Update: February 7, 2007
«©NCSX» The strategy-rpg genre hasn't been well represented on portables but there's been glimmers of brilliance. Recently, we fell in love with Jean D'Arc on the PSP and this week, Luminous Arc carries the torch with a beautifully rendered S-RPG. Take control of a hero named Alph who leads a team of adventurers caught between a conflict between the supposedly righteous Luminous Church and a Witch who leads an army of monsters. Viewed on conventional isometric battlefields, players move units, attack monsters, and imbue weapons with elemental power. Conventional weaponry, magic spells, special skills, and cooperative attacks from a total of 160+ spells / skills / tactics are available for use on the battlefield. View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.
NCS Game Notes
» The two identical-looking church workers at the outset of the game hold a conversation voiced by actors that's overly breathy and melodramatic.» The big kahuna of the Luminous Church wears red raiments and a huge papal crown. He speaks with a deep and gravelly voice that's highly reminiscent of the Sith Lord / Palpatine from the Star Wars movies. » Luminous Arc is a game of strategic skirmishes and battles which are linked together by interaction sequences between the characters. As new enemies are met, battles on different types of terrain are opened up. Before each encounter, players may select the cast of characters to participate. In the beginning, there's only five characters to choose from but as the game goes on, more party members may be chosen to enter the battle. » Much of the dialogue is voiced by actors but not all of it. We're guessing storage constraints restricted the amount of speech that could be crammed into the game card. » The tapping action of the game is convenient and makes for battles that are executed quickly. However, there is no map rotation feature and the screen is static at all times. This can be troublesome when enemies or objects block terrain features or movement spaces so that they can't be easily seen. Thankfully, the control mechanism offers a "go back" button where any movement can be canceled. » The first battle in the game pits a party of four against two gryphons and two minotaur-men. It's a fairly straightforward hack 'n slash 5-minute battle that'll acquaint players with the operating scheme of Luminous Arc. Jan Code: 4988110022500 This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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