How's Alter Code F and XF, then?
Alter Code F is basically a remake of the first game, I recommend it over the original, it is actually pretty fantastic and I always forget about it. I would say it is my 3rd favorite Wild Arms game, right after 2.
XF sucks sideways. It is only Wild Arms in name. It is basically Wild Arms single foray into Tactical RPGs, I have heard it compared to final fantasy tactics, and as such, I have stayed away from FF Tactics. If you like overly complicated tactical RPGs, give it a go, but I find the game overly complicated for my tastes.
I liked the 3rd game so much, but I did 0 research into the game at all release wise, so when my wife was searching for gifts for me she found out that they released a collector's edition of 3 in japan and she bought it for me. In my opinion, one of the coolest things I own.
I'm going to have to slightly disagree with you on these two.
Alter Code F is fine at best and buggy at worst. The game is prone to freezing, which was a huge issue in certain dungeons. The game has more updated graphics in comparison to its original, but the character art looks much more generic. There's more stuff to do, but half of that stuff feels like filler. One good thing I do like is that it lets you recruit Jane, Emma and *SPOILERS* which was a nice touch.
XF is a tactical RPG, but battles feel more like a puzzle. They are more reliant on figuring out the right troops to bring, trial & error, using the right tools, etc. You can't muscle through battles or rely on having high levels. That said, it's a love it or leave it kind of game and the VP system can turn away casual SRPG fans. I enjoy it, but I haven't finished it yet.
I've actually never had a PS2 game freeze on me, bar scratched discs or using gameshark/codebreaker/actionreplay, my experience with Alter Code F was very enjoyable. The extra content and updated graphics, in my opinion, make it worth playing over the original if you have to choose between the two.
I'm in that leave it category for XF. When I was young and had patience, I would play trial & error games all the time, but now I don't have the patience for that. When I put 30-40 minutes into a level and have to start completely over, it's very demoralizing. Having to use a walkthrough on GameFAQs to play through the game step by step according to the guide doesn't really feel worth it. I actually have recently started playing XF again, but I'm certain I'm not going to finish the game, I beat 2 levels, and I had to follow a guide to do so, strategy/tactical RPGs are not in my interests, I don't even like RTS games. I feel like I would like the story of Wild Arms XF, but I just can't deal with the gameplay.
