Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

In Jeanne D'Arc you play as a young French peasant girl named Jeanne (I guess you could have figured that out by reading the title) who has her village attacked by demons that were sent by the English. In anger, Jeanne arms herself with a sword, kills all the invading demons, and somehow manages to keep her hair straight. She discovers that all the townsfolk are gone, and swears vengeance on the English. With her friends Leane, and Roger, she sets out on a quest to annihilate the English and save all of France. Now that was just a brief summary of the in-game plot, the story is much deeper than it appears. The in-game story nicely unravels itself gradually, and provides many twists and turns within the plot to keep you interested. Jeanne D'Arc offers a nice historical lesson (this game is based on the story of Joan D'Arc) and revamps it with magic and demons to make the experience feel completely fresh and new.

Jeanne D'Arc is a tactical turn based RPG, if you don't know what that is then……well…..I feel sorry for you, hahahaha, just kidding. Jeanne D'arc is like a big chess game, minus the board, the kings and queens, the pawns, the bishops; okay…maybe Jeanne D'arc isn't like a chess game. Anyways, each turn you get to decide what to do with your troops on the battlefield. Will you command them to attack, wait for further orders, defend a position, or will you simply leave them to die a sad, miserable, and horrific death? Personally, I like the last option, MWAHAHAHA!! After you have selected your actions the enemy gets to do the same. Jeanne D'arc does a very nice job introducing the player to the combat system, so if you're afraid that you won't understand how to play this game, never fear for the in-game tutorial is here. Wow, that was lame. What I really enjoyed about the in-game combat was how simple it was, but at the same time it was challenging to master. It's sort of like playing a game of Tetris. You understand the concept of the game, but mastering it is a whole new other level.

The in-game graphics are stunningly crisp, beautiful, and colorful, just like the rainbows on the Skittles commercials! Jeanne D'Arc uses smooth, animated cut scenes on the major plot sequences, and is nicely executed. There are a large variety of levels within the game, each with their own distinct look and feel. There will be times where one will have to change their strategy based on the terrain. Some may not like it, but when a game makes me use my brain due to the level design, I'm up for it!

The in-game music was nicely done. Sure there weren't that many musical selections, but the ones they did have were absolutely stunning, a tasteful sensation for my ears. The voice acting on the other hand was……well….let's just say it wasn't all that great. Some of the characters voices just made me want to stick my hand into my PSP, grab their little virtual bodies, and slap the living (insert word here) out of them. Now the voice acting wasn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't that good.

Overall: Jeanne D'arc is a superb game featuring a well rounded plot, addictive combat system, crisp and vibrant graphics, and nicely orchestrated music. Those who own a PSP, and have yet to play this game should get off their butt, stop reading this review, and go purchase it….NOW!!!