Official Website

Platform: PSP

Genre: Tactical RPG

Number of Players: 1

The true origins of the tactical role-playing game have long been debated. Some herald the computer game Ultima II: Exodus as being the frontrunner while others claim that Fire Emblem was the true grandfather. No matter what side you take, in North America is was really Ogre Battle that got things moving, and Final Fantasy Tactics that solidified the genre as one that could indeed sell. The tactical RPG sub-genre isn’t going anywhere, and if you’ve been finding that your PSP is in dire need of some turned based role-playing, Sony has just the thing.

Jeanne d'Arc comes from none other than developer Level-5, the same team who has brought you some amazing games like the Dark Cloud series, Dragon Quest VIII, and Rogue Galaxy, all fantastic RPG’s proving that Level-5 does in fact know the genre quite well. Jeanne d'Arc’s background mixes real world history with fantasy. Set during the time of the Hundred Years' War, the tale beings in a small village in France, the home of Jeanne d'Arc. While making what should be an uneventful trip to the nearby chapel to deliver medicine, Jeanne and her friend Liane are attacked by a group of monsters. The two manage to save their friend Roger, but sadly the village they once called home isn’t so lucky. Jeanne decides that she’s going to join the military to help with the war effort, and she has an added advantage. In the midst of battle she has come into the possession of a strange armlet that allows her to transform into a powerful, Valkyrie-like being. But Jeanne’s new powers and her new allies may not be enough to turn the tides of war in France’s favor.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a tactical RPG, it’s quite a different breed of game from your standard RPG, though some elements still apply. The combat screen is a grid, just as you’ll find here, where you can position your forces while enemies have a pre-determined location on the map. Your turn will consist of the ability to move within your given range. Once you have moved to the location, you can attack, use magic or items, or chose simply to wait for the next turn. Jeanne d'Arc allows for all these things, though there are some other elements that the game uses as well.

Each physical attack that is performed can be countered. So, if you attack an enemy, they will return in kind, and the same is true if you are attacked yourself. This can actually speed up the battle process on occasion, a definite advantage as some past TRPG’s featured battles that could last 20 minutes or more depending on the actions taken. Jeanne d'Arc however adds in a new element. When an enemy is struck, you will see a swirling tornado of yellow energy behind or alongside them. Stepping into this square and attacking unleashes what the game calls a burning strike; the ability to deliver a much more powerful blow, and your enemies can use these as well. You may also find sparkling squares of energy which indicate that simply stopping on them will let you search the area and find treasure, something that is always beneficial.

As you begin to build up your collection of allies, you’ll find a defensive ability at your disposal. Should you place characters within a square of one another, say on behind the other, it will strengthen your defense. So, if a character is attacked and multiple others are near them, the defense that you have against the attack is improved, in most cases guarding successfully against your foe. Jeanne d'Arc features the same type of experience based gameplay that if found in most RPG’s, but there skills and even magic work quite a bit differently. Skill, magic, and even attacks can be found or purchased, and characters can equip up to three of them. Skills could be something as basic as passive abilities, such as improve evasion, but when the proper skill stones are combined, you will unlock even better and more powerful abilities for your characters. The customization feature however puts you beyond just being stuck in one class type, and each and every character on the battle field can be tailored to suit your combat style and needs.

The game also works with what is known as a spirit system which is essentially the same as the elemental combat that has been seen in just about every RPG ever seen, and I think we all know how this works. Throughout the game you will encounter a number of different characters that will join your party, and each of these have a certain weapon-type that they can use as opposed to working with a class or job system.

There are five bracelets to be found within the game as well, and this gives your characters yet another advantage over the enemy. Equipping these allows you to transform into a much more powerful combatant, but there are some rules to be aware of. In order to transform, you will need to build up your SP, seen in your status bar and indicated by blue jewels. Once you’ve built this up enough, you can take on this new form which will give you more powerful attacks and what is known as Godspeed; a skill which will allow you to move and attack again. But, there is a final key to successfully using your transformation skills, and this is to remember that this can be used one time per battle.

A number of tactical RPG’s hit players with “forced” battles. This would be when you’re simply trying to make it to the next combat stage that is essential to push the story ahead, but while passing through an area you’ve cleared, you have to do battle once again. It’s much like a random encounter, and at times can get extremely tedious. Jeanne d'Arc however gives you the option when passing through any stage you’ve cleared if you want to fight again or not in a free battle mode. These aren’t necessary, but can be helpful as the experience gained by characters can make them level differently depending on how often you’ve used them. It’s also a nice way to gain some new spoils from battle and gold to help increase your war purse for necessary equipment, items, or skill stones.

Jeanne d'Arc presents itself in a variety of different forms visually. The combat stages are extremely well detailed with lush and vivid detail given to the terrain. The characters on the other hand have that “super-deformed” look that has been so popular in the genre meaning somewhat stout characters with a definite anime inspiration associated to them. Visiting shops or checking character status still has an anime look, but minus the SD style. There are also two varieties of cut scenes that you will find. There are the cinematic sequences which once again use anime and are extremely well done. The only downside is that they are dubbed into English and the original Japanese audio is not present. The in-game cut scenes meanwhile retain the standard look of Jeanne d'Arc that you will grow used to seeing while playing the game. The presentation overall is perfect and doesn’t stray too far from what many of the tactical RPG fans have become used to seeing.

Jeanne d'Arc may sound like every other tactical RPG that is available, but it does have enough unique approaches and options that set it apart and keep it from being a title that would be classes as “a dime a dozen.” The combination of history and fantasy is a very interesting one, and there are definitely some unexpected characters to be found such as Gilles De Rias, though the spelling is different from the real world Gilles de Rais, a notorious serial killer from 15th century France. Jeanne d'Arc brings some much deserved tactical RPG combat to the PSP

-mike-