Skies of Arcadia
Skies of Arcadia is a smart, beloved JRPG that has become one of the all-time cult classics of the genre. The original version of the game launched on Dreamcast in 2000, with a GameCube port coming in 2002. The title revolved around a sky pirate named Vyse who lives in a fantasy world. Vyse and his crew have to stop a plot by the Valuan Empire which involves reviving ancient weapons that have the potential to completely destroy the world. While Skies of Arcadia features tried and true series mechanics like turn-based combat, it’s unique in the big emphasis it puts on exploration over other JRPGs. Vyse and his crew can run around different islands and towns, then take to the skies in airships which you can directly control, and even battle against other airships. You can also recruit characters you find around the world to your party or crew, and “Discoveries” around the world give you extra benefits for exploring. Skies of Arcadia truly presented a vast and memorable world, filled with fascinating characters and an engaging main story.
It’s truly a shame then that we’ve never received any kind of sequel or spinoff, despite how universally praised the game was. JRPGs are making a comeback like never before with tons of titles finding new ways to interpret the genre like Final Fantasy XV, Persona 5, Dragon Quest XI, NieR: Automata and more. With exploration and expansive worlds now a focus more than ever, there’s definitely a place for a game like Skies of Arcadia. When you consider the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it seems like the system would also be a great fit for another Arcadia game. Of course, there’s no reason you couldn’t make it multi-platform and release on all systems. Heck, even a 3DS Skies of Arcadia game could do well. With the current landscape of JRPGs it seems like Skies of Arcadia is a no-brainer to bring back for SEGA.
