The first JRPG released on Xbox 360.
It has always been said that Xbox consoles, despite some good times, suffered from a lack of quality Japanese titles. This has been the case most of the time and the problems of Microsoft to get that Xbox is properly accepted in Japan have been well documented over the years. The lack of JRPGs the top level has compounded the problem over the years, although it’s a, shall we say, niche genre for some people.
What often goes unnoticed, however, is that Xbox consoles saw some truly amazing Japanese releases, especially during the game’s early days. Original Xbox and Xbox 360. Although not all of them were exclusive, many of them were overlooked. Many of these titles fell by the wayside as they were ignored by the mainstream in favor of more recognizable titles like Final Fantasy.
Well, since now Elden Ring seriously doesn’t care, why not talk about one of the hidden works of From software
FromSoftware chose to launch Enchanted Arms like a timed exclusive for Xbox 360, but was it worth it? The game followed Atsuma, the eternal teenage anime character, who is studying at the Enchant Magical Universitywhere students learn the history and the power of the golemswho primarily act as robotic assistants, but we learn early on that self-aware Golems, led by powerful beings known as Devil Golems, once wreaked havoc on so-called Golem Wars, setting the stage for events to come. the following is a pretty standard anime story, in which Atsuma and his classmates skip school to enjoy a festival that is suddenly cut short when an ancient evil awakens. Thus begins the journey of Atsuma, who must learn to control the mysterious power of his right arm, grow from a lazy idiot into a hero, and save the world. Along the way, he must make new friends and recruit a small army of Golems to help him defeat the Rice queen
In addition to the many cinematographic scenes that tell us the story, most of the game has us controlling Atsuma and exploring fairly linear maps and the mythical (and hated) Random Battles. Explore cities and dungeons of enchanted weapons is Jack, Knight and King; even if is there another secondary road which usually leads to a treasure chest or a battle with a Golem which will grant the player the “core” of this Golemwhich can be used to add it to your team (some of these can also be purchased or earned by defeating bosses, later).
However, one of the best things about this title comes from the game’s combat system, which is a strategy-based RPG. Battles take place on a 6×4 grid and involve placing your team members on the grid to maximize the range of their various attacks and the offensive and defensive advantages that smart placement provides. It was a combat system that, at first glance, is very simple, but it has a surprising depth
Enchanted Arms, therefore, It’s a game with a lot of ups and downs, so it’s easy to see why it was overlooked when it was first published. The story, despite having great moments, is something we’ve all seen before, the music barely stands out and it’s said to be very simple. However, is one of those games in the Xbox 360 catalog that have a soul.
If you can overlook their flaws, Enchanted Arms has a lot to offer: light adventure with fun battle system, anime story with great Japanese voice acting, Golems system, lots of fun and that jrpg vibe 15 years ago that many loved so much. If you’re looking for a JRPG to add to your library, if you forgot about Enchanted Arms when it came out, or if you just you want to delve a bit into the FromSoftware catalogI really recommend you to try. A simple game, but of quality.
Enchanted Arms is backward compatible (can be played in both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S) and cheap for a game that lasts over 20 hours. You can get the game from the Xbox Store for $19.99.
