Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2

Genre: Action RPG

Number of Players: 1

Out of the hundreds of games that are released for any game console, the one genre that we have probably seen the biggest lack of would have to be those that are based from an anime. If you do some online research and take a look at the games that have been released in Japan, you will see that the number of titles continues to grow and covers both the newest series that have been premiering on Japanese television as well old standby's that are still just as popular today as they were back when they originally aired. As it is, I'm still salivating over anime-based games like RahXephon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and even the Space Battleship Yamato title that was recently released in Japan. That's not to say that North America is totally devoid of anime games, and there have been a handful that have see the light of day here, but for the most part these haven't managed to gain a huge fan following, and games like Astroboy, many of the Inuyasha games, and the Gundam series aren't quite up to par with what anime fans want to see from their favorite shows. Square-Enix on the other hand might have the game that will, with any luck, promote change within the gaming industry itself and prompt other companies to take a hard look at just how sellable anime games can be.

Welcome to the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, an anime series that has received quite a bit of hype even before the series debuted here in North America, and was known long before Square-Enix announced plans to release the game, and a great deal of that can be attributed not only to fansite all across the Internet, but the thing that is both a blessing and curse of the anime industry, fan-subs. I'm sure that Hong Kong bootlegs played a key role in this as well, but luckily many companies both stateside and abroad are finally starting to crack down on this. Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel marks the debut, and the first game in the series, of Square-Enix's RPG based from the anime, and for many, this is something that has been long awaited.

For those that aren't yet versed in the FMA universe, our heroes are Edward and Alphonse Elric, two young brothers that have a tragic past. Edward is a master in alchemy, and art used to transmute just about anything into other items, but after their mother died, Edward decided to use his gift in a forbidden way. The boys attempted to resurrect their dead mother, but even though Edward might be skilled in the art, it wasn't enough to bring back the dead, and the boys have paid dearly for their efforts. Edward was the lucky one, and his failed magic cost him his left leg and arm, both of which have been replaced with artificial limbs, but Alphonse lost his entire body and now his soul resides in a suit of armor. However, there does seem to be a feasible way for the boys to regain their bodies, and that is with the Philosopher's Stone, but finding it won't be easy, especially with bandits, chimera, and corrupt military personal around every corner, and that's only the beginning.

Square-Enix as just about anyone knows has long been renowned for their role-playing games, namely Final Fantasy, but over the past year or so the company has been trying their skills at other types of games that normally most would not associate with the company. Now, before you stop reading, having the thoughts that Fullmetal Alchemist is not an RPG, let me assure you that it is, but just not in the way that you might be familiar with if you've been rabidly playing Final Fantasy, Star Ocean, or even Front Mission. Instead, FMA takes a page from action RPG's, like what has been common in series like Dark Cloud, the later Legend of Zelda games, and even Square-Enix's successful Kingdom Hearts. There's no turn-based fighting to be found here, and instead there is just outright action with role-playing elements mixed in for good measure.

For the most part, the gameplay is quite simple and easy to get a handle on. You will be in control of Edward, no real surprise since he really is the star of the show, but he's not solo in this adventure, and Alphonse is right along with him for the action. Instead of switching to a screen to choose your attacks, all the action will be in real-time and you simply hack and slash your way through everything, but there is a little more to it than just button mashing. First of all, the game has combos, so mastering these is essential in quick and guaranteed victory, and you're going to need all the success and skills that you can muster. It is rare to find a single enemy on screen, save for boss battles, and taking your enemies out quickly will be the real focus not only for survival, but also experience points and items. If you find yourself in a tight spot, just call for Al and he'll arrive to join the battle, attack with a tackle if you prompt him to, or the tow of you can perform a special attack if the meter is active. The special meter will light up after you've defeated a number of opponents, and as it continues to blaze, you can add more special icons onto the list. However, if you should get hit, that will cancel it, and you'll be starting from square one.

Remember though, Ed is an alchemist, so there are a few other things that he has the option to do. The O button will allow him to use his alchemical magic. If you hold it, the first thing that will active is defense, and this raises a stone barrier to hide behind and you can also create multiple barriers. If you hold it a little longer, Ed will attack with stone spike and additionally, if you use the magic button in a combo, you can slash your opponent and then hit him hard with a bit of magic at the end. Ed can also use his transmuting skills to morph objects around him into other weapons. These can vary from hand held weapons to various ranged weapons (stationary and hand held), doubles to throw the enemy off your trail, spiked balls, bombs, tanks, and a number of other things. But, lets say for instance you've created a sword that Ed can use, if you transmute again, you can add elemental damage. However, these weapons have a limited usage and unlike some things that you can create, like cannons for example, once their powers have been exhausted, you can't recharge them. Most items will have two different options that you can initially transmute into, and at times you will see colored options which apply to who can use the weapon; blue for Al, red of Ed, and green for both. Also, Al might be helpful, but he's not very bright, and even if you've made a weapon that he can use, you still need to instruct him to pick it up and use it.

Like most RPG's, you will find items that can be equipped as well as used. You have a very limited number of slots of items that can be equipped; two actually not include your weapon slot, and as you might suspect, these will increase your stats or give bonuses for combos and experience. You will also have access to healing and status relieving items (though if Al is knocked out in battle, you'll need to use your transmutation skills to bring him back,) and for the most part, it is very simple and easy to understand what it what. One other key thing about FMA is that even though you will level up and your skills will be increased, you will also have a number of bonus points that can be associated to these abilities, but take heed; these will be allocated for both characters, so it's not advisable to pump up Ed and leave Al with nothing.

Fullmetal Alchemist has a few different paths that it follows in terms of the way that it looks. The game does feature cutscenes and these aren't CG, but actually animated, I'm assuming from the series itself (I haven't actually seen it at this point) as well as a little voice work here and there, but instead of including the Japanese dialog, Square-Enix has dubbed the game, something that is a little sad since there are many out there that would really appreciate having the game presented with the option to here the game as it was originally created, and some of it just gets annoying, such as hearing Ed say "thank you" every time he picks up an item, which is quite frequent. Most of the game though has a look that is very much like Dark Cloud 2, though the game is not cel-shaded. The characters though are big and easy to see the detail in, and look just like their anime counterparts. The story elements though are done in stills, so you will see Al and Ed in different poses while the text scrolls (or immediately pops up if you've changed the speed option.) The bosses though are one of the most impressive features, most of the time at least, and many of them are hulking masses that will leave you in awe, but also looking for the quickest way to defeat them.

There are a few things that bother me with Fullmetal Alchemist however aside form the sub-only option. Many of Square-Enix's game have been known not just for gameplay but also for music, and unfortunately, FMA is very repetitive in the music department. There are at least four different music loops that come up frequently in the game and it becomes annoying at times. The gameplay, while fun, does tend to get a little repetitive at times and for the most part, save for one boss battle, the fights themselves are very easy, and gaining items really hasn't been too much of a challenge, especially when you find yourself backtracking through previously visited areas time and time again.

Fullmetal Alchemist though is a fun title, even though there are some areas that feel as though they could have used some work. It's not enough of an RPG to scare away those that may not be into that style of playing, but there is just enough of it there to keep most die-hard role-playing gamers interested. More importantly though, when it comes to an anime inspired video game, FMA actually does it right and isn't some feeble attempt to simply cash in on a craze. For those that aren't already aware of the fact, Japan has yet another installment in the Fullmetal Alchemist series available, and I'm sure it's only going to be a matter of time before it is seen on these shores. What I would love to see now however are companies in the United States taking a more active role in releasing anime games, and since Square-Enix and role-playing game go hand in hand, I would like to make mention that there are many of us here than have been dying to see the Sakura Wars games finally released here (hint, hint.) While Fullmetal Alchemist might not be the most inventive action/RPG that I've played, the entertainment factor alone is high enough to make it worth playing regardless of if you know the show or not, and I'm sure after a while of playing this, you'll be dying to check out the series as well.

-mike-