CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

For those who don't already know it, Microsoft has added a demo of the upcoming RPG "Blue Dragon" to the Xbox Live Marketplace. It's worth noting that the demo is fairly large at 1.13GB, and downloads have been a little slow since so many users have flooded the service to grab the demo. Don't be overly alarmed if the download takes some time. The demo allows you to play two areas of the game and you're given a 60 minute time limit on each area. First I'll break down the two different areas and then I'll give some impressions on the game overall. Let's get to it.

The first area you can choose from is "Nene's Fortress." In this outing you are stuck with the task of somehow finding a way to get the explosive collar that's around Kluke's neck off. This is going to require you to scale all three floors of the fortress defeating enemies along the way. You can also pick up some great items in treasure boxes strung throughout each level. This is where you'll also get to face off with some of the bosses found in the game. This was easily the better of the two areas in my opinion, just based on variety alone. The second area you can choose to visit is the "Forest of the Ancient Ruins." Once again you get only 60 minutes to tear through this area. This is a good chance to practice the Field Skills that allow you to quickly dispatch of frequently-encountered enemies. If you want to get your feet wet in using the game's combat system, the forest is a great place to start.

Visually Blue Dragon is very impressive. It's smooth and crisp visuals really lend itself to the game's "next-gen" look and feel. Hopefully this is only a sign of things to come with the upcoming crop of rpgs on the Xbox 360. Each character has their own distinct look and style that really makes them stand out from the group. The music in these two areas is fantastic to say the least. I think I was most impressed with the music, and the voice work isn't too bad either. Combat is standard turn-based affair, but there are enough interesting twists to give the game a hint of freshness. Instead of your character taking part in battle, each character uses something called a "shadow" that mimics a certain type of powerful animal. The main character Shu has a Blue Dragon Shadow and each of the other characters has a similar type of animal at their disposal. These shadows can attack and even cast special spells, some of which are absolutely devastating. A good example of these special attacks is the "Corporeal" attack that can be used once your character's Tension Gauge fills up during battle. You can then unleash a very Aeon-like attack in which your shadow becomes real for a brief moment, long enough to unleash one of the most devestating attacks they're capable of and one that will unravel hit points off of your enemies at a rapid pace. For RPG fans looking for something innovative or different, this might not be the game for you as this game does stick to many of the RPG game play stylings that have become a staple of the genre over the past few years. What makes the game stand out so well is the personality of the many characters you'll encounter in the game and the storyline, not to mention the fact that this game is top-shelf quality from top to bottom. RPG fans should try out the demo and I think now I can safely say that I can't wait until August 28th when I can finally sit down with the entire game. Just from what I've played I'd give the game a 8.7/10 overall. This could end up being a huge seller for Microsoft and their Xbox 360 console. And just in time for the holiday shopping season. How convenient. : )