RETAILBIZ: BLUE DRAGON: AWAKENED SHADOW 42 MCV 06/08/10
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The JRPG series continues on DS with the latest entry making Blue Dragon more accessible than ever…
by James Batchelor
THE RECENT successes of Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX prove that there is still a strong market for Japanese-developed RPGs in the UK. Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is the latest title attempting to appease this fanbase, delivering the epic 30-hour rambles and spectacular magic battles that fans of such games have come to expect.
For those new to the series, it began with the original Blue Dragon on Xbox 360 back in 2007.
It was the first title to emerge from Mistwalker, a new developer founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi – the creator of Square Enix’s multi-million selling Final Fantasy series.
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Although well received, the series migrated to DS for the 2008 sequel and enjoyed such a warm welcome that the developers of the third Blue Dragon game have opted to stick with Nintendo’s dual-screened handheld. Awakened Shadow is set several years after the first Blue Dragon. With their world-saving quest over, all of the characters have settled down to enjoy a quiet life and shared their Shadow Powers – the ability to summon an animalistic phantom – with ordinary citizens.
The player takes on the role of a young boy or girl with amnesia. As the gamer meets the original heroes of Blue Dragon, a strange flash in the sky robs everyone of their Shadow Powers – except the player’s character, of course. In order to unlock the mysteries behind these events, the new hero shares his power with his new friends
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is aimed at the same JRPG audience that rushed out to buy Final Fantasy XIII and Dragon Quest IX this year.
and the party embarks on a sprawling quest to retrieve the stolen shadows.
ME AND MY SHADOW The fact that gamers aren’t playing a pre-defined character means they can completely customise their hero for the first time in the series. They can choose the sex, appearance, skills, equipment and even the voice – in addition to the usual RPG mechanics of stat boosts and upgrading weapons.
As with the last two games, players must explore a vast fantasy world – this time split into eight distinct areas – as they try to restore the world to order. The gameplay is split between towns and dungeons. In the former, players
pick up quests from NPCs and buy and sell items, while in the latter, they battle a range of monsters and villains. This presents another change for the series. Rather than using the time- honoured turn-based battle system seen in previous Blue Dragon titles and the JRPGs they take inspiration from, the combat this time around works in real time.
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Players are tested with fast- paced skirmishes, where their finely-tuned weapons and Shadow Powers are only as good as their reflexes. Of course, they will still need to think strategically as the more powerful spells take time to charge up before they can be used again. Also new for the series is the wi-fi multiplayer mode. Players can take their customised adventures and join forces with up to two other Blue Dragon owners as they take on a series of
RELEASED: SEPTEMBER 24 FORMATS: DS PUBLISHER: NAMCO BANDAI DEVELOPER:TRI-CRESCENDO PRICE: £24.99 DISTRIBUTOR: ADVANTAGE CONTACT: 0121 506 9585
colossal bosses. Doing so unlocks rare items and powers that can only be found in this co-operative mode, all of which will give gamers a new advantage in the single-player quest. The previous Blue Dragon games were well-received critically and Awakened Shadow is already benefiting from some positive reviews. With the best-selling Dragon Quest IX proving that DS owners are still on something an RPG kick, there are plenty of gamers out there eagerly waiting for a new adventure to dive into. Blue Dragon: Awaked Shadow is released on DS on September 24th.
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