Blue Dragon review video (Xbox 360)
Famed Final Fantasy game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio and developer Artoon present the highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive Blue Dragon. Featuring the character design of Akira Toriyama (who designed Dragon Ball Z) and music by Nobuo Uematsu (the composer for Final Fantasy), Blue Dragon is an epic RPG centered on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends. These unlikely heroes possess miraculous strength and magical power to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters.
Shu and company must use their shadows as weapons as they battle the evil forces and an antiquated human race of people who command a magical power thought to have perished long ago. Shu and friends must wield their skills to save their world from impending doom. Encountering various people on a planet with numerous ancient ruins, the characters and their shadows travel through a world full of mysteries and illusions, where the slightest touch can cause reactions of unparalleled magnitude.
From the creator of Final Fantasy comes a new RPG for the Xbox 360, but can this game bring the same magic as that series? Find out in this Blue Dragon video review.
* Innovative RPG gameplay features: As their quest progresses, warriors can create original attack methods by utilizing several types of Shadow Change, including Sword, Assassin, and Power Magic. You can choose to focus the hero on certain areas of expertise. Shadows level up and gain new abilities associated with the job they are currently doing. Once gained, abilities are not lost and remain available to use when needed.
* Massive scope and engrossing environments. Shu and his companions battle their way through an immense world filled with vividly illustrated remnants of ancient civilizations long forgotten. Their journey takes them through alluring ancient ruins scattered with machines of war that have long since fallen into disrepair.
* Stunning graphics. Taking full advantage of the power of Xbox 360, “Blue Dragon” will engage gamers in a world and characters that are brought to life with vibrant colors and detail — from Shu’s wild hair to his martial arts-style garb — conveying the beautiful simplicity and sense of adventure found in this truly next-generation RPG.
* Dazzling character design and effects. Toriyama’s unique influence is evident in the design of the game’s anime-style characters, whose actions are enhanced with next-generation blur effects. In addition, the game’s algorithmic animation system adds heightened realism to character and creature movements.
* Downloadable content, including a new dungeon.
* Famed developer: Mistwalker is a creative company founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original developer of Final Fantasy. Operated by a handful of experts, the direction of new Mistwalker is influenced by Sakaguchi’s extensive industry experience. Artoon is a digital entertainment design, development, and production company with rich talent and experience. Centering on the design and development of original content, Artoon is mainly involved in the development of software through external cooperation, as well as the design and production of entertainment content in the mobile communication category.
To quote the video review: “While it’s not the next-gen opus fans have been waiting for since Sakaguchi’s departure from Square in 2003, Blue Dragon is a familiar, accessible, and comfortable game with outstanding production values. While it won’t likely set your world on fire, there’s plenty of fun to be found in Blue Dragon.”
Story — 6.0
Design — 7.5
Gameplay — 8.0
Overall — 7.5
