Then, all of a sudden, the differences between Blue Dragon and other games start floating subtly into play.
I can't help but give a tiny spoiler here, but after around an hour of play, and are trapped in a flying fortress, your party is forced to swallow a ball of light, and then this once staid and identikit game evolves along with it's characters. Shu, Kluke, and Jiro — the childhood friends from Talta Village — swallow the light, and their shadows transform into beasts that help them on their quest. Shu gets the Blue Dragon, hence the name of the game, Jiro gets a Minotaur, and Kluke gets a Phoenix.
These beasts change game play, fighting, and the storyline considerably. It's almost as if before you got them, you were wearing blinders without noticing, and then, once they are removed from your eyes, you see the world in a whole new light.
It's hard to explain the features exclusive to Blue Dragon without spoiling the story line, so I know this might be a little vague, but I don't want to ruin the game for you.
Let's start with the world map, shall we? You know in most RPGs, you're walking around in the big world map, and the plot leads you to traverse back to a place you've already been, usually forcing you to back track for hours through areas you've already been through, just to get a new item or to talk to a new guy to push along the plot (not to mention a crafty way of extending the length of the game)? Blue Dragon doesn't want to piss you off like that, It has a warp system! Hoo-frickin'ray!
Once you've been to an area and have used a warp key, you can travel back to that area at any time you wish. This is a lifesaver. It's hardly an innovative feature, but it's one that RPGs usually ignore, making some games so ridiculously monotonous that it feels more like work than an enjoyable moment in your game. I was relieved to see that Blue Dragon threw that tradition in the trashcan.
That leads me to another pet peeve in RPGs. You know when you're walking around in an RPG's world map and monsters pop out of thin air and attack you with no warning, and zero way to avoid the battle? Well, not in this game. Monsters wander around the map just like you do, and this opens up new ways of attacking and being attacked.
Article comments
1 - Michael
I love these in depth reviews. makes my decision whether to buy the game or not that much easier & this looks like one game I'll be paying out for. many thanks.
2 - Andrew Ogier
Thanks Michael, I try to cover all the important aspects (both good and bad) in my reviews, and with a game as expansive as BD, then that means the reviews can get a little lengthy.
Some people like the long ones, and some prefer more of a "snapshot" review...but I always try to write about what I would think is important as a consumer, and that means covering some of the little details, as well as the big picture. I'm glad you agree.
Happy Holidays, and I hope you enjoy BD as much as I did.