If Mystic Ark is played for a number of years, people may continue to argue it's meaning. As one of the writer's of the English story,
I, Wildbill, will simply call it allegorical and let it go at that. What I want to share now is the best interpretation of this saga I have
heard, penned by Red Soul, one of our staff who helped create this English version. Here is what he said, only slightly edited:
"Mystic Ark is not an average RPG. It plays old school, but it's much deeper than "A hero goes off to save the world" plot.
The seven Arks, I believe, are not just fragments of the goddess's power, but pieces of the main character. Each
ark represents an element of every human being: power, wisdom, darkness - even fire and water exist in humans,
although fire is metaphorical.
The main character may have no defined background, but I believe the author intended it that way. In literature, this phenomenon is called
the "everyman character" which means Remeer could be any male, Ferris could be any female. The desired effect is to have a player assume
the main character's role. (Could this be why we call them role-playing games?)
Each world in Mystic Ark is so varied, a player winds up learning new concepts and growing in character, Of course, this happens to the
main character in the game as well, as the story inveigles us to ponder our own virtues and ask questions such as, "Who are we?
Do we have what it takes to be truly good people? Just how much does our own darkness rule us? Are we ready to change our world for
the better?"
The worlds of Mytic Ark teach us lessons in many ways:
World 1 shows us the evil, senseless face of war.
World 2 shows that even sloth can be transmuted into salvation, and that oftentimes people will ignore each other's true potential.
World 3 shows the innocent nature of children that none of us should lose, that all of the power one possesses should never be abused.
World 4 shows that dependency on machinery can be dangerous, but if used correctly, machines can (and do) save lives and make our world better.
World 5 shows that even the most primal forces of nature shouldn't be ignored, and that the environment should never be harmed.
World 6 is a plunge into the darkness of one's mind, revealing that a person may be taught darkness; that it exists in every heart;
and that it needs to be heard to be understood.
World 7 shows that even the most innocent dreams can and should be cherished, that dreams can come true, even if the road is lengthy and the dream lays
dormant for a long, long time.
World 8 represents a new penetration into darkness, but it extends far deeper than the mind. It reaches the heart, and the end result becomes the
ultimate purification (or rebirth).
Once the character passes all of the trials, he/she returns to the his/her original world, but I see the meaning of this go even deeper. On the
surface, the character may have seemed to undergo a return and revival, but to the player, could this extend beyond the end of a cycle and usher
in the awaking of a new conscience? Having experienced the trials of many along the way, having fought one's own wickedness that abides within us
(Darkness), having trumuphed over one's very own essence of evil (Black Heart), the game bestows upon the player an inspiration to improve, just
as the main character experienced.
To me, Mystic Ark is an invitation to gaze deeply into one's own soul and suffer a metamorphosis; It has certainly changed me!"
-Red Soul
In other words, dear game player, Mystic Ark is about YOU!!
