#94 Jeanne d'Arc

Game Info

Publisher: SCEJ / Sony Computer Entertainment America

Developer: Level 5

Platform:  PSP

Genre(s): Strategy, Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: August 21, 2007

Intro:

Cartoony and a little mundane, the intro to Jeanne d'Arc brings you into the story with an evil being trying to rule the world with demons and taking hold of a young prince Henry.  The introductory CG is where mundane ends in this game.  This game is anything but mundane.  In fact, it's rather addicting.

Getting Going:

The game easily gets the player going with dynamic and informative tutorial pages.  Yes, pages.  The screen fills with pictures and text that briefly explain things in a graphically enticing way.  The pages are busy without being crowded or overwhelming.  Still, I felt like there was so much to look at and so much information in a small space.  Movement in the game is easy.  Instructions and objectives are clear and concise.

Fun:

I've been playing this game for hours.  Not a few, just to test it, but totally addicted and picking it up for even brief play sessions, which is a wonderful feature of the PSP.  So, when I came across Rufus in Chapter 2, the beast that talks like Scooby Doo, yes, I laughed.  It doesn't necessarily seem like fun, depending on how fun is defined by any particular individual, but it's surprisingly engrossing.  The characters, while squat and comic-styled, are well-defined.  The cut scenes, although in usually in text, show facial expression.  Time does seem to slip away while playing, so, yes, I find this game to be fun.

Visuals:

There are a lot of environments in the game so far.  The visuals could be better.  I've certainly seen better graphics and heard better sound quality in PSP games, so I know it's possible.  The characters all look like they've been squashed down so that they have funny little legs.  However, the quality of the art as it is created is consistent and visually pleasing.  The environments are detailed.  The battlefields have layers and levels.  The graphics for costumes, spells and special moves are well done.  There is really nothing to complain about in the graphics in this game.  Only once did I find a bug in which I turned the field to find myself facing a black mountainside.  The map on the board reminded me very much of Puzzle Quest.  So did the music score.  But the battle system makes it very clear that this is not a Puzzle Quest game.

Sound:

The music is simplistic and reminiscent of Puzzle Quest for me.  It doesn't clip, though.  The voice acting is quality, although not extensive.  The sound effect for text seems unnecessary.  The sound effect of walking is occasionally annoying.  The music doesn't detract from the game and it never comes across as static-y or white noise.

Intelligence:

This is a real strategy game.  The turn-based battles have a limited number of "ups".  The AI makes intelligent decisions which are neither predictable nor does it ever feel as if the game is going easy on you.  It never seems as if the game picks on the same players, such as the main PC or the weakest player, but I've had one character ganged up on on more than one occasion. Just like the player, the AI makes intelligent decisions based on counter-strikes and weapon abilities. 

Immersion:

This game has actually taught me a thing or two about immersion in games. It doesn't have spectacular audio-visuals.  There is no surround sound or HD quality.  The game is not emotionally engaging and doesn't require the player to make moral or ethical decisions.  The decisions that are made can be reversed by re-loading the game.  The player doesn't even necessarily get attached to the in-game characters in any meaningful way.  Death is not permanent for PC's nor NPC's so there is a huge suspension of disbelief in this game. The story isn't even particularly engrossing. However, there is a constant inner dialogue that goes on in the player's head because of the strategy aspect of the battlefield.  Time does slip away and I constantly find myself thinking of the game when not playing.  It has an addictive quality that is completely immersive even without the qualities I normally find I look for in an "immersive" game.

Cameras:

The game is not perfect.  There are times I want to see up over an obstacle or around a corner and I can't seem to spin the camera in that way.  However, Jeanne d'Arc does an excellent job of letting you see things from a multitude of angles and views.  The camera spins effortlessly.  For the most part, Level 5 offers camera options that are effortless and a joy to use.

Controls:

The user interface in Jeanne d'Arc is simple, concise and seamless.  I can't find a single thing about controlling this game that bothers me in the least.  The controls seem so intuitive and natural that I rarely, if ever, find myself thinking about what to do or how to do anything  in the game.  This naturally adds to the immersive quality of the game since it never takes the player out of the play flow.

Ideas:

Simply immersive.  This game has taught me how an intuitive UI along with strategic, addictive play adds an immersive quality that just can't be found in more complex games.  It's an excellent take-away.  As in any game, however, long CG's leave me cold.  The CG's in this game are fairly brief, but still long enough that they interrupt gameplay.
 

Memory:

As already stated, I find myself thinking about this game when I'm not playing it.  I find it easy to pick up for brief play sessions, which is a nice quality in any portable game.