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Tag Archives: Jeanne d’Arc

Top 5 RPGs on PSP

While some argue the Nintendo DS is hotter, when it comes right down to it, I’d put the top five RPGs on Sony PSP up against the top five RPGs on Nintendo DS any day.

If the two portable platforms shared bunk beds, I guarantee you it would be Sony PSP getting the top bunk every time.

Here’s my list of the Top 5 RPGs on Sony PSP at this time:

1) Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions from Square-Enix

Faithful remake of the PSone original, but with tons of new stuff. Available in October.

2) Jeanne d’Arc from Sony and Level-5

Anything Level-5 makes becomes RPG gold. Wonderful stuff. Available now.

3) Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth from Square-Enix

One of the most under-appreciates RPGs from the PSone era became one of the most appreciated RPGs on the Sony PSP last year.

4) Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII from Square-Enix

Promised to be to PSP what FFVII was to PSone. Release date still up in the air.

5) Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness from NIS America

Finally, Disgaea becomes portable! Expected release in October-November of this year.

Jeanne d’Arc has staying power

Jeanne d’Arc has staying power. Although it’s just hitting store shelves about now, I’ve been pleased to say I’ve been playing it for over six weeks and the game is still going strong when it comes to holding my interest.

I’m logging a lot of hours on it, looking for that miracle burn transformation that allows Jeanne and select other characters to transform into super-soldiers who can wipe out large groups at a time thanks to the addictive One More battle system.

Seriously, this is every bit the must-have I’ve been saying it is for some time now.

Credit where its due

I have to give credit where it’s due. Namco-Bandai’s Tales series is getting better.

While Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology isn’t groundbreaking by any means and still eats tailpipe from a game like Jeanne d’Arc, it is one of the more playable Tales titles in quite a while. And it’s on PSP!

Costume changes from armor to jewelry is reflected on-screen in the nice graphics, and the load times are kept to a minimum.

It’s not my first RPG of choice on the system, but it’s playable for certain. Hopefully more solid, playable RPGs will soon appear.

Jeanne d’Arc could be a PSP-saver!

In one of my half-dozen side jobs, I write videogame reviews for a professional videogame Web site, as opposed to what I do on this videogame blog. It requires a bit more effort, longer reviews, and a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it because I get a fair number of videogames for free, a real budget saver, and sometimes I get games before the general public sees them. Hey, it beats getting paid in premium dog food!

Such is the case with Jeanne d’Arc, a PSP RPG due out later this July from Sony and developer Level-5. The game offers over 40 hours of Final Fantasy Tactics-style game play, and is a basic retelling of the legend of Joan of Arc, the historical heretic who claimed the voice of G-d told her to drive the British out of France, only to be burned at the stake for her troubles.

Level-5 takes considerable liberties with the tale of St. Joan, the Catholic heretic-turned-saint, filling out her tale with a colorful cast of friends and followers, including a fellow who, for no discernible reason since most of Jeanne’s followers are also natives of France, has a ridiculously cliche French accent.

Still, it’s the best looking game ever released on PSP and could turn around PSP’s fortunes in much the same way Final Fantasy Tactics Advance made Nintendo’s GBA platform a must have for people other than Pokemon and Mario addicts. With a bit of good fortune and smart marketing, Jeanne d’Arc could draw gamers to PSP who haven’t been interested thus far.

Calling any game a platform-saving killer app is risky business; but with Level-5, the makers of a couple Dark Cloud games, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Rogue Galaxy and several highly anticipated upcoming games as well, it may well be a safe bet.

Just wait till you play it…