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This is a great game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The only BAD thing about the game is the English voice acting, but it's not THAT bad. The game is hilarious, the battle system is pretty cool, (except for the fact that only one person can actually attack in every battle... but most battles are easy enough, anyway) and it has a nice storyline... The dungeons are complicated, but the enemies are more annoying than dangerous. The people are in 2D, but the backgrounds are 3D, which is pretty nice. This game might be better for guys, though, because of the dates- only Meis, the main character, can date.

One more thing- the opening and ending songs are GREAT!!! They're sung in Japanese by Ayumi Hamasaki!!! You can listen to the ending song whenever you like by playing disc 2 on a CD player!!!

A very original RPG in a genre filled with stale offerings.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

In the RPG genre, it's very difficult to be original. Most of the time, RPGs are just variations of concepts that can be found in almost every other genre. Of course, some manage to be original in some way, like the "Final Fantasy" series, the "Grandia" games, and the heatedly debated "Legend of Dragoon". But probably one of the most original games found in the RPG market (at least in the US) is Atlus' "Thousand Arms". A game that differs in practically every way, "Thousand Arms" is an RPG gamer's dream come true.

The first sign that "Thousand Arms" is unique can be found in the story. You play Meis, the son of a famous Spirit Blacksmith, who is trying to find his place in the world - and food in his stomach - after he lost his noble status when his village was attacked by the Dark Acolytes. Unlike most noble heros in RPGs, Meis is a playboy and womanizer and charms, or attemtps to charm, practically every woman he sees. He eventually meets Sodina, sister of a famous Spirit Blacksmith, and from here the story really starts moving. Of course, there's the usual megalomaniac trying to rule the world and all that, but hey, it's an RPG. Some things are bound to stay the same, but this game has enough variety to help it stand out in the crowd.

The uniqueness crosses over into the gameplay. The battle system is definately different from other RPGs. Instead of all characters battling all foes at once, only one character fights an enemy one at a time in the frontline while other characters remain in the back line. But the back characters do serve a purpose; they can use items, defensive magic, or go on standby, where they can taunt the enemy or cheer the frontline character, both of which can cause certain status effects. While it sounds mundane, this battle system is a very refreshing change.

But the best part of the gameplay has to be what has rarely been seen in the US: the dating sim. The lead character Meis can actually take certain girls on dates, where the girls asks Meis questions and, depending upon the answer he selects, her intimacy toward him changes. And this isn't without a reason. A high intimacy level with a girl can let Meis forge stronger weapons with powerful spells, so the dating aspect of the game isn't only interesting, it's necessary. Of course, it's important to raise a girl's imtimacy level, but it's also fun to choose the wrong answers in the dating questions, just to see the girl's reactions. While not a full-fledged dating sim, it's still a lot of fun, and it's a pity this game didn't pave the way for dating sims like "Tokimeki Memorial" and "Sentimental Graffiti" to come to the US.

Graphically, "Thousand Arms" has standard yet amazing PSX-graphics. Unlike the PSX "Final Fantasy" games, environments aren't pre-rendered backgrounds but a living, breathing world, somewhat like the one seen in "FFX". But the game still manages to look different because of its anime-style characters. The FMV cutscenes feel like a wacky anime series, and the excellent opening seems to only solidify this feeling. Characters in the main screen are sprites, but in battle they become fully realized characters, albeit somewhat flat ones.

Soundwise, this game earns top marks in most areas. Atlus made a very good conscious decision to leave in the original Japanese opening and ending. And the game features over 12 hours of spoken dialogue, most of which is in the dating part of the game. The voice acting can sound a little forced sometimes, but overall it sounds very well done. The only thing that probably falls flat in the sound department is the background music. While not terrible, there's nothing really catchy or noteworthy, and the battle theme does sound a little out of place.

All in all, "Thousand Arms" is a fantastic RPG and should be seriously considered by any serious RPG fan. While games like the "Final Fantasy" series and "Chrono Cross" are landmarks in the genre, "Thousand Arms" tries to bring a breath of fresh air into the RPG market, and it succeeds on virtually every level. Nothing can compare to this game, because it's just too unique.

The most addictive game of all time!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 21, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Finally, I managed to con my family into letting me buy a Playstation. My first Playstation game was Ehrgeiz, which I beat in a week, and so I needed something new. I went to my half-brother's friend's store and picked up Chocobo's Dungeon 2. Just as I was leaving, he showed me Lunar and Thousand Arms. I decided to go with Thousand Arms. I wanted to try it out so I popped it into the Playstation first. I ended up playing it until 3:00 AM.

Thousand Arms is so incredibly addictive that almost anyone can get great satisfaction out of playing it. The characters are charming and beautifully animated in the anime sequences. The one-on-one battle is interesting, and not as challenging as it sounds. The dating system is hilarious, and the music is pretty good. I think this game has enough style to compete with Final Fantasy VII. Most likely my favorite game of all time.

not bad

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

thousand arms is a good rpg game,it has a good story, beautiful anime, good graphics and the best thing is going on dates , the worst thing is combat,combat is plentiful and tedious any way i realy enjoy it and its not a bad game.

Started good, BUT...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game started out very interesting, but as it wore on, i got bored and just stopped playing. I was interested in the idea of a dating sim incorporated into an RPG, but honestly, it got old. It was funny at first, but eventually i just wanted to get on with the story, and of course the fighting, which was pretty lacking. Overall, it didnt keep my interest, and it left me asking myself, "What the heck was THAT supposed to be?"

Final Fansty 7 a good game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 18
Date: January 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

A good game!One bad thing about it is the players don't speak like in Jade cocoon and Brave Fencer Musashi.Other than that it was good.The graphics are O.K. In some parts its boring.It is 3 disks long.I think it is to long.I'd give it 3 stars.FF8 is alot better

A different kind of RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: October 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Thousand Arms is the first dating RPG to make it over from Japan. It plays like a regular RPG, but instead of finding or buying weapons and spells, you make them with the help of different women in the game. This is where the dating portion of the game comes in. You take a girl on a date, answer questions, and hope that the intimacy level goes up. If it does, forge a more powerful weapon ASAP. This game is great for any RPGer, as it's one of the few games that doesn't take itself too seriously. Really. When you get to the pirate town, talk with everyone. It's amazing how many people know they're inside a game. The voice acting is a nice change, and the entire concept is so alien to the US market you have to try it.

An average game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: October 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The dating sim thing is fun the first few times, but there isn't much else to do here. Some of the girls are REALLY obnoxious, and the gameplay is so-so. The Battle system, however, is simply terrible. I played it once and sold it. It's not worth the money, really.

Arms 1000!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 14
Date: June 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

SWEET!!!! This game is the funniest game I ever played! I luv it, espieccialy in the end, where Sodina becomes an elemental beast So meis can defeat the dark empereors final spiritual form. Did you know that my keyboard is ruined because wi have rghuined iut withe ab drinke? Buy this game, before Bubba rapes you! PEACE, BLACK BROTHERS! Staight up, yo! FROM DOWN THA HOOD!

I'm At A Loss

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 14
Date: August 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am totally at a loss for this game. On one hand it has so many original idea's in terms of both plot and gameplay (And has the closest thing to a sim dating game we'll probably ever see), but the way you actually play it leaves me at a loss for words. It's not that the battle system makes no sense, or is bad even, it's the leveling up that confuses me. You don't get stronger when you level up. Your defense gets weaker when you level up. You get more health but you seem to loose more health at the same token too. I'm am at a loss that the creaters of this game could make so many good idea's and make them so poor because they can't figure out commen sense when it comes to leveling up.

If you want an RPG that's original get this...just don't exspect to get anywhere with it.

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