When you guys learned that From Software's Enchanted Arms was being ported to the PS3, a lot of you said it was because the version for the Xbox 360 didn't sell so well in Japan (and when we checked, more than a handful of online analysts were saying the same thing, and there are theories that it's because the Xbox 360 isn't all that popular in Japan). Whatever the case, here's a trailer for the PS3 version below:



Why the negative feedback about the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions? We see a lot of comments that say the game sucks, but we can't tell if they've seriously tried the Xbox 360 version or if they're just your typical RPG-haters. Some do say the game is good, but we also can't tell if that's just hype from your usual RPG fanboys. We would have tried the Xbox 360 version so we could have an honest analysis (the game came out about a month ago), but I was still trying to get everything I could out of Ninety Nine Nights, and as for the rest of the QJ team, well... for some reason they "can't take their eyes off" of Dead or Alive 4 (har har).

We guess it's an impasse; we have to wait for the PS3 port of Enchanted Arms and see what that's like.

Nope, this is not a blunder. We know Enchanted Arms (X360) already arrived last week. That was for the Xbox 360 though. Have you asked about the PS3 yet? No? Well, then you are certainly in for a treat.

The Japanese studio FromSoftware has no other information to divulge aside from two screenshots and the Enchanted Arms Website. The site is still under construction but everything's official now. Honestly, we all should have seen this coming. Japanese companies tend to radiate towards each other, and the same should hold true with Sony and FromSoftware.

The game features the Enchanter Atsuma, who must save his world from a war that stood for a thousand years. The Xbox 360 version offers online battle plus more than 100 detailed characters and rich environments.

We all will be watching for the PS3 version, from development until it comes out, as we definitely expect nothing short from it.

When a hit Japanese game hits stateside, somehow, something gets lost in the translation: both for graphics and voice acting. Take for instance Enchanted Arms, it's a pretty much a hyped and pumped up game in the states. Most blurbs saying that it's the best RPG from Japan. We can totally understand that a hit in one country may not be so hot in another. Looks like this is the case for Enchanted Arms.

As was mentioned sometime ago, the battles are turn-based. There's also a grid system, where if you place the right person at the right place, beautiful things may happen. There are the typical upgrading of HP/SP/TB (Tablet Monetary System). There's a plethora of information available on the battle field. More information means more chances of winning. For example, knowing the attributes of a certain enemy will make it easier for you to choose what kind of attack you're going to do. Also included in the on-field info are the various options your character can do. Example, item usage, skill, EX attack, etc.

What about the story? It's an adventure chock full of NPCs, futuristic cities, and side quests. The story's mainly about saving the human race from total destruction. The Golem War was lead by corrupt Enchanters giving creatures with consciousness; resulting in fighting against the human magicians. In order that the war never happen again, the Enchanters created universities that'll help eradicate Golems all over the planet.

Here's where our hero comes in. His name is Atsuma and he's a kid in need of a heck of a lot of discipline time. Yet the teachers decide to let him go because of his massive potential (like your average jocks then?). His power is absorbing Golem Powers into his arm, thus the title, Enchanted Arms. Naturally, you'll be needing some help from others and you'll be hooking up with a couple of people to assist you along the way. You want to know how many? Try 70 different unlockable characters.

Okay here comes the "the things they may improve upon's". First of all, you'll notice that you'll be walking around a lot! You'll be to places that aren't that interesting at all. Unfortunately, you must remember these places as you may need to go back later. The NPCs seem to be giving out useless information, but read them up anyway.

Regarding the graphics and audio: typical of Japanese RPG. It feels like they rushed the product because they weren't able to exploit the console's excellent hardware. There's just way too many same looking locales in the game. The soundtrack is also typical of JRPG. The voice acting maybe further improved in the future.

So can we recommend you buy Enchanted Arms? Try to rent it for a night or so and then decide from there. Hopefully the development company, does something a bit more surprising and unexpected next time.

The US launch video of Enchanted Arms that we posted a while back was indeed a treat to RPG fans who can't wait to get hold of the game. Well, the wait is finally over as Ubisoft ships Enchanted Arms to retailers. As such, the game will be available on store shelves this week.

Created by Japanese studio From Software, Enchanted Arms takes place in a fantasy realm filled with cinematic graphics and interesting characters. The game is the first classic Japanese RPG for the Xbox 360 in North America.

The stunning high definition graphics alone would make the game a must have for RPG fans. But that's not the only selling point of the game. With a multitude of controllable characters and an engaging storyline, Enchanted Arms promises to be one engaging RPG.

As many of you know, the Japanese RPG hit Enchanted Arms now has a US version (the official US release date is August 29). So here's the US launch video.

As a testament to the high-definition capabilities of the Xbox 360, the video we saw over at GameTrailers was HD (and it took forever to download). What we saw was basically what many of you have come to expect in our past posts. As previous trailers, teasers, and screens have shown, it's a beautiful game.

The download link below is the non-high-resolution version so it's not as big as the HD version but it's still a whopper at 13.88 MB; so dial-up users beware, but at least you'll have a more realistic chance of getting to see this jaw-dropping video (well, jaw-dropping if you're a fan of Japanese RPG games).

Enchanted Arms was developed exclusively for the Xbox 360. Let's see how US Xbox 360 owners take to the game, and we'll see if the game can live up to all the hype that's built up the past few months. And even if you're not an RPG fan, we hope you'll agree that this release is a welcome addition to the Xbox 360 gaming family.

Download: [Enchanted Arms US Launch Trailer]

Roll the red carpet for the first turn-based RPG for the Xbox 360! The US release for Enchanted Arms is ever so near now, and here we have an in-depth look at just what all the enchantment is about. We understand that the 360 is currently in an RPG hiatus, but all signs point that the wait will be worth it!

An Enchanted Epic

Caution: if you wish to play the game with fresh eyes, you might want to skip this part about the introductory story. But don't worry, no major spoiler here.

The game is set in a world that had experienced a great war in the distant past, wherein Devil Golems (powerful puppets manipulated by humans) played a crucial role to the war's outcome. And what other kind of outcome would that be but total and utter devastation? You guessed it! The war took a nasty turn and eventuallly obliterated the entire civilization. Wow, just like Atlantis!

We've received six new images from the Xbox 360's first Japanese RPG currently in the works by From Software and Ubisoft. Taking control of Atsuma, you must use Golem support characters to close the seal that revived the fierce Devil Golem. This game features over 100 unique Golems that can be assembled in a variety of ways from various combinations of ingredient items. Characters can be customized using experience points gained in battle, and as the game progresses, players will need to master Atsuma's fighting and magical abilities in order to survive. Enchanted Arms is planned for release on August 29th in the US.

As the release date of Enchanted Arms draws nearer and nearer, the marketing department of the the first Japanese RPG for the Xbox 360 has been stepping up the pace and is doing everything it could to whet every gamer's appetite.

One of the features that this game would like to introduce would be its battle system. As shown in the video clip, Enchanted Arms will make use of a grid-based combat system that will place heavy importance on the positioning of every member of your party. Different views of the battle will also allow one to carefully judge the trend of a battle, while a flexible party order system lets you dictate the process of how exactly you would like to cripple your enemies.

Slightly reminiscent of Final Fantasy games, location-based attacks are also introduced, so yes, flanking your enemy now has visible effects, and we're not just talking about your character's animation anymore. The Enchanted Arms team has also added the feature "auto battle" and fast forward, in case you can't wait for the next move you want to execute.

Other features would be the ability to perform combo attacks with your party members, thus allowing for some very interesting mixing and matching, as well as "Ex Skills", which we are guessing would be the equivalent of the Limit Break (the game that I grew up with is getting obvious, isn't it?).

Mere description won't do the trick though, so just watch the video instead and see how you'll like it.

Last July 29, we here at QJ posted a blog about a Q&A with the developers of Enchanted Arms and the game's features. Now, we're featuring a Q&A with the producer of Enchanted Arms sent out by Ubisoft, which includes tidbits about the battle system and SpeedTactics of the game.

According to the producer, Marc Fortier, the idea is to blend the best of turn-based and grid-based RPG gaming. The interview starts with the producer providing an overview of the game's battle system and then goes on to tackle the game's other features such as the kinds of tactical options that SpeedTactics allow. Such options include:

• long-range and close-quarter tactics,
• the use of cover to protect against Direct Attacks,
• mastering Indirect Attacks to hit heavily protected targets,
• use of upgradeable weapons,
• mighty Co-Op Attacks where all party members combine their strength against a single target,
• the devastating super attacks known as EX Skills.

The Q&A also covers the spell (skill) system and the types that players can use in a battle; EX, Standard, Direct, Support, and Recovery. The producer also talks about the number of characters in a party (maximum of four characters at once, but can swap characters out with the Golems you unlock), their attributes, and how they affect battle strategies. Included also in the Q&A are the "speed" elements of the SpeedTactics system and the types of battle modes.

That's right, folks, fresh as always. We're featuring the opening sequence to the xbox 360's first Japanese RPG title, Enchanted Arms.

This game is set in a world where golems - who once served mankind - went berserk at one point and turned against the beings that were once their masters, and then mysteriously shut down some time later. Jumping ahead hundreds of years later, the golems have started awakening and wreaking havoc again, and the young man Atsuma discovers that he has absorbed their power and is able to control them...after unwittingly unleashing the most dangerous one of all, that is.

But enough of the talking. Here's some eye candy for everyone...the opening cinematics for Enchanted Arms.