Luminous Arc

Right now, the DS finds itself as the system to own for fans of the tactical RPG genre.  Between remakes like Hoshigami Remix, sequels like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2, and of course Nintendo’s military-based gem, Advance Wars Dual Strike, there are grid-based battlers to fit any fan’s desire.  What the system hasn’t seen a lot of is original strategy-RPGs.  Now Atlus brings us Luminous Arc, their first DS entry in the genre, and while it never manages to outshine some of its more well-known brethren, it does manage to be a fun, engaging, if slightly underwhelming, title for fans of the genre.

Luminous Arc centers around Alph (pronounced just like the 80s puppet sitcom star), a teenage soldier from the Ever Garden, a training school for the knights of the Luminous Church.  Alph, along with his brother Theo and his friends Leon and Heath, is trained to seek out and “condemn” (kill) witches, who brought ruin to the land 1000 years ago (and wouldn’t you know it, seem to be on the rise again).  Things get more complicated when Alph meets Lucia, a witch who claims that the god of the Luminous Church is actually a ravenous monster preparing to return to the land and devour all its inhabitants.  The story is well told, although somewhat clichéd at times.  Also, the game has much more of a focus on theology than I was expecting; there are numerous times when the story concerns topics as religion’s purpose in society and the meaning of God.

Battles are handled with standard isometric grid-based battlefields.  Most of the essentials of the game’s battle system will be exceedingly familiar to anyone who has played Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, or any number of other similar titles.  The game does feature a few innovations to the standard formula, though.  For instance, your characters possess Limit Break-style attacks called Flash Drives, allowing for massive damage or healing in a single turn.  There are also Chrono Trigger-style team-up attacks called Synergy that allow multiple members to take their turns simultaneously to deal ridiculous amounts of damage along with impressive graphical displays.  While both of these elements borrow from classics in the RPG genre, they are still fairly fresh and add another layer of tactics to the gameplay. 

After battles, Alph can talk to his teammates about what’s just happened during Intermission segments.  Depending on how Alph responds to various statements, his teammate’s opinion of Alph may increase or decrease and characters with high opinions of Alph can give him significant bonuses on the battlefield.  Unlike some other titles of the genre, there are no towns to explore, and shopping is handled via a simple menu present before and after each battle.  Character development is also simplified; beyond buying them new equipment, the player has no control over the characters’ stats, classes, or skills.  Hardcore genre fans will likely be disappointed by this relative lack of control, but it reduces much of the (some would say excessive) complexity the genre is known for, and therefore makes the title a good choice for a genre newcomer to try.

The game looks good, in a Japanese, 2D, anime kind of way.  Environments are pretty sprite-based fantasy affairs, and character portraits are impressively detailed and distinct.  The real standout feature of the game, however, is definitely the sound.  Music by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Shadow Hearts) is top-notch orchestral soundtrack material, even when delivered through the DS’s speakers.  There is also a remarkable amount of voice acting in Luminous Arc, with approximately one-fourth of all dialogue voiced.  Voice work is clear and understandable, and even relatively well acted.

Luminous Arc is the first DS tactical RPG to feature multiplay over WiFi; after the 13^th chapter of single-player is beaten, players can choose eight of their best and send them into battle, either with their friends or randomly online.  Although some might find fault with this multiplayer mode for a lack of game options (not to mention the fact that, since there is so little character customization, your characters are going to be identical to anyone else’s, except for levels and equipment), it is still pretty fun to be able to strategize against an intelligent human opponent.

The biggest flaw that characterizes Luminous Arc is blandness.  From its somewhat generic RPG story to its core rules that operate just like a majority of strategy RPGs on the market, Luminous Arc never really manages to develop its own voice.  Despite this, the game is a good addition to the DS’s library.  Any fan of tactical RPGs will find plenty here to keep them entertained, and it might even get newcomers interested in the genre.
 

Gameplay:  7.5

Maneuver characters around a grid-based battlefield, taking turns beating the snot out of witches and monsters.  While there’s not a ton of innovation here, there is enough solid strategy RPG gameplay to keep anyone interested.
 

Graphics:  7.8

While there’s not much here that couldn’t have been done on the GBA, the graphics are crisp, clean, 2D sprites that animate well, and the art direction, while not necessarily inspired, is interesting and will appeal to anime fans everywhere.
 

Sound:  8.6

Among the best on the system.  Great music, tons of quality voice over, good sound effects—what’s not to love?
 

Difficulty:  Medium

Some tough battles at first lead to a gradual increase in difficulty level, but it never becomes overwhelming or frustrating.  Actually, the game’s (relative) lack of complexity makes the game significantly less overwhelming than most in the genre.
 

Concept:  7.9

The strategy RPG has been done over and over, but the DS is the system for them at the moment, and this is a quality entry in the genre.
 

Multiplayer:  7.5

While there aren’t many options for players other than straight team-versus-team battles, it’s still fun to pit your guys against some other player’s team.
 

Overall:  7.6

Sure, it’s pretty similar to a bunch of games you’ve no doubt played before.  Still, Luminous Arc provides fun, simple tactical action, and really, who could ask for more?