Shadow Hearts 3 and Wild Arms 4 coming to America @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on September 20, 2005

News: RPG fans rejoice.

XSEED is a new publisher in town and they've decided to launch their game catalog with a bang. New installments in the Shadow Hearts and Wild Arms series will be making their way to America in early 2006 courtesy of XSEED.

Shadow Hearts: From the New World moves the series setting to America and introduces a new hero: Johnny Garland. We previously gave Shadow Hearts: From the New World the full preview treatment when it was first announced.

Wild Arms 4 is a big surprise as Wild Arms Alter Code F still hasn't come out in America. That game is currently scheduled for release in October. While Alter Code F is aremake of the first game, Wild Arms 4 takes the series in a new direction:

The Story
Jude Maverick has grown up in an isolated town called Ciel, which is completely enclosed in a large sphere floating thousands of feet above the surface of Filgaia. His sheltered world changes forever when he sees the sky "tear" and ships entering his homeland. Upon inspecting the camp site set up by the intruders, he sees something that he has never seen before; a girl. The girl's name is Yulie and she is being held captive by the intruders after being captured by a "Drifter" for hire, Arnaud G. Vasquez. After the invading army attacks Ciel and brings the whole sphere crashing down, Jude, Yulie and Arnaud join forces to find out the army's true intention behind Yulie's abduction. With the help of another Drifter, Raquel, these four idealistic teenagers travel the war-torn land of Filgaia in search of truth, their own identities and their individual paths to adulthood.

Features

Innovative new HEX battle system unlike anything seen before in turn-based RPGs; easily accessible while providing an amazing amount of speed, depth and strategy.

Action elements on the field map such as double-jumps, using the new "Accelerator" ability to manipulate time, and equipping items to solve puzzles eliminates the boredom of walking around waiting for random battles.

Inspiring coming-of-age storyline as Jude learns to cope with the harsh realities of the outside world with the help of his newfound friends.

Events presented in a distinctive use of polygons and shading with voice-overs.

So let's all welcome XSEED Games to the video game family. They've made quite the good first impression and PS2 RPG fans should be very pleased.