Skies of Arcadia (DC)

The adventure sets sail in vast azure skies, where people live on lush floating islands and travel in airships. Yet all is not well. Disrupting the peaceful order is the evil Valuan Empire, intent on bringing the entire world under an iron rule. In order to halt this exercise in terror, players assume the role of Vyse, a boy who must become a hero by collecting magical stones spread across six distinct worlds, each with its own diverse culture, language, traditions, and style of dress. Throughout his adventure, Vyse and his companions can interact with more than 300 characters, cast more than 36 magic spells, and customize 70 different weapons, illustrating the immense breadth of the game.

Skill and strategy are key components in "Skies of Arcadia." Using a classic turn-based combat, gamers will battle hand-to-hand and ship-to-ship. Both modes of fighting require planning several factors, from selecting the choice of weapons to the timing of attacks. Players can also customize their battle ship and headquarters, choose their pirate flag and assemble a crew of up to 22 members, each of which will affect the storyline and gameplay.

Gamers can enhance their RPG experience by playing special mini-games or by downloading bonus items from the Internet to their VMU (Visual Memory Unit). Combine this with a full 3D world to explore, 360-degree freedom of movement in your sky-ship, and the unique "Spirit Bar" in battle, and "Skies of Arcadia" becomes the first epic RPG for Dreamcast.