we now interrupt this broadcast to squee about Wild ARMS 3
I've been replaying Wild ARMS 3 this week. Excuse me for a moment; I just need to squee about how much I love the characters in this game.
I've been a fan of the WA series since day one; the original was the first RPG I ever played (okay, second-Pokemon Yellow was the first), and I've been hooked ever since. Each game has its strengths except 4 because nobody likes Wild ARMS 4, but 3 has always been my favorite. And here's why:
First off, it's a goddamn western wrapped up as a JRPG. It starts will a Mexican stand-off in a TRAIN. The first freaking line is "It was a dark and stormy night." Then comes the gun-slinging and the steampunk sand-tanks and the creepy-as-fucking-hell demons and the giant transforming robot dragons...and it just gets crazier from there. Filgaia is the most ridiculous (and possibly the unluckiest) planet in the universe. But what I love the most is the cast.
Let's start with Virginia Fucking Maxwell. Can we just take a moment to appreciate Virginia Maxwell? First off, she's the main goddamn character. Granted, Wild ARMS 3 is predominantly an ensemble piece, but Virginia drives most of the plot through shear tenacity if nothing else. She's the leader, by popular vote of her fellow party member, no less. She is never overtly sexualized in any way. (Seriously, look at that dress, it's awesome.) She's a strong female character without sacrificing an ounce of her femininity. She has absolutely zero romantic subplot. Hell, I'm a shameless omni-shipper, and even I can't find a way to reasonably ship her with anyone-better still, I've never found a reason to. She starts off this naive, headstrong idealist, but instead of abandoning her values or performing some contrived sacrifice, she grows into a focused, badass idealist.
And she never gets kidnapped. Not once. Virginia manages to subvert or deconstruct every female-RPG-character trope ever, and I love every single minute of it. The world needs more Virginia Maxwells.
Jet Fucking Enduro. I love Jet because, in the beginning, I hated Jet. He's that badass, I'm-only-in-it-for-the-money, "I don't need friends" typical lone-wolf RPG hero...and it gets him absolutely nowhere. People (mostly Virginia) are always calling him out on his shit. He thinks being a dick makes him cool, but all it makes him is a dick. The guy is a living, breathing deconstruction of the whole "aloof, indifferent loner" archetype, and the game goes out of its way to give him hell for it. And his scenes with Virginia are equal parts hilarious and adorable, for reasons I wont spoil here.
Gallows Motherfucking Carradine. First off, look at that name. That is the best name ever. Gallows' mother must have looked at her little newborn son, all tiny and covered in fluids and already grabbing at the nearest sawed-off shotgun, and said "This child shall be the stuff of legends. HE MUST HAVE THE COOLEST NAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE." Usually, if there's a magical Native American in a story, he is wise and down-to-earth and a little mysterious, usually spewing some cryptic yet sagely advice about being one with nature and stuff. Gallows? Gallows is a drunk. He's lazy and cowardly and arguably one of the dumbest people in all of Filgaia. "I don't want to save the world, I want to sleep until noon and flirt with suspicious, potentially-evil women." But he still sticks with the party, fights all the evil things, and saves the world: not because it's his responsibility as the resident Magical Native American, but because it's the right fucking thing to do.
I like to imagine he keeps a flask of whiskey hidden in his chaps.
And Clive Fucking Winslett. Super-cool longcoat? Check. Big-ass sniper rifle? Check. Outrageous stats? Double check. Adorable wife and daughter who not only have names but are totally still alive? Che-wait, what? Clive is awesome because he's not just a slick, stylish dragon-slaying gun-for-hire, but he's also a total nerd and a completely adorable family man. Like, seriously, a JRPG hero who is totally mentally-balanced and has a life outside of the main plot? I dig it. He's got some guilt issues, which is par for the course in any drama, but he doesn't wallow in his guilt at every free moment. He picks himself up and keeps going, because he knows there are more important things in life than feeling sorry for yourself. Things like reading stories to your little girl. Cutest sidequest EVER, that one.
And then they all come together and the way they interact with each other is just marvelous.
So yeah, I love this game. A lot.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a cat in a matador outfit.
This entry was originally posted at http://jerkface.dreamwidth.org/146304.html.
I've been a fan of the WA series since day one; the original was the first RPG I ever played (okay, second-Pokemon Yellow was the first), and I've been hooked ever since. Each game has its strengths except 4 because nobody likes Wild ARMS 4, but 3 has always been my favorite. And here's why:
First off, it's a goddamn western wrapped up as a JRPG. It starts will a Mexican stand-off in a TRAIN. The first freaking line is "It was a dark and stormy night." Then comes the gun-slinging and the steampunk sand-tanks and the creepy-as-fucking-hell demons and the giant transforming robot dragons...and it just gets crazier from there. Filgaia is the most ridiculous (and possibly the unluckiest) planet in the universe. But what I love the most is the cast.
Let's start with Virginia Fucking Maxwell. Can we just take a moment to appreciate Virginia Maxwell? First off, she's the main goddamn character. Granted, Wild ARMS 3 is predominantly an ensemble piece, but Virginia drives most of the plot through shear tenacity if nothing else. She's the leader, by popular vote of her fellow party member, no less. She is never overtly sexualized in any way. (Seriously, look at that dress, it's awesome.) She's a strong female character without sacrificing an ounce of her femininity. She has absolutely zero romantic subplot. Hell, I'm a shameless omni-shipper, and even I can't find a way to reasonably ship her with anyone-better still, I've never found a reason to. She starts off this naive, headstrong idealist, but instead of abandoning her values or performing some contrived sacrifice, she grows into a focused, badass idealist.
And she never gets kidnapped. Not once. Virginia manages to subvert or deconstruct every female-RPG-character trope ever, and I love every single minute of it. The world needs more Virginia Maxwells.
Jet Fucking Enduro. I love Jet because, in the beginning, I hated Jet. He's that badass, I'm-only-in-it-for-the-money, "I don't need friends" typical lone-wolf RPG hero...and it gets him absolutely nowhere. People (mostly Virginia) are always calling him out on his shit. He thinks being a dick makes him cool, but all it makes him is a dick. The guy is a living, breathing deconstruction of the whole "aloof, indifferent loner" archetype, and the game goes out of its way to give him hell for it. And his scenes with Virginia are equal parts hilarious and adorable, for reasons I wont spoil here.
Gallows Motherfucking Carradine. First off, look at that name. That is the best name ever. Gallows' mother must have looked at her little newborn son, all tiny and covered in fluids and already grabbing at the nearest sawed-off shotgun, and said "This child shall be the stuff of legends. HE MUST HAVE THE COOLEST NAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE." Usually, if there's a magical Native American in a story, he is wise and down-to-earth and a little mysterious, usually spewing some cryptic yet sagely advice about being one with nature and stuff. Gallows? Gallows is a drunk. He's lazy and cowardly and arguably one of the dumbest people in all of Filgaia. "I don't want to save the world, I want to sleep until noon and flirt with suspicious, potentially-evil women." But he still sticks with the party, fights all the evil things, and saves the world: not because it's his responsibility as the resident Magical Native American, but because it's the right fucking thing to do.
I like to imagine he keeps a flask of whiskey hidden in his chaps.
And Clive Fucking Winslett. Super-cool longcoat? Check. Big-ass sniper rifle? Check. Outrageous stats? Double check. Adorable wife and daughter who not only have names but are totally still alive? Che-wait, what? Clive is awesome because he's not just a slick, stylish dragon-slaying gun-for-hire, but he's also a total nerd and a completely adorable family man. Like, seriously, a JRPG hero who is totally mentally-balanced and has a life outside of the main plot? I dig it. He's got some guilt issues, which is par for the course in any drama, but he doesn't wallow in his guilt at every free moment. He picks himself up and keeps going, because he knows there are more important things in life than feeling sorry for yourself. Things like reading stories to your little girl. Cutest sidequest EVER, that one.
And then they all come together and the way they interact with each other is just marvelous.
So yeah, I love this game. A lot.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a cat in a matador outfit.
This entry was originally posted at http://jerkface.dreamwidth.org/146304.html.