JEANNE D'ARC (PSP)
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Publisher: Sony.
Developer: Level-5. Released: August 2007 (US). Genre: Tactical RPG. Posted 23rd June 2013. By Tom Clare © 2013 |
It’s refreshing when a true standalone comes along to challenge established notions. It’s doubly pleasant when such a game is as good as Jeanne D’Arc on PSP, an obscure but wonderful tactical role-playing game that mixes 15th Century history with fantasy. There was a belief during the first decade of the new millennium that Japanese gaming was dying, and that the relevance and creativity of its software were diminishing at an alarming rate. Many of Japan’s blockbuster titles were struggling, though it should also be noted that the country’s software had become less visible in the West due to a prevailing preference for handhelds over home formats, an inverse of European and North American trends. The quality was still there, you just had to look a little harder for it.
Developed by Level-5, the brains behind the glorious intergalactic RPG Rogue Galaxy, it should come as no surprise that Jeanne D’Arc is expertly-crafted and a work of beauty. Very loosely framed around the exploits of one Miss “of Arc”, it adds a liberal dose of artistic licence and fantasy overtones for good measure. Along the way, you’ll pass through Jeanne’s home town of Domrémy; the scene of her execution at Rouen (an event given a powerful new spin here) and Orléans, which played host to her first military success. Locked in bitter conflict first with the invading English, and then a hoard of demonic creatures, Jeanne is tasked with uniting carriers of a magical armlet that grants superhuman strength in battle, in a bid to overcome her formidable adversaries.
Barring the odd blip, it’s a deft and captivating story. The love triangle involving Jeanne and her friends Roger and Liane bubbles nicely under the surface, whilst Jeanne’s struggle as a woman-at-war and the burdens of her armlet add a layer of depth that RPGs often neglect. Whilst the story loses a bit of bite when the focus shifts to that of grand fantasy in the closing stages, it’s rarely short of compelling and bolstered considerably by a lively cast of allies. Jeanne D’Arc doesn’t flinch at gutsy plot twists, with few games having the audacity to switch lead characters midway through the adventure after Jeanne is separated from her troop. Add to the mix the spooky, demon-possessed boy-King Henry VI and his fabulously malevolent advisor the Duke of Bedford, and you’ve got the makings of some superb pantomime villainy too.
Developed by Level-5, the brains behind the glorious intergalactic RPG Rogue Galaxy, it should come as no surprise that Jeanne D’Arc is expertly-crafted and a work of beauty. Very loosely framed around the exploits of one Miss “of Arc”, it adds a liberal dose of artistic licence and fantasy overtones for good measure. Along the way, you’ll pass through Jeanne’s home town of Domrémy; the scene of her execution at Rouen (an event given a powerful new spin here) and Orléans, which played host to her first military success. Locked in bitter conflict first with the invading English, and then a hoard of demonic creatures, Jeanne is tasked with uniting carriers of a magical armlet that grants superhuman strength in battle, in a bid to overcome her formidable adversaries.
Barring the odd blip, it’s a deft and captivating story. The love triangle involving Jeanne and her friends Roger and Liane bubbles nicely under the surface, whilst Jeanne’s struggle as a woman-at-war and the burdens of her armlet add a layer of depth that RPGs often neglect. Whilst the story loses a bit of bite when the focus shifts to that of grand fantasy in the closing stages, it’s rarely short of compelling and bolstered considerably by a lively cast of allies. Jeanne D’Arc doesn’t flinch at gutsy plot twists, with few games having the audacity to switch lead characters midway through the adventure after Jeanne is separated from her troop. Add to the mix the spooky, demon-possessed boy-King Henry VI and his fabulously malevolent advisor the Duke of Bedford, and you’ve got the makings of some superb pantomime villainy too.
Jeanne is dismayed to find this year's Xmas Tree has been uprooted
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Having both a Jean and a Jeanne doesn't get at all confusing, luckily
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The gameplay offers a recognisable though highly polished tactical RPG affair. The fifteen or so playable characters encountered throughout the game (for the most part it’s between five and seven in any one stage) present a handsome amount of variety. It’s also gratifying that no one style of fighter tails off significantly throughout the adventure, with each remaining competitive given the right tactical deployment. Jeanne D’Arc uses a standard grid system, allowing characters to travel several squares on the battlefield per turn. Archers offer ranged attacks, but their physical vulnerability means they must be protected by tougher, close-range fighters, such as the axe-wielding barbarian types, whose power is tempered by the limited number of squares they can cover. One character can plant ladders as an alternative means of breaching castle walls, whilst those attacking with pikes/spears can avoid counter-attacks by striking from two squares away.
It’s simple to grasp, but offers a surprising degree of depth, with all of the little facets fitting together beautifully. The ‘unified guard’ is a clever system that allows characters standing within a square of each other to form a defensive link against incoming attacks, whilst Jeanne and a small handful of other characters can deploy special armlet powers, prolonging their turns whenever a foe is dispatched, paving the way for an often-decisive succession of killing blows. Add to this the ability to create new skills including stat boosts, magic spells and massively damaging special moves, and there is plenty to busy yourself with.
Jeanne D’Arc is a more accessible and attractive proposition than most tactical RPGs. Granted, there’s still a bit of grinding to be done, but nowhere near as much as the likes of Disgaea. The gameplay avoids stagnation by refusing to settle into the same patterns for long, and the radius of objectives built around the battling is fantastic. There’s always something to keep you on your toes, like the risky business of breaching a castle whilst preventing your own from falling after some of your band turn traitor. Escorting the vulnerable Charles VII to safety challenges the player to carve a path through foes whilst remaining in a formation tight enough to ensure his safety. The player can return to the vast majority of the 40+ maps to fight a new set of foes to accrue money, items and experience points. Not only this, the game’s wicked creative side is explored through a host of excellent secondary missions, showing there’s far more to it than simply hacking down the incoming hordes. The best sees you having to lure two giant dragons inside a castle’s gate through non-aggressive means before sealing them inside, though there are many more highlights besides.
It’s simple to grasp, but offers a surprising degree of depth, with all of the little facets fitting together beautifully. The ‘unified guard’ is a clever system that allows characters standing within a square of each other to form a defensive link against incoming attacks, whilst Jeanne and a small handful of other characters can deploy special armlet powers, prolonging their turns whenever a foe is dispatched, paving the way for an often-decisive succession of killing blows. Add to this the ability to create new skills including stat boosts, magic spells and massively damaging special moves, and there is plenty to busy yourself with.
Jeanne D’Arc is a more accessible and attractive proposition than most tactical RPGs. Granted, there’s still a bit of grinding to be done, but nowhere near as much as the likes of Disgaea. The gameplay avoids stagnation by refusing to settle into the same patterns for long, and the radius of objectives built around the battling is fantastic. There’s always something to keep you on your toes, like the risky business of breaching a castle whilst preventing your own from falling after some of your band turn traitor. Escorting the vulnerable Charles VII to safety challenges the player to carve a path through foes whilst remaining in a formation tight enough to ensure his safety. The player can return to the vast majority of the 40+ maps to fight a new set of foes to accrue money, items and experience points. Not only this, the game’s wicked creative side is explored through a host of excellent secondary missions, showing there’s far more to it than simply hacking down the incoming hordes. The best sees you having to lure two giant dragons inside a castle’s gate through non-aggressive means before sealing them inside, though there are many more highlights besides.
We do love a good title screen at TPE, and this one's a beauty!
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The smart money is not on Phantom Orc at this stage
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Troubles are few and far between, though there is the odd hindrance. The chief challenge for the most part is not so much the foes, who can be picked off with relative ease, but completing your task within a ‘turn’ limit. You’ll occasionally encounter some rather craven A.I. tactics designed to stymie an encounter, allowing them to win by running down the counter. Various locations allow access to shops, but as they’re all the same bar for slight inventory changes, it perhaps would have been wiser to simply have one shop instantly accessible with everything available to the player in the one menu. Whilst the voicing is no lunchtime job (they sport solid-sounding French accents for starters), there are, as ever, a few performances that leave a bit to be desired.
Still, it’s a superbly stylish game. The beautiful art style and look of the characters is enhanced through some marvellously elaborate animations, particularly in the early stages of the game. Level-5 have gone to great lengths to make it all look top-draw, and big story moments are intermittently conveyed through a clutch of cool anime video sequences, which is something of a treat for PSP gamers. The only gripe presentation-wise is that it doesn’t indulge in such visual extravagances as much in the closing stages, ironically when the really grand-standing battles begin. The battle locations themselves, whilst not quite as tidy or slick as the rest of the game, still reveal an appreciable degree of detail, which can be admired via an easily navigable camera, controlled with the analogue nub.
It continues to exceed expectations with excellent longevity, and by the close of your journey, the map’s positively heaving with battles. The main game should last most players more than 30 hours, to which you can add easily another ten if you wish to conquer all of the side-levels and additional, tougher Coliseum runs that become available post-completion.
Jeanne D’Arc is ultimately a very classy, very complete game. Its tried-and-tested gameplay doesn’t stray too far from the norm, but what it does offer is almost universally positive, resulting in a game that’s highly addictive and an effective time-sink. It has lots of content, particularly for a portable title, whilst its continued creativity and smart level-design help an admirably-different story retain impetus. Most of all, it’s not the grind that many such games prove to be; yes, it’s both lengthy and involved, but it’s also accessible and enjoyable. In the end, it left even tactical-RPG sceptics like myself believing that Jeanne D’Arc can work miracles.
Still, it’s a superbly stylish game. The beautiful art style and look of the characters is enhanced through some marvellously elaborate animations, particularly in the early stages of the game. Level-5 have gone to great lengths to make it all look top-draw, and big story moments are intermittently conveyed through a clutch of cool anime video sequences, which is something of a treat for PSP gamers. The only gripe presentation-wise is that it doesn’t indulge in such visual extravagances as much in the closing stages, ironically when the really grand-standing battles begin. The battle locations themselves, whilst not quite as tidy or slick as the rest of the game, still reveal an appreciable degree of detail, which can be admired via an easily navigable camera, controlled with the analogue nub.
It continues to exceed expectations with excellent longevity, and by the close of your journey, the map’s positively heaving with battles. The main game should last most players more than 30 hours, to which you can add easily another ten if you wish to conquer all of the side-levels and additional, tougher Coliseum runs that become available post-completion.
Jeanne D’Arc is ultimately a very classy, very complete game. Its tried-and-tested gameplay doesn’t stray too far from the norm, but what it does offer is almost universally positive, resulting in a game that’s highly addictive and an effective time-sink. It has lots of content, particularly for a portable title, whilst its continued creativity and smart level-design help an admirably-different story retain impetus. Most of all, it’s not the grind that many such games prove to be; yes, it’s both lengthy and involved, but it’s also accessible and enjoyable. In the end, it left even tactical-RPG sceptics like myself believing that Jeanne D’Arc can work miracles.
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VERDICT
Visual: 8/10
Audio: 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |