You might think at first, ”Isn’t it just tracing that story I played long ago all over again?”, but this work easily subverts such expectations. ”Wild Arms Alter Code: F” is certainly based on the original ”Wild Arms”, but it is not a mere rehash. While sharing the same setting, it is depicted as a ”different world”, structured in a way that lets you experience, so to speak, another possibility. Even though it should be a familiar development, the fun of this work is that fresh surprises visit you over and over again, making you think, ”I didn’t know it had this side to it.” The stage is the planet Filgaia, which has lost its greenery and is undergoing desertification. That world, where a dry wind blows through, evokes a sense of loneliness somewhere, but mysteriously stirs up a spirit of adventure. The structure in which the three protagonists—Rudy, Jack, and Cecilia—become involved in the story each with a different background gives you the enjoyment of ”seeing the same world from different perspectives.” The moment they finally merge feels like the gears of the story suddenly clicking into place, drawing you in in spite of yourself.

In this game, you will experience the prologue from each of the three perspectives, and that process is depicted very carefully. Rudy’s quiet yet firm actions, Jack’s lighthearted and somehow reliable presence, and Cecilia’s conflict and growth. Precisely because each possesses a different personality, depth is born in their interactions after they merge, making you feel, ”This is a story that can only work because of these three.” In this title, a massive amount of text has been added compared to the original work, and the volume is astonishing. By depicting the details of conversations and the characters’ emotions more thoroughly, thickness is given to the overall story. Even those who know the previous developments will find many scenes where they notice, ”There shouldn’t have been an exchange like this,” giving a sensation as if playing a completely new game.

The graphics and movies have also been completely renewed, and the opening animation in particular leaves a strong impression of the work’s world view. Furthermore, since arrangements and new musical tracks have been added to the music, the impression received even in the same scene changes greatly. The sensation of ”it should be nostalgic yet it is new” is a part that can be felt even more strongly through this renewal of visuals and sounds. The game system has also been enhanced by incorporating elements from the series, firmly improving the ease of play. Since it retains the merits of old-fashioned RPGs while also combining modern comfort, even those who feel ”it might be a bit inconvenient because it’s an old game” can enjoy it with peace of mind. The design that allows you to progress at a good tempo keeps your immersion in the story unbroken.

The interesting part of this work lies in the very setting of ”being the same as the original story yet different.” By taking the form of a parallel world, it offers new discoveries to existing fans and charm as a pure story to those touching it for the first time. The experience of ”you should know it yet your prediction is wrong” is something unique that cannot be easily tasted in other remake works. The words written on the package, ”We were in the middle of an endless journey,” are by no means a mere decoration. When playing this work, rather than the story concluding, it makes you feel as though ”perhaps it is still continuing somewhere.” There is a lingering resonance where the paths of the characters continue to live on inside the player afterward, and that is precisely the great charm of this work.

”Wild Arms Alter Code: F” is a rare work where you can taste nostalgia and novelty at the same time. While cherishing the original charm, by being boldly remade, it holds a value that transcends a mere remake. It is such a special piece that gives different kinds of moving experiences to both those who have played it in the past and those who will touch it for the first time from now on.