Let me start this preview by saying that I haven't been a big fan of RPGs. Throw me a strategy game like Command & Conquer or Civilisation, or a FPS like Goldeneye or Half-Life and I'll be well happy for the next few hours. But RPGs? Never had any interest in them, Final Fantasy and co. all seemed a bit too rigid and overdrawn for my liking. So how is it that an RPG (in the truest sense of the word) has got me counting the days until it's release? Well, because Skies of Arcadia Legends seems too darn great to pass up.

It's no secret that GameCube has been lacking in the RPG department, and any Nintendo fan that enjoyed the role-playing delights of the SNES era has had to look elsewhere for their fix. But this is set to change, as one of the best RPG - but criminally under-achieving - in recent years gets spruced up for our beloved GameCube.

Arcadia sports all the trademarks of a classic RPG. You've got the turn-based battles, the huge hour-consuming quest, the twisting, turning engrossing storyline, a team to built, different attributes to weigh up, spells to learn and valuable items to buy. The world the game is set in, Arcadia is a huge world of flying ships and floating islands. Originally airships for just for exploration, but became tools of commercialism and militarism. With these ships there are two types of pirates. The Blue Rogues (the goodies) and the Black Rogues (the baddies). The Black Rogues steal and kill anyone they meet on ships for the loot, while their Blue counterparts rob off all the bad guys - Robin Hood style. Erm, except they don't give to the poor, they keep the money for themselves. Hey, why not? Anyway, the game begins with some Blue Rogues boarding a ship under the control of Alfonso, a general of the Valuan Empire. Two Blue Rogues, Vyse and Aika, travel through the ship to find a girl clad in white, named Fina. The trio join together to travel the world, while Fina has her own mysterious agenda.

RPG fans will increasingly feel at home with Arcadia, as it doesn't stray too far from the standard RPG formula. One thing though, expect a challenge. Over the years, certain RPGs have been guilty of softening the game up to increase enjoyment, but Arcadia does so such thing. You will fail, you will die, but you will keep on going. First of all, there are the turn-based battles. When you face an enemy, airship or boss a 4x8 grid appears. There you can plan your fighters' attacks, use a special move, use magic, use an item, defend, or focus. It allows for great depth in your turn-based battles.

Arcadia also differs from other RPG's in how the battles are based on moonstones. There are six different ones, each of a different colour. When you win a battle, the magic points you will receive depend on the weapons used in combat. So, for instance, if you want to bolster your red magic, you'll have to use red weapons in the battle. But there's more; each enemy has its own moonstone type, and each moonstone is strong against some, and weak against others, similar to Pokémon. Also, there are 'super moves', which, as you can probably tell, pack considerable more punch than your normal moves. Moonberries are what you need for these uber-moves, with more and more being required to learn more powerful moves. Each super move only uses up one moonberry each time you perform it, but different amounts of spirits points. As they get more powerful, they eat up more of your magic supplies. What initially seems simple becomes more complex, thankfully requiring a lot more than just button-bashing in battles.

While this may seem like by-the-numbers stuff, Arcadia does present something other RPG's don't display. These are the airship battles your crew will fight while you travel all over Arcadia. These battles are all about strategy, and are breathes of fresh air when trekking becomes too irritable. And in a stroke of beauty, you can advance your airship with upgrades and extra crew members. Different crew members will lend special abilities an attributes to your ship, and alter its stats. You can spend the game tinkering with your lovely ship, and when you land; your crew will offer a range of services to your home base. But your ship isn't just about battling; one of the many pleasures Skies of Arcadia will give you is exploring the vast world of Arcadia and searching out people and items with a significant prize on their head. This bounty hunting is another aspect of SOA's genius that offers greater side-quest action.

Being of Dreamcast origin, Skies of Arcadia's graphics aren't much to shout home about. Obviously they are more than suffice, some lovely effects can be seen and the colourful, pleasant atmosphere of the game is undoubtedly apparent. Character and boss models are impressive, and a constant frame rate remains throughout. So what have Overworks being doing all this time? Well, they've taken some of the criticism leveled at the DC version, and tried to address these for the directors cut. For one, random battles in the sky were criticised for being too abundant, and while they are lessened, they can still grate you. There's also the aforementioned bounty hunting feature, where you search out and engage in more tricky 'Wanted Battles'. Also, items attainable in the DC version via VMU interaction are now available through the collecting of 'Moonfish' creatures. Lastly, a new bounty hunter adversary has been thrown in the mix. Named Piastol, you'll encounter this mysterious girl on different occasions throughout the game. Both this and the Moonfish collecting add back-story to the game, so even owners of the original may think about giving this baby a shot.

It's about time we came to the story of Arcadia, because it plays a vital role in your enjoyment of the game. Like any RPG worth its salt, you'll be gripped by the plot of the game like any good book. Although the look and tone of Skies of Arcadia may suggest a half-hearted, clichéd script, you'd be surprised. You may underestimate the strength of characterisation the game displays, as well as a series of twisting and turning plots that'll have you glued, playing on and on, just to see what happens next. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll marvel at the incredibly emotive scenes. There aren't insane amounts of drama, but it's all solidly done. Another major asset of the great RPG's (and, by definition, Skies of Arcadia) is the music. This has only recently caught my attention with Breath of Fire on the GBA, and I'm really looking forward to cranking up the volume on my telly and bobbing along to some beautiful melodies. The tone of the score can change from adventurous, to dangerous, to melancholic, to nervous, to exciting, to calm, to moody, to dark and right back again. It just shines right through.

Any person who considers themselves in the slightest to be an RPG fan deserves it to themselves to buy Skies of Arcadia Legends. The Dreamcast original had gamers singing to the rafters and quickly climbed 'Best Games Ever' lists worldwide. I'm pissing myself with anticipation of this massive, life-eating, charismatic and compelling game. 'Enhanced port' isn't such a dirty phrase; 'Polished diamond' sounds much more suitable here. May sure that come next month, when Arcadia's release date rolls around, you'll be joining Vyse and his crew on their quests. Because if you pass this up, we'll personally come down to your house and bit you bloody with our Dreamcast.