the Dreamcast original version a little more just for the music (yeah the music is really important in a game for me) I reconigze that the Gamecube version is the deffinitive way to play in almost everything.
What I love is that about Skies is how...optimistic and rather wholesome it is. Yeah it has dark moments, but it is just so....vibrant. You aren't some edgy chosen one former royalty or the like. No, you're just a guy who, with his two girlfriends, and the power of friendship, head how to bonk an evil empire based off Spain.
You could still find Skies of Arcadia: Legends for reasonable prices in some places here in Europe when I bought it 3-4 years ago. I don't know what it goes for now but I'd argue that it's such a good game that it's actually worth a lot more than the original retail price. It's one of those few games where the inflated price actually reflects the quality of the game. Of course, it unfortunately prevents more people from experiencing this masterpiece.
I get why people would pirate it, not playing it would be a bigger crime.
I've been eagerly anticipating this review and you certainly did not disappoint! Long comment incoming:
Gosh, you nailed EVERYTHING that I've come to absolutely admire and utterly adore about this game so perfectly that I'm genuinely speechless. My journey with this game went like this: My older brother gifted me his GameCube when I was young, and with it, came a variety of games. Two of the standout ones being Tales of Symphonia & Skies of Arcadia Legends. Just like with Symphonia, Skies of Arcadia was a game I would play off and on, starting it but for one reason or another never finishing it. Then one day, I vowed to myself that I would play this game to completion. I wanted to prove to myself that I could play and finish a game like this, and that's exactly what I did. It's still one of the best decisions I've ever made. This is my second favorite GameCube game (Symphonia will always be #1 for me) and it's for all the reasons you mentioned in your video. This game's atmosphere is INFECTIOUS. The characters, the story, the worldbuilding, and adventure, all of it took my breath away with how incredibly FUN it was. This game highlights so many things I feel games nowadays either lack or just can't live up to. I set out with the goal to see this game through to the end, and in a way, I did exactly what the game wanted me to do. I did what the game's entire *message* wanted me to do, and that was to have the will and tenacity to go on a life-changing adventure not because it's expected or forced upon me, but simply for the pure, unadulterated joy of genuinely WANTING to. This game encompasses the very essence of adventure, the joy and compassion and drive we as human beings have to chase after the sun and see what lies beyond the horizon. That opening title screen with the endless sky beckoning you to dive in, the feeling of sailing through an infinitely endless sea of clouds and landscapes just waiting for you to discover and explore, the vibrant areas and colorful people all with their own fun little gimmicks and quirks, everything about this game just fills you with such satisfaction and fulfillment. I'm so incredibly glad I played this game. It will forever have a special place in my heart.
Thank you for this wonderful review Zaffre. I can always count on you to give a game the spotlight and love it deserves
been loving reading these comments and seeing everyone's stories with this game! skies of arcadia is an adventurous game and as such people's stories with it have been so different. it's such a magical piece of work and i'm so happy to see it being discovered in such a variety. you're a lucky duck for getting this on gamecube tho, i'm still trying to get that happy ending for that opening story haha.
also thanks for watching man, i really appreciate your support :)
I am somehow subbed to this channel and I looked at the other videos and I still don't remember subbing. But skies of Arcadia content so I'm staying
you love to see it
@@ZaffreRevolution I'm like 7:30 minutes into the video as I write this. I love seeing people talk about SoA. I've been playing it since I was a kid and have enjoyed my many MANY playthroughs. Even some modded ones with extra difficulty or as simple as Fina's Blue Rouge outfit. 100/10 video game that doesn't need but DESERVES that HD port and or Remake!
I'll check out your other content too! Your script for this video runs real smooth and is easy on the ears! Good stuff!
This and Grandia 2 were absolutely great.
Skies of Arcadia is basically a one-piece jrpg. Aika reminds me of Nami, Fina is clearly Vivi, and Vyse feels like a combination of Luffy and Zoro.
I love SoA but SEGA's Magnum Opus will forever be Shenmue I&II.
I love skies so damn much 🥺💙🏴☠️
Its honestly a crime that we never got a sequel or similar game how tf theres no other exploratory jrpg with sky pirates and ship combat is beyond me also my nostalgia made me watch a bunch of reviews but the reviews are gonna cause me to replay the game at this rate (not hard to do though when this is probably my second favourite jrpg from childhood)
While I never played Skies growing up, despite a GameCube being one of my first consoles, I am sad that, twenty-two years later, this game has all but been forgotten by Sega, outside of some cameos.
Indeed as many say
This game deserve a remaster remake with new voice acting
While not trying to take away to much of the anime style
I need to go back and play Skies again.
To be completely honest, pirating the game DOES fit within the theme of the game 😂
Only ever played around 25% of it, I really need to go play through the entirety. Loved what I did play of it. Idk why Sega hasn't remade it yet, it would sell like hotcakes! Also the menu theme is awesome. Makes me feel like Bruce Wayne at some high end charity event..
Another must-play game i have in my backlog, I do remember buying this for around 45 bucks which is really good for gamecube prices all right
45 bucks??? you lucky bastard... definitely get to it at some point, this is one of the best jrpg's ever!
Thank you!
It's amazing game, but I've only completed disc 1 of 2. My Dreamcast laser gave out shortly after I completed disc 1. There's so much rewarding exploration, the music is awesome, the sky battles are super fun, esp. against the giant weapons. The game does so much right. Someday in the near future I hope to find a good working condition Dreamcast to complete my play through of this gem.
Yooooo god damn man homie really did some work with this video!!!!!!!
the man comes thru!!
Oh shit I thought I'd seen all three Skies essays!
now you can suffer with the rest of us while we wait for a remaster that will never come. welcome to the fanbase lol.
Let's hope Sega to re-release this masterpiece someday!
Damn,this does seem very sweet.
It only took you 30 hours to play?
I played game back to back when it first came out on the Dreamcast.
Both times it took me 72 hours.
But I grind and grind and explore every nook and cranny of this world.
Anyways good video great game.
The only bad thing about this game is the random battle encounters you're literally getting in a battle like every 10 to 15 seconds other than that the game is amazing
Battles are also slow (no fast forward button, but you can speed-up battles on emulator). Also: compressed OST in Gamecube version and unbalanced magic. You use in most of time only green magic for healing, and ocassionaly red & silver magic for buff, fireball and revive (if you don't have items). Rest of game is perfect: 9,5/10.
I never finished this game as a kid I couldn't get past Ramirez just recently put 50 hours into the game and I'm going to drag on beating it as long as I can lol I really hope we can get a remastered or second version
I hope this game someday gets a remaster that I can play in PC, and a remake too, why not jaja.
Common Zaffre banger video
you know it
Banger video (as always)
can't be out here delivering anything less
I remember seeing a copy of this in GAME and my hand made no hesitation to grab this bad boy and empty my wallet of any valuables to purchase it, turns out the reason they had a copy was because the store manager knew that there is always at least 1 person who will buy that niche game plus it let's them find out what sort of customers lived in the area
I wonder if Sega is planning on doing a Skies of Arcadia Remake for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. If so, what will be the release date and what will be the new voice cast for the English dub of the game?
Man I wish I got this game back in the day when I had a GameCube I alwahs wanrer to try this. May need to work on getting the right emulator cause I can't afford the physical experience but damn this game looks so amazing. Amazing quality video too
glad you enjoyed the video! i think we're all kicking ourselves for not indulging on the gamecube back in the day given how expensive all of those games have become, but this one especially hurts my soul hahaha
@@ZaffreRevolution funny enough I ALSO got symphonic and i liked it...but never beat it xause inwasnt used to how long a tales game could he...straight up I remember getting to that giant tree and saying "man...this game sure is long" then somehow...stopped
Its obvious you didn't have a DC, though skies of Arcadia is definitely one of the best RPGs of all time.
It was nowhere near as groundbreaking as Phantasy Star online.
You ask anyone who got to play Phantasy Star online with a keyboard on the dc, and they will tell you it's not just the DC's/Segas RPG Opus, it was one of the first and last times where an online console game of its type was better than anything in the genre on PC ,pound for pound.
Thanks bruv!
thank you reyn
Now I want to know what the Saturn version would have looked like
i would've LOVED to see how that turned out just like the cd version of psiv, but i'm glad i'm in the timeline with this version
HELL YEAH
think how this game would BLAST in sales if people would get that this is the origin of One Piece if Sega would finally port/remake it, rip to Rieko Kodama at this point
Zaffre once again makes a video on a game I just started.
happened with Tales of Vesperia
happened with Azure Gunvolt 2
And now with Skies of Arcadia
I'm going to skip this video now and come back once I beat the game.
I'm just going to comment to give support. Have a nice day Zaffre.
really appreciate you all helping with the crazy algorithm! enjoy your playthrough :)
Skies of Arcadia was super fun. My favorite part about it has to be the dynamic between Vyse, Aika and Fina. My least favorite part about it is the ship battles I think they suck and take too long. I think this is a game I want to be remade most after megaman starforce.
the closest thing to the perfect one piece game 😔😔💗
Whhhyyy has this not been remastered or remade?!
Hey, this isn't Yakuza 0!
(Jokes aside, cool to see this get recommended lately, definitely gotta play it at some point.)
might be getting around to that game soon! been playing through it and it's kinda lowkey really freakin good
It might feel like backtracking but I’d highly recommend grandia 1/2 and lunar 1/2
new sub !
Have both versions, never played them 😅
Thats illegal
@@TheBeggies95 🤣🤣
Sega seems to have a habit of making sleeper hits that are often overlooked, the Yakuza series was another one Sega came up with that took over 10 years for the west to realize that the series was incredible.
I’d argue that of modern games Yakuza is Sega’s absolute best and underrated IP.
what happend to your tales of vids
To me Panzer Dragoon Saga is clearly Segas magnum opus. SA is good but doesn´t come close.
Game is okay but not replayable.
Hard disagree
always these trashy weeb games. giving people such feels. unlike most of what the west craps out...
but being mad about microtransactions and all the other bs is a feeling too i guess.
these silly little weeb games be hitting different hahaha. even back then japan was poppin off
I really enjoyed this review ! You did one of my favorite video game ever justice 🥲