A new twist to an old tale. Jeanne D'Arc will please Anime and Tactical RPG fans alike.
Jeanne D'Arc is an ambitious title that will likely either pull you in or leave you completely out. I say this because both the battle and storyline lack some elements which would not make for a good experience standing on its own. Rather, the two are combined in such a manner that both are complimented. Let's start from the beginning. The cover art, inside cover art, and manual art are without question the best I have seen of any PSP game. So good that they deserve mention here. No single piece of art is specifically masterful, but as a whole it makes for one very nice looking package. The developers clearly took pride in their work and it shows.
The plot starts out rather random. In some ways it's typical of any RPG, and reminds me of some anime I used to watch. The "demon world" is a major part of this game. Anime fans should be fairly used to the usual demon world aspect. Think of say YuYu Hakisho (and plenty of other animes) that thrive off of this concept. This is where Jeanne D'Arc gets its fantasy element and ultimately it proves as the primary motivation for most of the events that transpire within the game. As far as the specifics, well, you'll have to play the game to find out. Ultimately the plot is fairly engaging. It starts out strong at the beginning, fades somewhat during the mid-portion of the game, picks up a great deal of intensity at the climax, and then unfortunately teeters out towards the end. There were some opportunities to really make something out of the ending portion of the game yet for some reason the developers took a more conventional approach which was somewhat disappointing.
Characters are quite diverse. Some do appear a little generic but what doesn't when you look at the insane get-ups Square-Enix throws onto its characters? Animated cut scenes are well done and can even be watched at any time thanks to an in-game Theater (every game should have this!). Voice acting is well done during the cut scenes as well. Sadly, the music, while well done, is repetitive and sound effects are modest. Spells, such Fire, Blizzard, etc., are not as glamorous as seen in other RPGs. None-the-less, the presentation is solid overall.
Gameplay consist of tactical grids in which all units roam on a constricted field. It's the same style used in Final Fantasy Tactics and many other Tactical RPGs. You have the basic attacks, items, spells, and so on. Battles can be fun thanks to chained defenses (characters get a defense boost when standing in relative proximity to one another), burning auras which grant boosted attacks, and transformations for key characters that allows them to continue to move so long as they defeat their opponent. Thankfully, these boost are only on your side (thankfully the CPU doesn't get the same benefits - I couldn't imagine if they did!). This makes the game somewhat easier in some respects and perhaps more approachable. The downside to the battle system, however, is that it takes some time to move units and for larger boards this can become rather tedious. Further, the menus and moves during battle are stuck at one speed - slow. Enemy variety is good, though you'll encounter the usual henchmen throughout most of the game.
Customization? It's somewhat standardized in this title. You can equip the usual weapons and armor. Skills and Magic are equipped through the use of skill stones. These stones can be combined to make new stones. Though it does work ok it's really quite boring. There's a limited number of formulas and you are left in the dark as to what they are until you discover them through basic trial and error.
Overall this is a solid title where the whole is better than the sum of its parts. If you're looking for a tactical RPG that requires less commitment than FF Tactics then this is a great pick. Expect a good 30-40 hour adventure.