Spawn Kill Favorites: Jeanne D’arc

The story of Joan of Arc, heroine of France and historical legend, is known to many.  The tale tells of a young lass who hears the voice of God telling her to save France from the wicked English.  She does so by taking up arms and slaughtering people Old Testament style.  The game Jeanne D’arc follows this theme, but throws in animal human hybrids, elves, demons, and just about every other fantasy cliché one can dream up.  It still takes place in France, it still stars Jeanne herself, and it even features burning at the stake, but players certainly won’t be gaining any historical insight when playing.

What they will gain is one of the finest portable strategy RPG experiences they’ll probably ever play.

It all sounds preposterous.  Mixing up such famous ingredients with such overused ingredients seems a recipe for disaster.  In fact, it is beyond my massive imagination to even conceive of what drawing board this particular conglomeration of ideas formed up under.  I suppose maybe someone had just watched The Messenger and had been playing Vandal Hearts or something.  I know I have odd thoughts that tend to merge my present interests in weird ways.  Regardless, it works and I’m glad someone out there is completely insane.

As mentioned, Jeanne D’arc is a strategy RPG in true isometric fashion.  Players control a team of characters with overly large heads on predetermined maps, completing the map objectives and trying to stay alive.  Battles are turn-based, players and enemies alike counterattack nearly every time, and there are even magic spells that will hit all the enemies on the map (and some that hit allies as well).  It’s standard fare, standard enough that at first glance it might even seem old-fashioned or boring.  It’s not.  The game isn’t overly difficult, particularly if played in proximity to any Fire Emblem game or even Final Fantasy Tactics.  One could even say it’s a good introduction to the SRPG genre given its relative ease.  It nevertheless presents itself so well that even SRPG veterans should find something to love here.

The cutscenes are done in an anime style and are gorgeous.  I could easily watch a feature length film of this game with just cutscenes alone.  The characters all have a uniquely French style, but aren’t annoying for that fact.  Jeanne in particular looks like she’s just sauntered out of a medieval armorer’s fashion guide, and it’s fantastic.  The game has depth too, despite its ease of play.  There is a massive skill combination feature, as well as armlets worn by some of the main characters that, while limited, turn them into machines of destruction.  Players can engage in interesting side quests, some of them revolving around characters in the party much like in BioWare RPGs, and even a coliseum to test out one’s arena skills (no online play).

The entire concept sounds wacky, I know.  I wouldn’t have touched the game, figuring it for shovelware, had Level 5′s name not been attached, and if it hadn’t been on Metacritic’s top ten PSP games of all time.  I’d have sorely missed out on a great experience though, and I urge readers  not to make that mistake.  Even people unfamiliar with the genre should check out Jeanne D’arc.  If nothing else, do it for the talking frog who swings a sword with his mouth.

Title: Jeanne D’arc Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Developer: Level 5 Platform(s): PSP Release Date: August 21, 2007