erry Evans lture Editor Douglas College Events Noon at New West presents Music for Organ and Trumpet ichael Murray, organ Stevan Paranosic, trumpet INew West Campus, Room 1809 November 6, 2002 at 12:30p.m. present atheson Studio Theatre ovember 8—16 oncerts ommodore Ballroom November 10th at 8:00p.m. Julio Iglesias Queen Elizabeth Theatre November 13th at 8:00p.m. Musical Events Mondo Music concert series ick Hogg DP Game Boy a Fay oe) el tO a ild Arms 3 ublisher: SECA Developer: Media Vision enre: RPG Number of Players: 1 Douglas College Theatre and Stagecraft Departments icket information and reservations available by call- ing the box office at 604-527 -5488 corge Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic ickets available through Ticketmaster. ickets available through Ticketmaster. ame Review Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Society Performance Centre (Corner of Davie and Pacific) November 9th at 2:00p.m. For more information call 604-713-1864. Concord Pacific ‘Salute to the Orpheum’ Clyde Mitchell conducts the CBC Radio Orchestra The Orpheum November 7 at 8:00p.m. IKindertransport by Diane Samuels directed by Chery] We'll Meet Again: Music & Memories of the War Years ' A Remembrance Day concert The Orpheum November 11 at 2:30p.m. Tickets available through Ticketmaster. Literary Events Arsenal Pulp Press invites you to the launch party for the new book Where Fire Speaks: A Visit with the Himba Montmartre Café November 13 at 7:00p.m. Free Admission Call 604-687-4233 for more information. Finally an RPG with a main character that doesn’t carry a sword, such a novel concept and it only took until now for someone to try this groundbreaking idea. What we have here is a western themed RPG, with a promising story, and a female lead as our “hero.” Wild Arms 3 has a battle system similar to the previous games—all commands are entered at the beginning of a charac- ter round, unlike the more common turn-by-turn systems. The thing that I noticed during my first boss fight was each of the four characters has an ammo count, which dictates how many times they can attack before reloading; this added more strategy depth to the system. Each character also has unique force skills; not the Jedi kind, but personal battle moves. There is also a magic system called Arcadia, which is similar to the Esper or Junction system from Final Fantasy. By equipping a mystic spir- it, you gain access to a set of magic spells, an elemental summon, and a small set of personal battle skills. As well as regular battles, you can also conduct random battles while riding on horses and while traveling on a sand steamer vehicle. Another nice feature is the fact that you can avoid random battles, with a gauge that determines how many battles you can avoid. The world map, towns and dungeons all have a 360° rotating camera which makes finding your way around much less frustrating. There are Presentation House Gallery November 2—December 15 Call 604-986-1351 for ticket information. Theatre Events Earshot Performance Works, Granville Island November 6—17 Call Festival Box Office at 064-257-0366 for ticket information. Stop Kiss Festival House October 30—November 16 Call 604-506-6070 for ticket information. Shylock Jewish Community Centre’s Norman Rothstein Theatre November 10 at 8:00p.m. Call 604-257-5111 for ticket information. The Falstaff Project Adapted from Sh 70 percent fewer block puzzles in the dungeons, and a lot more varied puzzles that actually make you use your brains to solve them. The graphics are in full 3D, but are of the cel-shaded variety. I think the cel-shaded character animations are some of the most interesting graphics I've seen in a long time; it’s nice to see some- thing that isn’t trying to look real. The western flavored music is absolutely fantastic, as each composition fits its purpose wonder- fully. The story shapes up to be very promising with an interest- ing set of characters—the main character Virginia, the optimistic hero/leader type, Jet the lone wolf; Clive the scholar and Gallows the immature spiritual guide. At a first glance these characters seemed a little cookie-cutter, but they are each carving out their own niche and developing into very memorable characters. The story is great; it draws you in and keeps you guessing what's going to happen next. There is also an extensive back-story that is uncovered in the game, concerning the game’s characters and the world’s lost history. Overall, this game was a whack of fun to play. A solid battle system coupled with interesting dungeons puzzles that make your brain work, along with the great story, is an experience not to miss. It’s not often in this day and age that we get a good west- ern, let alone an RPG western. page 9 ©