Skies of Arcadia
Skies of Arcadia, developed by Overworks and led by the legendary producer Rieko Kodama, is the first game I think of when someone asks about must-play Dreamcast games.
Although it was eventually ported to the GameCube, it debuted on the Dreamcast, and many still consider it to be the superior version because of the better sounding music (integral to the Skies experience), despite lacking in some extra content.
Skies of Arcadia follows the Vyse and Aika of the Blue Rogues, a group of Robin Hood-like sky pirates, as they explore the diverse world around them.
A mysterious girl from an unknown civilization eventually falls on their lap which draws unwanted attention of the powerful Valuan empire. Vyse, Aika and the rest of his crew vow to protect Fina and thwart the malicious plans of Valua.
The gameplay centers around traditional turn-based JRPG combat that takes place both on foot and in the skies in epic, strategy focused ship-battles. In both cases, team members all pull from the same bank of accrued points which forces players to decide when to save up, and unleash skills.
What pulls all of it together though is the scale of the game’s world and the music that makes every location feel unique and alive, and every battle feel important.
