Platform: 3DS (retail and digital)
Genre: Turn-Based RPG
Developer: Sega
Publishers: Sega (NA and JP), Deep Silver (EU)
Release Dates: July 12, 2016 (NA); TBA (EU); October 15, 2015 (JP)
Demo Available: Yes
MSRP: $39.99 (USD), $54.99 (CDN), $747.70 (MXN), TBA (EU)
ESRB Rating: T (Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes)
PEGI Rating: TBA
Block Size: 12,745 Blocks/1.55GB (Demo is 2,037 Blocks/254.6MB)
Text Language: English
Audio Language: Japanese
Extra Links: English Website, Japanese Website
In the year 2100, Japan teeters on collapse. Its government unable to lead, its jurisdiction has been seized by the International Self-Defense Force, who toil to restore the country to its former glory. Amidst these efforts, however, the source of the nation's ruin – the dragons – rears their maws once more. These creatures herald the end of planets throughout the galaxy, and though their attempts on Earth's life have been foiled twice now, the toll has left Japan too enfeebled to fight. But when all seems lost, a video game development company (yup), Nodens Enterprises, discovers the key to repeling the nearing invasion. By traveling throughout time – from present-day Tokyo to ancient Atlantis to futuristic Eden – the group may be able to muster new forces and develop new power, that the dragons can be quelled once and for all. They'll need all the help they can get, as the dread 7th True Dragon, code-named VFD, will soon appear to plunge the Earth into graver bedlam.
The core battle system of 7th Dragon – Code: VFD is relatively standard compared to other turn-based RPGs. Each combatant takes their turn in succesion, with the core player party consisting of three members. However, the acxtive player party can have up to nine members at once, with the other six split into two teams of three. These teams can provide Support Skills for the main party; can have their members cooperate with members of the main party to use Buddy Skills; or, in certain situations, join with the rest of the main party to use nine skills at once as part of a Unison Skill.
Outside of battle, though, you can pursue a number of quests, develop the facilities in your base further, go on dates with NPCs, or go to a cat cafe to restore the party. Said cat cafe will also be the new home of various cats you can find throughout the game – courageous and cuddly survivors of the dragon's onslaught.
7th Dragon boasts a high degree of character customization, allowing you to freely change a class' portrait (even to those from other classes), color scheme (from presets), and voice (from 40 Japanese voice actors, 20 per gender).
CLASSES:
Well-rounded physical attackers who can specialize in single-blade or dual-blade disciplines.
Physical powerhouses able to provide healing, buffs, and debuffs.
Tech-savvy gunslingers able to inflict status ailments, disrupt enemy formations, and deploy traps. (Also, both male protraits are wearing Jet Set Radio Future shirts.)
Summoners who rely on the luck of the draw, either top-decking into catastrophic power or dead-drawing into a useless tools.
Indomitable defenders able to wield arcane blades, while reinforcing the party with healing and defensive buffs.
Plaguemasters who can inflict a bevy of ailments and exploit them to deal heavy physical damage – at the expense of their own fragility.
Spellcasters who can bend the natural elements to their whims, while also offering supplemental healing.
Human fortresses who make tactical use of explosives to penetrate enemy defenses while being sure not to leave themselves vulnerable while reloading.
VOICE CAST:
*Note, however, that Aki Toyosaki, Miyuki Sawashiro, Keiji Fujiwara, Yuichi Nakamura, Ai Kayano, Asami Seto, Akira Ishida, Saori Hayami, Yuki Kaji, Tomokazu Sugita, Marina Inoue, Yui Horie, and Yukari Tamura are already confirmed to be voicing major NPCs, as well.
Announcement Trailer
Dragon Trailer
Time Travel Trailer
E3 Trailer
Full Trailer (whatever that means)
Character Creation Overview
Battle System Overview
Sega has announced that each piece of DLC will be free during the respective week of its release. Afterwards, it will return to the listed price:
July 12, 2016: Nagamimi Doll. Free. Adds a talking Nagamimi doll to the dormitory.
July 12, 2016: Seed Outbreak! $1.49. An opportunity to fight Dragonsbane seeds for experience and cash.
July 12, 2016: Gold Rabi Outbreak! $1.49. An opportunity to fight Gold Rabi for experience and cash.
July 19, 2016: Code: Student! $1.99. A chance to recruit 7th Dragon 2020’s Samurai.
July 19, 2016: Code: Otaku! $1.99. A chance to recruit 7th Dragon 2020’s hacker.
July 19, 2016: Code: Lucier! $1.99. A chance to recruit 7th Dragon 2020’s Lucier.
July 26, 2016: To My Beloved Unit 13. $1.49. Earn ultimate weapons for each class and get a Blaster Raven character (will only appear after completing the main game).
July 26, 2016: Allie’s Death March. $1.49. A boss rush quest, with all enemies at their maximum levels.
Sterok has made a review thread, which you can find here.
Q. So this is the third game in the series? Do I need to play the others first, considering they never released outside Japan?
A. This is the fourth, actually, following 7th Dragon (NDS), 7th Dragon 2020 (PSP), and 7th Dragon 2020-II (PSP). Despite this, though, any connections to the previous games are largely references.
Q. Is there any way to play the previous games in English?
A. Ponytax/Cavespeak has released fan translations of the first two games, which you can get here (original) and here (2020). In addition, the fan translation of the NDS game features a rom-hack "USA mode," which rebalances the game to require much less grinding and to make it more challenging.
Q. Is there an point to playing the demo if I'm already sold on the full game?
A. The demo lets you train a party to lvel 10, and gives you bonus items if you transfer your data to the full version. Unfortunately, you can't change the classes of the party members provided to different ones (i.e., changing a level 10 samurai to a level 10 agent), but you can freely change the appearance, coloring, and voice of a party member at any time. You can unlock the ability to change a party member's class, but it works on a per-member basis and only becomes available once they reach level 30.
Q. Are there any pre-order or first-print bounuses?
A. No pre-order bonuses, but all first-print copies come with a collectible box and 28-page art book sampler.
