PSP

Jeanne d'Arc

Jeanne D'Arc manages to deliver on all fronts, from the presentation to the fast paced and streamlined open-ended battles and skill binding mechanics. Everything in this game is polished, pretty, highly functional and fun. At the end of the day it's hard for me to complain about anything in this game. It delivers the perfect balance of storytelling, presentation, and engaging gameplay. Jeanne D'Arc is the best roleplaying game on the PSP to date. Buy it.

Like all great tactics games, Jeanne D'Arc gives players the power to micromanage battles down to the tiniest detail. Every step taken, spell cast, and blow dished out is executed in turn. This approach to combat stretches fights out to long, slow-motion brawls that some may find tedious. But those who savor the idea of puzzling out troop positions will find Jean D'Arc's cinematic scenarios among the best the strategy RPG genre has to offer. On top of this fine level of combat control, the game offers nearly bottomless layers of character customization and skill-crafting for obsessive-compulsive gamers to peel away. All these mechanics come expertly packaged into a plot infused with Joss Whedon ensemble drama, surprise plot twists, and, of course, tragedy. Who knew that it would only take a little anime flavor to make a classic story feel this new?

Except for a few minor balance issues (mainly in regards to transforming charcters), there is little that Jeanne d'Arc does that doesn't work. Though I usually don't suggest Strategy RPGs to those who aren't a fan of the genre, Jeanne d'Arc is something that should appeal to much broader audience. Granted, it won't appeal to everyone, but if what you've read interests you, it is definitely something to check out.

All in all, Jeanne d’Arc just doesn’t have any noticeable weak points. I really believe it is a game that can create a PSP renaissance. It quite simply is a must-own for every PSP owner, whether you typically enjoy turn-based Tactics-style RPGs or not.

Jeanne d'Arc does nearly everything perfectly, and I know I keep harping on this, but it's just a stellar first effort for Level-5. If your PSP has been collecting dust since, say, Crush, break out the dust mop and grab this game.

Jeanne d’Arc is the best tactical RPG that I have played in a long time. The amount of skill customization and various character types with their own weapon types and skills is amazing as is the sheer level of detail in ever facet of the presentation. And I still can’t get that opening movie out of my head. A fantastic mix of historically accurate characters and a world of fantasy sewn together is all I could ask for. Well Level-5 and Sony delivered. I highly advise anyone to buy this game. You will not be disappointed. If you’ve been looking for that next great RPG for the PSP look no further. The world of Jeanne d’Arc awaits.

Jeanne D'Arc is one of the best games to be released on Sony's portable system to date. The battle system is very well executed, with a combination of new elements and ones that are familiar to those of this style of game. Character development is wide open to many different playstyles, allowing you to, more often than not, use the characters you like the look and story of as opposed to forcing you to use someone because they have a necessary ability. Finally, the game just looks incredible, from the well-done anime cutscenes to the in battle graphics and animations. If you own a PSP and enjoy RPGs to any degree, you owe it to yourself to buy Jeanne D'Arc – especially since it is 10 bucks cheaper than the average PSP title.

Overall, I was thoroughly enraptured by Jeanne D'Arc. It's a sweeping epic that has both the mechanics and visuals to make it a must-play title. I went into this game expecting the generic thoroughfare, but I was so pleasantly surprised. There's so much depth and emotional connection during this game that it's truly a privilege to play. I would definitely recommend this title to anyone who owns a PSP.

What Jeanne d'Arc lacks in originality it makes up for in its polish. It's an all around solid strategy RPG that anyone into that genre will eat up and enjoy. Considering the loads of mediocre RPGs being thrown at the PSP, it should be a welcome addition to any RPG fan's PSP library. It is refreshing to see an original title of such high quality on the PSP and I hope to see more like it.

Jeanne D'arc is a work of art all around. Level 5 has even gotten around long load times and bad frame rates, which normally kill titles like this on the PSP. Load times are kept way down and it is pretty rare to find any slow down. The game is a must have for fans of the genre; it's very good looking, the music is excellent, and the game is just all around fun. Make sure you pick this one up to save France... again.

Jeanne D’arc is one of those games that gets better as you play it. With each development of the story, you are pulled into Jeanne’s world as her destiny begins to unfold. Unlike Disgaea or other SRPGs, D’Arc is easy to get the hang of without too much micromanaging of tiny details. I didn’t feel like the developers were trying to push a new feature on me to “force” entertainment, what was presented spoke for itself. The fall season is officially upon the PSP and D’Arc is a great way to bring on the Holiday rush. All in all, playing Jeanne D’arc is like sipping Kool-Aid on a warm summer day in a lawn chair, it just feels right.

The engaging storyline is well crafted through an incredible anime-style cartoon. Characters are well drawn and have their own distinctive personalities. The animation and voice work is top notch and the writing is bar none the best we've seen from an RPG in a while. We literally wanted to plow through the battles just to see what happens next. Fortunately, the story still unfolds while you're battling through comical conversations between the allies and banter between the opposing sides. This is a must buy for anyone seeking a well balanced tactical strategy game with an excellent story, incredible graphics, fast paced action and plenty of customizable skill sets.

When all these ingredients – story, gameplay, and character customization – are thrown together and stirred, the result is an irresistibly scrumptious strategy RPG that would be an absolute shame to pass up.

Extremely deep gameplay. Balanced tactical strategy and fast paced action with rich game mechanics. An intriguing twist on a well known tale. These three statements only scratch the surface of Jeanne d'Arc, which manages to deliver on all of these fronts. Packed with challenging strategic play and tactical action, Level-5's latest title is a phenomenal game that will keep you engaged for hours. If you've been eagerly awaiting a game to end the Strategy RPG drought on the PSP, look no further: your title has arrived.

The tactical RPG is a tough genre to gush emotionally about, as slow-paced and deliberate as it is. But Jeanne manages to capture perfectly what we want from a tactical RPG: to make us care about the characters through a well-done but not distracting story; to give us enough choices in customization to make preparing for battle and spending our resources meaningful; and in providing us with battles that feel like certain doom from the first turn, even after we've won dozens of them.

Jeanne D'Arc is a huge breath of fresh air for those looking for a kick-ass S-RPG game. This isn't just an S-RPG you can play to tide yourself until Final Fantasy Tactics hits, but this is an S-RPG you can put alongside FFT and hold it up as a standard for others to follow. Jeanne D'Arc's superb gameplay package and beautiful art-design really makes this game feel like a videogame novel. To top it off, the voice acting and soundtrack completes the entire package. Level 5 has done it, yet again.

If Jeanne d'Arc was a PS2 game, it'd be one of the last great games on the system. As a PSP game, it's definitely a reason to own the system, although it has a surprising difficulty curve that may frustrate some players. Like every good game on the PSP, though, it also serves to highlight the system's flaws.

As you continue through Jeanne d'Arc you will become more and more engaged with the characters and story and be surprised by the various twists and turns the plot takes along the way. It is wonderful and amazing in a game that is focused on a series of tactical combat missions that you get such a marvelous story to carry you through the many hours of playing time. The game isn't perfect, as there's a certain simplicity to the combat based on only attacking on the ordinal directions and some of the dialogue doesn't flow very well, but overall it's an engaging and fun game that you won't want to put down until the very end.

The good summer for the PSP continues with Jeanne D’Arc being the latest game to keep PSP owners busy. Right now, it’s the best strategy RPG on the system, though Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions rears its head in October to challenge for that crown. For PSP owners who want some strategy RPG action now, however, Jeanne D’Arc fills that void quite nicely while you wait for Square Enix to step up. Level 5 can add another notch to their belt as they delight RPG fans with another strong game as they spread the RPG love to another platform.

Overall Jeanne d’Arc is not ground breaking in an innovative frame of mind. Nothing is really new but everything is still excellent. It’s a perfect SRPG formula that plays superbly on PSP. Level 5 has made a solid game with great replay value. It’s attractive visually and audibly, with an in-depth story, great characters, and features many ways to provide variations on battle strategies. The cut scenes included are high quality which begs the question, how did they fit it on a UMD? Dialogue is in place of voice acting so maybe that’s where the extra space should’ve gone too to keep things rolling but it is an RPG, and thus should be more like a story. Jeanne d’Arc is a perfect mix of folklore and fantasy and is my pick for handheld RPG of the year thus far. Everything put together deserves appraisal and is definitely worth the price tag.

The game has a few minor problems but when looking at the overall scope of the game, and what it achieves on the handheld platform, this is a pretty impressive title. It plays well, you will find that the characters have a bit of personality (yes, even Liane – whose value is definitely in the role of healer or spellcaster), and the game’s missions are diverse enough to give you a reason to keep moving the story forward. This is a terrific PSP title.

When you get down to it, Jeanne D'Arc is not going to change your mind about console RPGs if you never liked the genre in the first place. However, if you're an RPG fan it's hard not to like the game and the breath of fresh air it brings to an often tired genre. So go out there and stop the English … with orcs!

Graphics are good, controls aren't frustrating, and the gameplay challenges me. I can't see how this could be a better title. A lack of multiplayer doesn't hurt the game, as I have only seen two other strategy RPGs with multiplayer (Kartia, and Band of Bugs...I am certainly forgetting some out there) that worked well. Even better, other than somewhat annoying victory conditions on a couple of maps, the game plays fair and doesn't cheat just to give itself an advantage. Overall, I wasted no time in the hours I have put into this title, and I will be putting more in. A solid 'Buy' recommendation from us, and a hands down rental if you don't want to buy!

"You did what for Madden? I mean, I know there hasn't been a lot of reason to even have a PSP lately, but Jeanne D'Arc totally makes up for it. You should have held out. It's the best SRPG I've played in years and crushes just about everything else on portables, straight up... if you don't get that PSP back and give it a shot, you're missing out, bro. And hey, where's that five bucks you owe me?"

In total Jeanne D’Arc runs for an average of 40 hours with expansive environments where you crusade through the countryside helping revive the fallen French towns while learning about your unique circumstance and the demon threat. It’s more than enough game for the price, and anyone who enjoys the history of Jean of Arc will enjoy stepping into the shoes of this young girl as she avenges her fallen comrades. I highly recommend Jeanne D’Arc for gamers who don’t mind spending a little time and thinking out battles rather than mashing buttons. Jeanne D’Arc is an A+ title that will be up for many awards nominations for Sony’s Playstation Portable. Like the legend of Joan of Arc, Level 5’s Jeanne D’Arc has marked itself along side some of the other great turn based strategy RPG games that we’ve come to adore over the years.

This title does what all of Level 5 games do – it lets you loose in an inviting environment armed with a variety of tools at your disposal. Whether it’s forming bunkered defensive formations with your cast of characters or using Joan’s Armlet powers to lay waste to a board of enemies, this is an alternate history lesson that you should not miss.

Ultimately, Sony has given Jeanne d'Arc a serious edge by offering it at the surprisingly affordable price point of $29.99. A gaggle of inferior strategy-RPG options sporting higher asking prices already litters the PSP's substandard role-playing pool, so this fully competent, polished game should be an instant no-brainer for fans of the genre.

Overall there's nothing incredibly ground breaking about Jeanne d'Arc. However it has an extremely compelling story with some great “Holy Crap!” moments. The graphics and animation are very well done, not to mention the deep gameplay and solid, intuitive controls. I recommend surrendering to The Voices you hear right now, and go pick up this game start slaughtering some stinking English degenerates.

There’s no doubt that coming to this game from something such as Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea will prove to be too easy a ride for those experienced with the genre, but for anyone looking for a more portable Strategy-RPG, with a wonderful story to tell, Jeanne d’Arc will be a perfect fit.

While basing much of it's gameplay off of previous games of its genre Jeanne d'Arc doesn't bring many new things to the table, but it does offer up solid game mechanics and a really nice visual presentation, while leaving the door open to casual or new strategy RPGers. At the least, it'll keep you busy while you wait for the Final Fantasy Tactics remake that is scheduled to hit the PSP soon.

With tons of hours of gameplay offering a constantly evolving game play experience, Jeanne d'Arc will heartily satisfy fans of the genre, but more surprisingly, can be enjoyed by just about anyone looking for an intense RPG experience.

If reliving 15-century French history sounds as appealing to you as being burned at the stake, rest assured you will find a lot to love about Jeanne D'Arc. This is revisionist history at its finest, which sounds like a dubious honor but in fact is high praise for one of the year's most compelling and fascinating stories. The gameplay is equally gripping, thanks to the pounding pace of battle. Finally, 2007 brings us a PSP RPG well worth its price tag.

That should be the final word of this. It is not. There are faults within this title that are never truly grievous, barring the terrible French accents adopted by the English voice over. Maybe it's only great fault was that it aimed too low or never really escaped the conventions of the genre in story or in gameplay. But it has to be mentioned, forever again, that what is here was a game brilliantly executed on many fronts. And its great risk was already taken in just choosing to tell such a loaded story. Level 5, I tip my hat in your general direction.

With a strong story, a main character that is actually pretty interesting, a very competent visual package, and gameplay that is enjoyable, Jeanne D'Arc is a solid tactical-RPG overall, and arguably the best RPG available for the PSP at this point.

Ultimately, even though it simply refines what other games have done before, Jeanne d'Arc does this with brilliant aplomb, warranting praise, demanding a play-through and gaining forgiveness for its misinterpretation of frogs.

When a proven RPG developer like Level 5 takes its expertise and applies it to grid-based strategy, good things are bound to happen. Jeanne d’Arc, the company’s first foray into the genre, holds its own even against the likes of Fire Emblem. It isn’t quite as merciless as that series (characters are revived after each battle with full health), but Jeanne d’Arc finds other ways to add tension to a fight. Jeanne’s once-per-battle transformation into a holy avenger needs to be used judiciously, and there is a thrill to brandishing your custom-made weapons. The well-balanced and exceptionally fun combat is a must-play for strategy fans, providing you don’t mind a ridiculous alternate history angle.

If you've been waiting for a great role-playing game for your PSP then the wait is finally over, Jeanne D'Arc is everything you could possibly want in a great adventure game. It features a fascinating story, fast-paced battles, and a fantastic presentation. There's a little something for everybody in Jeanne D'Arc, just don't expect a whole lot of historical accuracy.

But for those willing to put a little effort in to tracking down a copy this is a worthwhile experience. The storyline, while clearly bonkers, makes a refreshing change to the standard RPG fare, if only because it draws at least superficially, on historical characters and events. Likewise the mechanics are deep enough to be enjoyable for veterans while also serving as an excellent introduction to what is one of gaming's least approachable genres. If nothing else, at least the game might account for some decidedly more colourful and rip-roaring GCSE coursework in the coming months.