Game Card
Dragoneer's Aria (PSP)
- Publisher:
- Koei
- Developer:
- Nippon Ichi Soft.
- US Release:
- 02.2008
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Action Adventure
- Reality Factor:
- Fantasy
- Extra:
- Other World
- Age:
- Ancient Times
Review
We play Dragoneer's Aria...
Dragoneer's Aria is a Nippon-produced RPG for the PSP that's seen a Japanese and North American release but has so far failed to land on European shores, meaning that dedicated fans of the genre will have to import the game if they relish the chance of taking on mythical beasts from across the Pacific. Is it worth it though?
In some ways it is, yes. The plot is intriguing enough to be interesting, spiralling off from the typical scenario you're presented with to catch and hold your interest throughout. Playing as the feminine yet (allegedly) male Valen he looks a bit of a New Romantic and is even known as 'Hart' in the Japanese version of the game who is due to graduate as a highly trained Dragoon soldier any day now.
The ceremony involves six elemental dragons earth, wind, fire and all those elements that Captain Planet made famous -that have been scattered by the appearance of an evil Black Dragon, ruining the occasion and most of the city. It's your job along with the rest of the cast to assemble the remaining elemental dragons and vanquish the nasty blighter who interrupted your graduation.
Gameplay is, unfortunately, where imagination seems to have deserted Nippon. Where the story is full of both clichι moments like most of the characters and unique twists, the game itself consists of mostly the former.
Town areas are well rendered but relatively empty the odd person will linger around and say something vacuous and uninteresting. The few shops there are consist of typically RPG-ish varieties weapons, potions, collectable items and that sort of thing. Leave one of these areas, and you'll be deposited into an environment littered with enemies.
If you've ever played a Final Fantasy game, then you've played the battles in Dragoneer's Aria. If you encounter a foe they're all, disappointingly, displayed as the same creatures until you actually provoke them into battling you're whisked away to an arena that looks vaguely like your surroundings. You and your party can then attack with physical moves or various magical effects, collecting money, experience and items at the end of the battle. Rinse and repeat, then, through the typically varied but relatively small environments that you're tasked with exploring throughout the course of the game.
Graphically, it's competent not much more than that. While it's always impressive to see an RPG of decent size crammed into a PSP, there's little imagination on show to match up to the professionalism used to create the world of Iris that you play in. Characters are well designed and detailed, and the various spells you can cast look good and suitably dangerous. The world is, as mentioned, good-looking but lacking the spark of greatness. It also doesn't that, consistently, several enemies share the same form only changing colours which just seems lazy.
If you're an RPG aficionado, though, then this will certainly occupy you for a while. The plot is just the right side of clichι to hold your interest, and the gameplay is solid if unspectacular. Couple this with similarly-afflicted graphics and, admittedly, a great soundtrack and you have a worringly mediocre RPG so avoid unless you're a huge genre addict.
Top Game Moment: Wading into battle and vanquishing your foes after a long, tough contest with some key magical mastery.
In some ways it is, yes. The plot is intriguing enough to be interesting, spiralling off from the typical scenario you're presented with to catch and hold your interest throughout. Playing as the feminine yet (allegedly) male Valen he looks a bit of a New Romantic and is even known as 'Hart' in the Japanese version of the game who is due to graduate as a highly trained Dragoon soldier any day now.
 |
 |
|
| You're never safe when there's Fetid Grass about. |
One of the dragons. Puff, it ain't. |
The ceremony involves six elemental dragons earth, wind, fire and all those elements that Captain Planet made famous -that have been scattered by the appearance of an evil Black Dragon, ruining the occasion and most of the city. It's your job along with the rest of the cast to assemble the remaining elemental dragons and vanquish the nasty blighter who interrupted your graduation.
Gameplay is, unfortunately, where imagination seems to have deserted Nippon. Where the story is full of both clichι moments like most of the characters and unique twists, the game itself consists of mostly the former.
Town areas are well rendered but relatively empty the odd person will linger around and say something vacuous and uninteresting. The few shops there are consist of typically RPG-ish varieties weapons, potions, collectable items and that sort of thing. Leave one of these areas, and you'll be deposited into an environment littered with enemies.
 |
 |
|
| 'Official' uniforms for women are typically revealing. |
Jabba the Hutt in one of his lowest moments. |
If you've ever played a Final Fantasy game, then you've played the battles in Dragoneer's Aria. If you encounter a foe they're all, disappointingly, displayed as the same creatures until you actually provoke them into battling you're whisked away to an arena that looks vaguely like your surroundings. You and your party can then attack with physical moves or various magical effects, collecting money, experience and items at the end of the battle. Rinse and repeat, then, through the typically varied but relatively small environments that you're tasked with exploring throughout the course of the game.
Graphically, it's competent not much more than that. While it's always impressive to see an RPG of decent size crammed into a PSP, there's little imagination on show to match up to the professionalism used to create the world of Iris that you play in. Characters are well designed and detailed, and the various spells you can cast look good and suitably dangerous. The world is, as mentioned, good-looking but lacking the spark of greatness. It also doesn't that, consistently, several enemies share the same form only changing colours which just seems lazy.
 |
 |
|
| Another dragon. There's quite a few of them. |
Evil hooped earrings of doom! |
If you're an RPG aficionado, though, then this will certainly occupy you for a while. The plot is just the right side of clichι to hold your interest, and the gameplay is solid if unspectacular. Couple this with similarly-afflicted graphics and, admittedly, a great soundtrack and you have a worringly mediocre RPG so avoid unless you're a huge genre addict.
Top Game Moment: Wading into battle and vanquishing your foes after a long, tough contest with some key magical mastery.
