I'm an old school SRPGer, growing up on classics like Shining Force with its great turn-based style of play. So when I saw that Level 5 was going to turn back the clock and make a SRPG for the PSP, I couldn't wait to pick it up. Then things kind of happened, some great PS3 games completely buried Level 5's PSP exclusive and it took me 2 years to finally pop Jeanne d'Arc in and play it. 
I have to say that Jeanne d'Arc is the only game that made me completely ignore my PS3. I usually only play my PSP on trips, when the power is out, or any other time when the TV my PS3 is connected to is occupied. So I was quite shocked when I found myself addicted to Level 5's creation, completely forgetting about PS3 titles like Assassin's Creed 2, Uncharted 2, and others - Jeanne d'Arc is that great. I never thought it could happen but the PSP actually has a Qwarktastic Qwest.Jeanne d'Arc follows Jeanne (or Joan as we Westerners know her) from her home town in Domremy all the way to the heart of the Hundred Years' War. Historically, the game has you battling through Orleans, protecting Charles VII, and his coronation at Reims. Other than that, Level 5 takes some extreme yet interesting liberties with Jeanne d'Arc. One is the divine armor that you find early in the game. It, along with several others, adds in some great strategical depth to the straightforward turn-based battles. Another fun and deep mechanic is the ability to use skill stones which you can buy or earn from defeating enemies. Plop them into the set amount of slots for a character and you can give them all kinds of abilities like special attacks, magical powers, or something as simple as an extra move square. Later in the game, you can start making your own by combining lesser skill stones into more powerful ones. My favorite happens to be the Sky Dart, allowing your archers to attack any enemy on the field. Another fun feature is a kind of chain combo called Aura. Attack an enemy and an Aura ring will appear behind them. By placing another character in the Aura ring and then attacking will give them an attack and defense bonus.
Graphically, its one of the best looking PSP games out there and the cut scenes themselves are worth playing through the game. With a distinctive anime flare to them, they usually run a few minutes long but include a lot of key story development. The english voiceover isn't too bad though I would have preferred the option to keep the original Japanese voice cast. I wonder though, if they had to speak with a fake French accent too. While the game is a bit short (I think I beat it in a couple of days), there are plenty of opportunities to break from the storyline and complete some fun and strategically challenging battles that when completed, give you some nice rewards in the form of weapons and other powerups. I found that farming and grinding was actually a lot more fun than usual as well. Not only are the special moves fun to watch but the added lotto element of hoping to get some good skill stones make it worth replaying old battles. You can also find hidden loot around the battle map, as long as you are close enough to see it.Overall, Jeanne d'Arc is the best PSP game and one of the best RPG games I've played in a while. With the disappointment of White Knight Chronicles, I've found myself still picking up my PSP and getting in some good 'ole SRPG action. If you don't have this game in your collection and you have a PSP, you should run out right now and pick this up. If you don't have a PSP, hey they are pretty cheap now so you have no excuse not to play this game. Jeanne d'Arc is classic RPG goodness at its finest.
Qwarktastic Qwest!- Title: Jeanne d'Arc
- Developer: Level 5
- Publisher: SCEA
- ESRB: Teen
- Original Release Date: 08.21.07
- Original Platform: PSP
