Yeah so yesterday I finally beat Blue Dragon. I didn't play [eM] so I guess this would be my first next-generation RPG! Overall the game was really neat, and delivered way more than I actually expected. Although to be fair I wasn't really sure what to expect from a creator who hasn't actively made games for a decade now, teamed with a developer known for mediocre high budget releases. Instead of actually just reviewing the game, I'll take about how I felt about the game in the different components. It'll help you better understand what the game is like, and if it would be for you.
Story
For a new RPG from the "father of Final Fantasy," the story is surprisingly simple and light-hearted. While this might seem jarring to those with expectations of a story similar to FFVI or FFVII, it should be noted that the last Final Fantasy that Sakaguchi was deeply involved with was FFV.
Here the scenario is very similar, although better presented. The characters are young and energetic, with much more willpower instead of angst and melodrama. Coupled with Toriyama's design influences it is indeed very much like a high-budget CG shounen anime - without the filler.
The story itself is about a few kids who are caught up in a big adventure spanning the entire world where they discover the secrets of the ancient technology littered all around the world while trying to stop a villain who has been using them to bring sadness and misery to the land. There are cliches and familiarities all around, but with the colorful and unique design style of Toriyama and Manabu (Panzer Dragoon), the world and places you will travel to are anything but generic.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Blue Dragon is also very traditional, but not so much that it feels dated at all. While the basis of the battle system is much like that of any other JRPG that is turn-based and features enemies and party members on front and back rows, there are enough interesting elements to keep the game interesting.
For this game, Sakaguchi has done away with random encounters instead using a more modern approach for encounters in terms of visible enemies. In fields and dungeons, enemy placement is pre-set and non-respawnable much like Chrono Cross and Xenosaga. On the world map on the other hand, enemies spawn as you move on the map, with different sets of enemies for each area on the map.
While we're on the topic of enemy encounters, it's also interesting to mention that both the player and enemies possess field skills to be used outside of encounters. This would mean for players, depending on the skills equipped you can either evade enemies by turning invisible, or run into them head on with a barrier shield to destroy weaker ones at the expense of MP.
Enemies too have abilities like this, with certain enemies being able to do damage to your party with attacks on the field instead of attempting to engage an encounter, or enemies that might be able to paralyze you as you attempt to flee, forcing you into an encounter anyway. Stuff like this makes wandering around a little more active than just passively running into enemies or away from them.
Not only can you use field skills outside of battles, but you can also use the encounter ring to your advantage. Hitting the R Trigger button will open a ring around your character on the field much like the one in Vagrant Story or Parasite Eve. Instead of fighting the battle that way though, this ring allows you to select how you want to deal with enemies within the radius. You can select any of the enemy groups within the ring to fight, or you can even select to fight them all concurrently.
Fighting enemy groups concurrently would mean that while you are unable to rest inbetween battles like you would normally, after you beat each group a "trance bonus" slot selection appears on the right of the screen with several bonuses. Stopping the slot at the right time will determine what bonus your party receives before the next fight. Bonuses include things like physical defense up, power up, quickness, or even HP/MP recovery. The more fights you do concurrently, the better the bonuses get.
Another advantage of using the encounter ring is to make aggressive enemy groups fight each other. When inside your encounter ring,.if enemy names are in yellow instead of white, this means they are hostile towards each other. Forcing a concurrent encounter with both groups will instead create a "Monster's Fight" encounter with the hostile group attacking the other enemy group while you are free to attack any of them. Pretty useful especially used on enemies that might be stronger than your party usually.
As far as character building goes, the game takes after Final Fantasy V as well. Unlike many other JRPGs with a huge cast of playable characters, Blue Dragon only uses a five person party, with a total of five playable characters. The game has a total of nine Categories you can develop the characters' shadows in. Each Category acts like a Job in FFV/FFT. When defeating enemies you gain both Experience Points as well as Shadow Points. While Exp will build the character level, SP will build the Rank of the equipped Category. As you increase in rank for each Category, you will gain new skills that can be used.
In battles, the game uses a traditional front and back row system, but the game also has attacks which hit entire rows, or even with radius damage that can be charged. The charging system is another interesting element of the battles because with attacks that can be charged, you can delay when the attack occurs on the turn order timeline, and the later it takes off the more powerful it would be. It can be either stronger in damage, or in the case of certain spells, the radius of influence expands in a circle from the target the longer you charge.
When all is said and done, Blue Dragon is without a doubt the closest successor to what FFV was as a JRPG in terms of gameplay. While the game itself is usually on the easy side, there are plenty of optional bosses near the end of the game which will require you to have built a party which is not only high in level but also with the right skills to beat them. The game seems to be balanced as a nice experience for beginners or casuals, but without forgetting to present customization options and secret/extra content for the more hardcore. Of course if you're purely looking for a challenging and deep JRPG, this might not be the place.
World
The worldview in Blue Dragon is easily it's strongest aspect. The game bleeds charm from the moment it's put in and never lets up. Everything in the game is designed to feel unique or special in some way while maintaining the upbeat and positive theme the game pushes. Akira Toriyama does not simply do the character designs, but also the monster designs and mechanical designs. Aiding him in monster design is Hideo Minaba of FFT and FFXII fame. To add to the all-star cast, Manabu Kusunoki from Artoon is the conceptual artist for the world designs. Before he was locked away as a mere artist at Artoon, he was the conceptual designer for characters and the world of Panzer Dragoon.
This all-star artistic staff really pays off because as you explore the world of Blue Dragon, there's always something new to see and learn. Each area, town, ancient ruin or enemy stronghold is filled with insteresting sights and designs. While the game's story might be simple, there is still a very strong sense of history and a good variety and range throughout the world. You always feel like you're exploring something new instead of the same old thing over and over again. It helps that each new place has it's own little story and different people living there.
The way it is all presented really reminds me of Chrono Trigger in the sense that you always felt that you would be going to somewhere new but you wouldn't know what or where exactly it would be. This sense of adventure and exploration is really exciting because it keeps you going simply because you want to know what's coming up next or what new stories and places the journey will take you to. The world is also filled with little details which really add to the enjoyment, and it's easily one of the more charming adventures I've played.
Music
I've never been a very big fan of Uematsu, but he really shows what he can do with a complete soundtrack in this game. It's been quite a while since he has had the chance to pull off a complete soundtrack all by himself, so it was interesting to see (or hear) how it turned out. Thankfully, it turned out pretty great. The game may not have a large amount of tunes, but overall the music is very well composed and shows his range a bit more than the usual.
I especially like how there are certain themes that are represented by tunes, and the tunes are then reused in several different tracks but with different instruments and samples creating a totally different feel and atmosphere but with the familiar enough that you know what is being said. The vocal character themes were okay, but I have to say I prefer the instrumental versions to the vocal version of both insert songs. The singing just isn't very good and the lyrics don't do anything for me. Ian Gillan's over-the-top rock theme used for bosses was pretty effective though, I must admit. It will probably be a love-hate track, but I definitely like it.
If there is any disappointment I would say that the game lacks a great ending theme. Maybe I've just been spoilt by how effective a game can end when a great vocal ending theme plays as the credits roll, but it was definitely a little disappointing that the ending theme in this case lacked that sort of punch.
Minigames
I'm writing this just because there are some people out there that actually care about stuff like this. Yes, the game has minigames. They're pretty much all story events, and are mostly of the Quick Time Event varient, but there are a few pretty fun ones that you don't know about. Since you don't know about them, I won't tell you. Just trust me, they're pretty fun.
Conclusion
Blue Dragon is a great RPG which I really enjoyed. Some might find it too easy, or too traditional, but personally I really enjoyed the sights and sounds the game provided. The gameplay gave me a good level of customization for my party, and I never had to worry about which characters to swap in or out. The adventure was of a good length and never did it feel that it was going to be too short or too long. Nothing felt dragged out and 40 hours should be considered a good length by any standards.
The characters were nice and youthful and it's good to see a story with such characters work out well because it just shows that you don't need dark brooding angst to tell a JRPG story all the time. The worldview was lovely, and I really enjoyed exploring every corner of the world. It's really refusing to see a next-generation RPG feature a real world map with an airship you can fly around as well. Not only did it all look great but it also tickled vibes in me that I haven't felt in some time.
In a day and age where all genres are moving forward to be more innovative and more creative than before, it's interesting to see that a game that captures a traditional feel so well can also be so enjoyable. I would personally have liked the game to be more challenging, but I don't feel that the lower difficulty overall really hurts the game. If you find yourself looking for a new RPG that successfully captures the feeling of old RPGs but in a newer and prettier skin, do not pass this one by.
Story
For a new RPG from the "father of Final Fantasy," the story is surprisingly simple and light-hearted. While this might seem jarring to those with expectations of a story similar to FFVI or FFVII, it should be noted that the last Final Fantasy that Sakaguchi was deeply involved with was FFV.
Here the scenario is very similar, although better presented. The characters are young and energetic, with much more willpower instead of angst and melodrama. Coupled with Toriyama's design influences it is indeed very much like a high-budget CG shounen anime - without the filler.
The story itself is about a few kids who are caught up in a big adventure spanning the entire world where they discover the secrets of the ancient technology littered all around the world while trying to stop a villain who has been using them to bring sadness and misery to the land. There are cliches and familiarities all around, but with the colorful and unique design style of Toriyama and Manabu (Panzer Dragoon), the world and places you will travel to are anything but generic.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Blue Dragon is also very traditional, but not so much that it feels dated at all. While the basis of the battle system is much like that of any other JRPG that is turn-based and features enemies and party members on front and back rows, there are enough interesting elements to keep the game interesting.
For this game, Sakaguchi has done away with random encounters instead using a more modern approach for encounters in terms of visible enemies. In fields and dungeons, enemy placement is pre-set and non-respawnable much like Chrono Cross and Xenosaga. On the world map on the other hand, enemies spawn as you move on the map, with different sets of enemies for each area on the map.
While we're on the topic of enemy encounters, it's also interesting to mention that both the player and enemies possess field skills to be used outside of encounters. This would mean for players, depending on the skills equipped you can either evade enemies by turning invisible, or run into them head on with a barrier shield to destroy weaker ones at the expense of MP.
Enemies too have abilities like this, with certain enemies being able to do damage to your party with attacks on the field instead of attempting to engage an encounter, or enemies that might be able to paralyze you as you attempt to flee, forcing you into an encounter anyway. Stuff like this makes wandering around a little more active than just passively running into enemies or away from them.
Not only can you use field skills outside of battles, but you can also use the encounter ring to your advantage. Hitting the R Trigger button will open a ring around your character on the field much like the one in Vagrant Story or Parasite Eve. Instead of fighting the battle that way though, this ring allows you to select how you want to deal with enemies within the radius. You can select any of the enemy groups within the ring to fight, or you can even select to fight them all concurrently.
Fighting enemy groups concurrently would mean that while you are unable to rest inbetween battles like you would normally, after you beat each group a "trance bonus" slot selection appears on the right of the screen with several bonuses. Stopping the slot at the right time will determine what bonus your party receives before the next fight. Bonuses include things like physical defense up, power up, quickness, or even HP/MP recovery. The more fights you do concurrently, the better the bonuses get.
Another advantage of using the encounter ring is to make aggressive enemy groups fight each other. When inside your encounter ring,.if enemy names are in yellow instead of white, this means they are hostile towards each other. Forcing a concurrent encounter with both groups will instead create a "Monster's Fight" encounter with the hostile group attacking the other enemy group while you are free to attack any of them. Pretty useful especially used on enemies that might be stronger than your party usually.
As far as character building goes, the game takes after Final Fantasy V as well. Unlike many other JRPGs with a huge cast of playable characters, Blue Dragon only uses a five person party, with a total of five playable characters. The game has a total of nine Categories you can develop the characters' shadows in. Each Category acts like a Job in FFV/FFT. When defeating enemies you gain both Experience Points as well as Shadow Points. While Exp will build the character level, SP will build the Rank of the equipped Category. As you increase in rank for each Category, you will gain new skills that can be used.
In battles, the game uses a traditional front and back row system, but the game also has attacks which hit entire rows, or even with radius damage that can be charged. The charging system is another interesting element of the battles because with attacks that can be charged, you can delay when the attack occurs on the turn order timeline, and the later it takes off the more powerful it would be. It can be either stronger in damage, or in the case of certain spells, the radius of influence expands in a circle from the target the longer you charge.
When all is said and done, Blue Dragon is without a doubt the closest successor to what FFV was as a JRPG in terms of gameplay. While the game itself is usually on the easy side, there are plenty of optional bosses near the end of the game which will require you to have built a party which is not only high in level but also with the right skills to beat them. The game seems to be balanced as a nice experience for beginners or casuals, but without forgetting to present customization options and secret/extra content for the more hardcore. Of course if you're purely looking for a challenging and deep JRPG, this might not be the place.
World
The worldview in Blue Dragon is easily it's strongest aspect. The game bleeds charm from the moment it's put in and never lets up. Everything in the game is designed to feel unique or special in some way while maintaining the upbeat and positive theme the game pushes. Akira Toriyama does not simply do the character designs, but also the monster designs and mechanical designs. Aiding him in monster design is Hideo Minaba of FFT and FFXII fame. To add to the all-star cast, Manabu Kusunoki from Artoon is the conceptual artist for the world designs. Before he was locked away as a mere artist at Artoon, he was the conceptual designer for characters and the world of Panzer Dragoon.
This all-star artistic staff really pays off because as you explore the world of Blue Dragon, there's always something new to see and learn. Each area, town, ancient ruin or enemy stronghold is filled with insteresting sights and designs. While the game's story might be simple, there is still a very strong sense of history and a good variety and range throughout the world. You always feel like you're exploring something new instead of the same old thing over and over again. It helps that each new place has it's own little story and different people living there.
The way it is all presented really reminds me of Chrono Trigger in the sense that you always felt that you would be going to somewhere new but you wouldn't know what or where exactly it would be. This sense of adventure and exploration is really exciting because it keeps you going simply because you want to know what's coming up next or what new stories and places the journey will take you to. The world is also filled with little details which really add to the enjoyment, and it's easily one of the more charming adventures I've played.
Music
I've never been a very big fan of Uematsu, but he really shows what he can do with a complete soundtrack in this game. It's been quite a while since he has had the chance to pull off a complete soundtrack all by himself, so it was interesting to see (or hear) how it turned out. Thankfully, it turned out pretty great. The game may not have a large amount of tunes, but overall the music is very well composed and shows his range a bit more than the usual.
I especially like how there are certain themes that are represented by tunes, and the tunes are then reused in several different tracks but with different instruments and samples creating a totally different feel and atmosphere but with the familiar enough that you know what is being said. The vocal character themes were okay, but I have to say I prefer the instrumental versions to the vocal version of both insert songs. The singing just isn't very good and the lyrics don't do anything for me. Ian Gillan's over-the-top rock theme used for bosses was pretty effective though, I must admit. It will probably be a love-hate track, but I definitely like it.
If there is any disappointment I would say that the game lacks a great ending theme. Maybe I've just been spoilt by how effective a game can end when a great vocal ending theme plays as the credits roll, but it was definitely a little disappointing that the ending theme in this case lacked that sort of punch.
Minigames
I'm writing this just because there are some people out there that actually care about stuff like this. Yes, the game has minigames. They're pretty much all story events, and are mostly of the Quick Time Event varient, but there are a few pretty fun ones that you don't know about. Since you don't know about them, I won't tell you. Just trust me, they're pretty fun.
Conclusion
Blue Dragon is a great RPG which I really enjoyed. Some might find it too easy, or too traditional, but personally I really enjoyed the sights and sounds the game provided. The gameplay gave me a good level of customization for my party, and I never had to worry about which characters to swap in or out. The adventure was of a good length and never did it feel that it was going to be too short or too long. Nothing felt dragged out and 40 hours should be considered a good length by any standards.
The characters were nice and youthful and it's good to see a story with such characters work out well because it just shows that you don't need dark brooding angst to tell a JRPG story all the time. The worldview was lovely, and I really enjoyed exploring every corner of the world. It's really refusing to see a next-generation RPG feature a real world map with an airship you can fly around as well. Not only did it all look great but it also tickled vibes in me that I haven't felt in some time.
In a day and age where all genres are moving forward to be more innovative and more creative than before, it's interesting to see that a game that captures a traditional feel so well can also be so enjoyable. I would personally have liked the game to be more challenging, but I don't feel that the lower difficulty overall really hurts the game. If you find yourself looking for a new RPG that successfully captures the feeling of old RPGs but in a newer and prettier skin, do not pass this one by.
), can you at least say whether or not you agree with Famitsu's score?
