Turn-based Strategy Lite

The main part of Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits plays just like any classic-style RPG. You move around while talking to people and triggering events. Where Arc the Lad pulls away from other recent RPGs is the battle system. Instead of the standard “let’s stare from 10 paces away and take turns hitting each other” battles that you find in Final Fantasy, Arc the Lad gives you full control over the positioning and movement of your party. It’s like a light turn-based strategy game.

So where's Sin?

Two for the price of one

During each character’s turn, you’re given an area where you’re allowed to move and aim your attack. You have the freedom to fight man-to-man, or team up against individual enemies. Even where you stand in relation to an enemy has an effect on the damage that you inflict. For example, an attack from behind deals greater damage than a frontal strike. Each character has a different range; some have a wide or long enough range to hit several enemies with a single attack. Some special moves can be pulled off only when two characters are within a close proximity to each other.

Obviously, positioning and strategy play a big part in the battles found in Arc the Lad. It’s not a big issue at the start since you only have one or two people in your party, but it’s vital later on in the game when you’re in control of a handful of fighters, battling more powerful opponents.

Whack-a-mole

It's like a giant Pacman!

Experience points are accumulated based on battle experience. Characters that do more during fights will level up quicker. It’s not enough to just bring a character in for a second to steal something and then run away to safety.