Choosing the best plot of 2000 was a difficult task for us. Most of the year's games had well written stories, although none were really mind blowing. In the end, we granted the title to Skies of Arcadia.

This may surprise some people, as the overall story concept has been used so many times before. However it's not the story people find so gripping as much as the way it is told. The tiny details of unfolding scenes are rarely handled with Arcadia's care. While most RPGs are content to move the story along with exposition, and the occasional tear jerking-scene, Skies of Arcadia takes everything into detail. The camera work, body language, facial expressions, and most of all timing come together so precisely to give each scene in the game the proper tone and emotion even without reading a word of the dialog.

Also worth mentioning is the novelty of Arcadia's setting. The world is just so interesting and unique that players want to explore it and learn more about it. Sharing such a goal with the world's characters makes one identify with them, pulling one further into the story.

In the end, Skies of Arcadia proves that great stories need not be thought provoking so long as they draw the player deeply into the game. A valuable lesson, thus earning the game the title of Best Plot of the Year.