A lot of this sounds like things which have all appeared in previous JRPGs, and there are a lot more genre staples in this game. A sweeping world map to explore, symphonic soundtrack to listen to, and anime-inspired character designs to look at are all here.

It should be noted that the production values are a bit of a mixed-bag. While the graphics are certainly creative, they often lack detail and seem a bit blurry at times. Frame rates will sometimes slow down both during battles, as well as when characters are walking around towns. Finally, the soundtrack can get repetitious if you spend too much time in one area.

For the most part, Arc Rise Fantasia seems like it really wants to be an RPG from the PS2 generation. There's nothing wrong with this, but it proves to be both an asset and a liability, depending on who's playing the game. For someone who loves games like Final Fantasy X and the Tales series, there is a lot here to enjoy. Unfortunately, there's nothing here for a person who would rather play an RPG that's more open-ended.

Arc Rise Fantasia isn't a bad game, but it's an unfortunate victim of the "two steps forward, one step back" rule. As a result, the good moments do manage to outweigh the not so good, which is a lot more than can be said for many games that hit the market at this time of the year.