PREVIEW
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLUE
DRAGON
DEVELOPER: Mistwalker PUBLISHER: Microsoft Studios GENRE: Turn-Based RPG RATING: T for Teen RELEASE DATE: June 2007 DIFFICULTY: Medium ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To say that I'm excited about Blue Dragon would be a serious understatement. I've been looking forward to this game since the day it was first announced. Being a huge fan of Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series, I've been tracking down every morsel of information on this game since that announcement and after months and months of waiting, I've finally gotten a chance to play the game. Now granted it's the Japanese version of the game, and as most of you know I don't know much Japanese, but I've tried to at least get a feel for how the game looks, sounds, and controls and so far I've been very impressed. The battle system in the game is quite refreshing. Not only does the game allow you to see your enemies, it also allows you the opportunity to avoid them if necessary. This is quite a nice change from the normally repetetive random enemy encounters found in many other RPGs. Your characters also don't really do battle themselves, instead they have shadow spirits that come out and carry out battle commands for you. Each character has their own unique type of blue battle spirit. Shu has a blue dragon spirit (hence the game title) while the other characters have a blue phoenix and blue minotaur spirits. It may sound a little odd, but it really works well within the framework of the battle system. Another thing that makes doing battle quite enjoyable is the brisk pacing of the battles. Everything moves along quite smoothly and it makes doing battle quick and painless. So far the difficulty has been a very smooth progressions as well, so no worries about getting thrown into the deep end of the pool with this one. This could be the best RPG battle system I've played since Final Fantasy X, and that's really saying something considering the high regard I have for the Final Fantasy X combat system. Overall, RPG fans have a lot to look forward to with Blue Dragon as Mistwalker has done a fantastic job with the game's control system. Graphically the game is amazing. It's everything you could want from a next-gen Japanese RPG, and if you're a fan of Toriyama's art style, you're in for a real treat with Blue Dragon. If ever there were a game that belonged in high-definition it's this one. Everything has a smooth look to it and colors are bright and crisp. This game is a lot like Gears of War in that it's a game that really and truly looks second generation on the Xbox 360 and shows that graphically, the Xbox 360 can hold it's own with any console out there, even the mighty Playstation 3. Many of the spell effects are downright incredible when you see them unleashed onscreen. It's safe to say that Blue Dragon sports enough eye-candy to keep even the most ardent graphics fan happy. And don't even get me started on the cutscenes. Not only do the intermittent cut scenes look fantastic, but the acting and storytelling in these scenes is outstanding. After playing this game for a few hours I'm now even more excited to get my hands on the US release when it hits stores in June 2007. Nobuo Uematsu needs no introduction. The man has been responsible for some of the greatest video game music in history. His Final Fantasy X soundtrack alone has become one of the most revered musical compilations of them all, and while the music in Blue Dragon is top shelf, it's not quite as emotional a collection as some of his previous releases. It's tough for me to rate the music in Blue Dragon because I'm going to inevitably compare it to Uematsu's Final Fantasy works as well as a game soundtrack that I consider to be the greatest ever in Chrono Trigger. So to get that out of the way right off, no the soundtrack in Blue Dragon isn't quite up to par with a Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy X, but it's still one of the best I've heard in years. It has soft and soothing moments as well as up-tempo tracks when the action heats up. Let me put it this way, after hearing about 5 of the tunes from this game I went ahead and ordered the soundtrack from Play-Asia and I don't do that very often with game soundtracks so that alone should tell you something about the quality of music in Blue Dragon. Although the only storyline I can follow is the one I see presented in the cut scenes, I can say that so far the game has a lot to offer. It's got a lot of personality in the storyline, even from the opening scenes and seems to have quite a bit of action as well. This is not a dull "search & explore" type game, but rather a game that throws you into the thick of things and expects you to improvise if necessary. It seems fairly linear so far, but that's the way most great rpgs function in keeping with the plot that's laid out before you. I loved the combat system, which was one area I was most concerned about so now I'm just left with this feeling of wanting to finish playing through the game. Unfortunately I'll have to wait until later in 2007 until I can get my hands on the English version of the game. Rest assured Blue Dragon fans, this game is everything it's been hyped up to be then some. I was left feeling a little dissapointed in the first Japanese Xbox 360 RPG Enchanted Arms so I was holding out a lot of hope for this one and it doesn't dissapoint. Is it perfect, not really, but it's got all the great ingredients that make games like Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series so great and fun to play. At the very least it's a great start to what will be a long line of terrific Japanese RPGs to hit the Xbox 360 over the coming years. If you're an RPG fan make sure you put Blue Dragon on your wish list. This could be one of the best games we see released for the Xbox 360 in 2007. GRAPHICS:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------9 SOUND MUSIC: 8 GAMEPLAY: 9 STORYLINE: 8 OVERALL: 9 -- Corbie Dillard (c) Copyright 2006 Corbie's Game Blog About Blue Dragon
(Taken from Xbox.com) Famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker and developer Artoon present the highly anticipated Xbox 360™ exclusive Blue Dragon. Featuring the character design of Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball Z and music by Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy, Blue Dragon is an epic role-playing game that centers on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends. These unlikely heroes possess the power to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters, giving Shu and his comrades miraculous strength and magical powers. The warriors can create and develop their combat styles by utilizing different types of Shadow Change, including Sword, Assassin, and Power Magic. Shu and his friends must use the shadows as weapons and wield their skills to save their world from impending doom. Encountering various people on a planet where numerous ancient ruins remain, the characters and their shadows travel through a world full of mysteries and illusions, where the slightest touch can cause reactions of unparalleled magnitude. Features: Massive scope and engrossing environments: Shu and his companions battle their way through an immense world filled with vividly illustrated remnants of ancient civilizations long forgotten. Stunning graphics: Taking full advantage of the power of Xbox 360, Blue Dragon engages you in a world and characters that are brought to life with vibrant colors and detail, from Shu's wild hair to his martial arts-style garb, conveying the beautiful simplicity and sense of adventure found in this truly next-generation RPG. Dazzling character design and effects: Toriyama’s unique influence is evident in the design of the game’s anime style characters, as their actions are enhanced with next-gen blur effects. Additionally, the game’s algorithmic animation system adds heightened realism to character and creature movements. Famed developer: Mistwalker is a creative company founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original developer of Final Fantasy. Operated by a handful of experts, the direction of new Mistwalker is influenced by Sakaguchi’s extensive industry experience. Artoon is a digital entertainment design, development, and production company with rich talent and experience. Centering on the design and development of original content, Artoon is mainly involved in the development of software through external cooperation, as well as the design and production of entertainment content in the mobile communication category.  |
 Here's a picture of the stuff that comes with the Xbox 360 "Blue Dragon" bundle. As you can see you get a limited edition faceplate along with a group of 5 Blue Dragon figures. It's worth mentioning for those that will inevitably email me that you do get the Blue Dragon game as well. There's been rumors and speculation that similar limited edition goodies might show up for the US release, but nothing's been confirmed officially. If you're like me and can't wait or take the chance that we won't be getting these extras you can get on ebay and purchase the faceplate and figures. They're currently going for about $130 as a set and about $70 each seperately. Might be worth it if there end up only being 10,000 of these made. I'll post some newer pics of the figures and faceplate when mine come sometime next week.  -- Corbie Dillard |