Arc the Lad Collection features four
Arc the Lad series games previously released in Japan from Working Designs. They are:
- Arc the Lad
- Arc the Lad: Monster Tournament
- Arc the Lad II
- Arc the Lad III
Arc the Lad
A girl named Kukuru lives in a village controlled by the Sacred Tribe -
people who guard an ancient flame which contains a powerful spirit that
was sealed in it many years ago. Kukuru must marry a man she doesn't
love, and in order to avoid this marriage, she accepts the offer of the
mayor: he asks her to extinguish the flame. As a result, the spirit
awakes and threatens to destroy the world. A young adventurer named Arc
arrives to the village at the same moment as Kukuru is standing
frightened in front of the spirit. Arc immediately recognizes it - it
was the murderer of his father! Before he realizes how that could be
possible, the spirit disappears, and now Arc and Kukuru have to do
everything in their powers to undo the error, to stop the spirit, and
perhaps to avenge the death of Arc's father.
"Arc the Lad" is a
hybrid of traditional and strategy-based console-style RPGs. The story
unfolds as you are transported from location to location and enter
battles - you don't walk around on the world map, choosing yourself
which location to visit. The battles take place on a battle field, on
which you can move and attack only when you approach the opponent.
Arc the Lad II
Arc the Lad II
This direct sequel to "Arc the Lad" continues the unfinished story of
the first game, but starts from a totally different perspective. You
control a bounty-hunter named Elk, who suffers from amnesia. On his
quest for his own true identity he discovers the powers hidden within
him, and the destiny of his entire tribe. While pursuing his archenemy,
Elk meets up with Arc, the hero of the first game, and then both
realize they have been looking to destroy the very same evil.
The
battle system of "Arc the Lad II" is similar to the one used in its
predecessor: in battles you can move your characters on the battle
field, and your proximity to the enemies plays an important role. You
cause and take different amounts of damage depending on your position
on the battle field. Unlike the first game, this one is a full-fledged
adventure/RPG, without the "strategy" feel of the predecessor. You move
through the game world on your own, visiting towns and exploring
dungeons.
Arc the Lad III
The events of this game take place several years after Elk and Arc
faced their ultimate enemy in "Arc the Lad II". You control Alec, a
teenager whose entire village was destroyed by an unknown evil - an
event that was later called "The Great Disaster". He was saved by a
mysterious Hunter. Since then, growing peacefully in a village he was
brought to, which was like a new home for the survivors of the Great
Disaster, Alec dreams about meeting the Hunter again, and becoming a
Hunter himself. Together with his best friend Lutz he tries his luck in
nearby towns, receiving small Hunter jobs, until the fate crosses the
ways of the two young people with a mysterious organization called the
Academy. And there their
adventure really begins...
The gameplay
of this third installment of Arc the Lad series is very similar to that
of the predecessor. You fight enemies in turn-based battles, and can
move freely on the battlefield, positioning your
party members the way
you like. You can upgrade your weapons by forging them with special
materials, and have a variety of techniques and magic spells at your
disposal.
