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Blade Dancer Previewed on 6/1/06 Developed by Hitmaker and Sony, Blade Dancer places players in the land of Lunadia, which was decimated in the past by a war against the "Demon Lord." The world has since rebuilt under Queen Iyo, though the inland parts of the mainland remain wild. There is an island in the midst of the mainland, known as "Foo" (yes, you read that right), that once served as the base of the Demon Lord. Now it is a place of mystery and fear, as locals remain suspicious of the ruins of the Demon Lord's reign.
The game has a wide variety of characters. Lance Bennet, the main character, is a male swordsman, who has come to Foo to help train himself as a sword master. Before his arrival in Foo, he swore to help the first person he saw in need. He possesses a mischevious pet monkey named Shushu. Gozan belongs to the Yellow Clan, and visits Foo to continue an investigation of the ruins there. He fights with his fists and is a leader for his Zalkan tribe. Tess is a mysterious girl whom Lance meets in a forest on his journeys. She lost her memories and her intentions and plans are unclear. Felis is a female wizard. She is a valuable healer. Castner is an administrator for Foo. He loves the ruins and searching for ancient magic is one of his top priorities.
As with many recent RPGs, Blade Dancer allows players to view enemies on screen rather than having to fight random battles. Once an enemy is touched, however, players are pitted in battle against a variety of monsters. Battles are real-time, but still maintain a certain order to the characters. Players will exchange attacks and magic with their enemies as the battles play out. It seems a fairly standard system, but it also features some nuances. For example, during battle, Luna power builds up in a gauge at the type of the screen, which is a shared meter for both players and their enemies. This power can be used by either the enemy or the player, depending on how well players plan their timing. Many special moves will be available using this power.
A few other game features include the ability to craft and combine items using the power of the moon, the ability to play with up to three friends in co-op mode during the game, and a variety of side quests. Crafting items is affected by a wide variety of factors. The success rate and durability of the item will depend on which characters the player chooses to be involved in crafting. Furthermore, the color of the moon will have an effect on synthesis as well.
Blade Dancer certainly looks sharp, with a variety of environments (though some currently appear lacking in overall detail), and good character animations. The PSP certainly does have a good amount of power, and that is evident when watching the game in motion. There is no denying that the art style will appeal to fans of anime.
The moon seems to play a large role in the game. Both the battle system and the craft system take advantage of the moon in ways described earlier, and it remains to be seen whether or not other features will make use of it as well.
NIS America will ship Blade Dancer to American retailers on July 11 of this year.
SCREENS
MOVIE LINKS -Joseph Wartick |
