|
Already available in Japan, Blue Dragon was one of the first big surprise announcements for the Xbox 360. The most notable aspects of the game, and the reason so many have had their eye on it, is that it is developed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is one of the first games from his new studio, Mistwalker. Another reason is that Akira Toriyama, famed creator of the Dragonball Z series, headed up enemy and character design.
Blue Dragon stars a young boy named Shu who is able to control shadow creatures. Shu’s friends – Jiro, Zola, Klluke and Marumaruo – also have this power which they use in their battle with the evil Nene.
Gameplay is very much in the style of classic RPGs. You control Shu as he runs around an overworld map. As you explore the area, you can see enemies patrolling the area who, if you get close enough, will attack, bringing you into a turn-based battle screen. When in combat, you have control of up to five characters, each with a unique shadow creature that they can summon. The most recognizable of these creatures is Shu’s dragon. Although turn-based, battles are packed with the robust energy and action evident in Toriyama’s other works.
While in combat, you are given the usual attack, item and magic commands. After using a normal attack, you can decide how long to charge the attack. A meter will come up showing the order of attacks. Stopping the meter under one of the portraits in the attack order will delay your attack, giving it a little more power. Once unleashed, attacks play out with fast camera angles and sweeps.
As active and fast-paced as combat is, it can get tiresome just bumping into enemies and jumping into battle. In response, you are given a set of commands that can make combat much easier.
As you progress through the game, one of the skills you will learn are field commands, which are abilities that let you gain an advantage over enemies. One of the earlier skills you learn is a bomb ability that lets you stun enemies, allowing you to run past them or hit them from behind, giving you the advantage of a preemptive attack. Another skill you learn a little later on is a barrier that kills any low-level enemies that come in contact with it. This should be great for late in the game so you don’t have to waste time in meaningless combat with enemies you can easily trounce. Enemies defeated in this way will still reward you with skill points.
Another trick you can use is activated by pressing the right trigger, which creates a ring around your party leader. Any monsters trapped in the ring are pulled into combat. While fighting large groups of enemies sounds like a quick trip back to the load screen, it can have its benefits. Not only is it a great way to boost your experience, but some enemies don’t get along and will spend more time fighting each other than you. Battles with the remaining monsters are then fought in succession and grant you special bonuses between battles.
Blue Dragon also features a number of mini-games to break up the exploration and combat aspects. One of these games includes a shooter sequence where you take the helm of a space ship and blast through enemy ships.
Blue Dragon ships this August and is just the thing the RPG-starved 360 needs in its line-up. |
