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…