Jeanne D’Arc Review

Platform: PSP
Genre: Tactical RPG
Publisher: Level 5
Release Date: August 2007
Official Website
Writer: Trina

Rating: 9.5

Pros: Amazing story, great characters, fun dialogue during fights
Cons: If you lose a battle, it’s game over.

Level 5 is an independent developer based out of Fukuoka, Japan. Level 5′s first game was the RPG Dark Cloud, and followed with Rogue Galaxy. Recently a game journalist wrote that Level 5 is the Square Enix of the future. As a huge Square Enix fan, that was quite the compliment and after playing Jeanne D’Arc, I’m going to have to advise Square Enix that they need to watch out.

Jeanne D’Arc is loosely based on the story of Joan of Arc and her tale to lead the French to victory against the English. Monsters and demons add a fantasy element to the game. The story begins when Jeanne finds a strange bracelet deep in the woods while on an errand from her father. She returns to find that her village has been burned down. This is where your first battle takes place, and where Jeanne begins her journey to save France.

The first battle does a great job of explaining the game mechanics without getting in the way. It is one of the best tutorials I have ever played. You also learn a bit about Jeanne’s bracelet and the powers that it contains. Jeanne’s powers from her bracelet can only be used once per battle. So plan it well. But when she is transformed, Jeanne is very powerful and can attack twice per turn. It only lasts for a little while, so you don’t want to waste a lot of time traveling with her in that form.

Each battle only allows you to use a certain number of characters. The party grows as you go through the story. Each character offers different methods of attack and movement. During battle, you are able to see your health meter and the health meter of all your enemies on the map. This is helpful in planning your method of attack.

Each character can move within a particular area of squares and then has a certain amount of attack points. Special attacks can be bought at the shop and added to any character in the group.

Talking about the battle system leads me to my only complaint about the game. Even though I love playing videogames, I’m not always great at them. Every now and then, my characters will lose a battle. The frustrating part is not in losing, it’s the fact that after you lose, the words “Game Over” come onto the screen. The next thing you see is the beginning “Start Game” screen. This caught me by surprise the first time, and quickly became an annoyance. Not enough of an annoyance to put down the game though.

The game itself is pretty long. It can take anywhere from 30 to 40 hours to get through it. Excellent anime cut scenes are scattered through the game, helping unveil more of the story. Gamers often complain about cut scenes and how often they occur, but the cut scenes in Jeanne D’Arc are anything but disruptive. The dialogue throughout the game is very well written and you’ll find yourself actually reading along instead of just trying to get past it.

Jeanne D’Arc is a must have for all PSP owners. Level 5 has created a tactical RPG that, while not ground breaking for the tactical genre, is an amazingly well written story and fun to play. I really loved Jeanne D’ Arc. I found myself playing Jeanne D’Arc during any free moment I could find in my schedule. This is the first Level 5 game I have played and look forward to what they have planned for the future. Watch out, Square Enix, there’s a new sheriff in town.