Wild Arms 2 gameplay systems unveiled

[08.10.99] » Contrail introduces the "Personal Skill" and "Encounter Cancel" systems.

   As regular GIA readers know, no Japanese RPG would be caught dead without at least one bizarrely-named gameplay "system." Not one to be left out of the crowd, Contrail has implemented two such systems in Wild Arms 2nd Ignition: the "Personal Skill" and "Encounter Cancel" systems.

   The Personal Skill System is a simple concept: whenever a character gains a level, he or she receives a certain number of skill points. Said points can then be distributed amongst your statistics (such as strength, agility, etc.) to reinforce strengths or shore up weaknesses.

   The other system, the Encounter Cancel System, resembles similar features in Shadow Madness and Earthbound. When the party encounters weak random monsters (such as those in an earlier area of the game), a white exclamation mark appears over the party leader's head. Quickly pressing the correct button will avert the battle and allow you to continue on your way without having to fight sure-win battles.

   A third, nameless system also appears in the game. Under this system, all the bosses in the game can be attacked in different body parts. Doing enough damage to one part of the boss's party will disable it and prevent your foe from using certain attacks -- while this scenario is hardly unique (most RPGs feature at least one such battle), Wild Arms 2 represents the first time such a system has been standardized for every boss in the game. (Regular, non-boss enemies only have one attackable body part.)