3.10.2007

Once upon a time, an ancient super-civilization had great power and command over magic and machinery, but then that civilization suddenly vanished! Centuries passed and the reasons for the ancient's civilization's downfall have all been lost. The story begins in the dusty remote village of Talta where dark scary purple clouds have been appearing yearly for the past 10 years terrorising the village people and bringing destruction.Blue Dragon is a turn-based role-playing game that centres on a young boy named Shu and together with his town hood friends Kluke and Jiro set out to protect their village from the invasion of these dark scary purple clouds.Shu,Jiro and Kluke eventually find out that these dark purple clouds and the destruction they bring are controlled by a mysterious being called Nene (who is able to control these ancient machines). It's not too long before Shu and co find out firsthand that Nene enjoys tormenting humankind and to what end, no one knows....Eventually Shu, Jiro and Kluke are given powers that grant them the use of these phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters, giving Shu and his friends amazing strength and magic. The so called Blue Dragon! Along your journey you will also party up with Zola a Royal Mercenary and Marumaro (of the Devee Tribe) and together during the dark times they'll confront, they will all learn about "hope, Friendship" and never to give up" in order to defeat the evil Nene and his allegiances. There's also a love triangle developing in there but its just a tiny one!PlayabilityBlue Dragon is a turn based RPG. Battles you encounter are hectic and will keep you busy and on your toes! Each of the Blue Dragon warriors can create and develop their combat styles, by utilizing different types of Shadow skills and jobs including; Sword Master, Assassin, Black and White Magic etc. and each character is pretty customisable it's up to you to create a balanced party to lead you into either victory or for the loss! As like any other Japanese RPG, Talk to people to get information, use Inns to recover health, buy and sell accessories, items and spells to build up your arsenal. The story will make you follow in a fixed path (although in the world map you can head out to other areas and do side quests) also during your adventure you will encounter several mini games which are blended into the story... these can be a bit tricky to master! You'll also given the ability to go to certain warp points and eventually you will get your Airship and allow you to travel to places out of reach before...Graphic wise this game looks pretty sharp with it's 'high-res' visuals (without the high resolution Blue Dragon would look quite at home on a PS2 though so it's not the greatest 'current gen' looking game)..At other times the 3D in-game graphics look identical to the high definition FMV play during key moments. Regarding these cut scenes the developers have blended them in quite well with the actual in-game graphics and at times even me and my friends can't seem to tell where one ends and begins. Only downside is at times the frame rate does stutter. Also Akira Toriyama character designs look great... When I first saw the character designs I thought they were bland and uninteresting but as the story progresses the characters and how their interactions with each other develop and grow they should begin to grow on you too.Music by Nobuo Uematsu is again good... There's nothing outstanding it just does its job, there's a mixture of different sounds throughout blue dragon although a few evoke Uematsu's earlier work on the early final fantasy games. There is one track which is causing mixed opinions and that's the boss theme. Uematsu chose vocal rock track which may seem 'cheesy' with some while others will love it! Voice acting again with American VA you will either love it or hate it. You can always switch to the original Japanese VA and subtitles.In Japan Blue Dragon has garnered high scores but in the western parts of the globe it's received mixed reviews. Why? Well some say it's not Oblivion Elder Scrolls and that it offers nothing new. I don't think the original creators intended on Blue Dragon as being anything near complex as Oblivion or pushing the RPG genre to new heights like each final Fantasy game it's just 'old skool' turn-based RPG with great story telling. Basically if you enjoyed games like Dragon Quest, the early Final fantasy games, chrono trigger, Lunar games and Grandia etc you will feel right at home with Blue Dragon.Blue dragon starts off as an ok game but it gets much better the more you play the more the characters open up and the more skills you learn! I can't really put my finger on why... the usual grind of levelling up each character and their 'jobs' is fun and the story telling is very well done. This is rare as a lot of people get bored half way with most of today's RPG games and never complete them. Other internet reports say the game is too easy... well the battles and boss fights can be tricky and tense, completing the game is not overly difficult... What will TEST you is unlocking all of those 43 achievements this is for the real hardcore blue dragon fans!Also as I'm typing this if you connected your xbox 360 to the internet you can download the patch to make the game very hard! Plus there should be other downloadable content in the near future.

29.8.2007

I bought this game on release day, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I am 15 hours in, still on the first disc (of 3), and am utterly engrossed. This game has many positive aspects: firstly, it has wonderful graphics. It's not like Bioshock or Oblivion, realistic, but it has graphics which make the fantasy world feel alive and vibrant. Every character and monster has been given great detail, with looks and especially movements seeming natural and interesting. The graphics really do the combat justice. The combat is typical Final Fantasy turn based combat with a twist, where there is a charge bar which alters the turns depending on the charge. The combat itself is, in a word, awesome.Fights aren't random as in FF games, but you see enemies on the field, so you can either attack them, or avoid them. Combat is a tangle of brilliant looking moves and tactics, and as the game goes on, more great looking moves are unlocked. Occasionally a boss fight will occur, where the enemy is tougher than the usual monsters. Overall, the game doesn't really repeat the monsters for you to become sick of a particular monster. Another good aspect of the game is the music. The music is on par with the FF series. When exploring the world, the music is light and jolly (except during dramatic parts), and when in a boss fight, it becomes more rock and roll. Finally, onto the world itself. The game has a weird and wonderful sense of humour, and the world shows this. It is a large and expansive world, although quite linear, unlike Oblivion, but a benefit of this is that you won't get lost. The game's designers have put a lot of effort and thought into making the world as fun as possible, and it is evident when encountering some of the areas and races for the first time. As for the storyline, it is there, but very vague. Just trust the game to present storylines. This leads us onto the bad points: the saving system is quite bad in some places. You can save at a save point, or on the world map. You cannot save halfway through a dungeon, so if you die, you have to go all the way back to the beginning. Alternatively, if you need to save, you could warp back to the beginning of the dungeon and save at the save point (a warp device and save point are usually found in the same place), but this resets the dungeon's monsters, so you have to encounter (or avoid) all the monsters again, possibly not a bad thing as it gives you extra experience. The cut scenes are not, as one reviewer insinuated, bad, and the dialog is not cheesy. I enjoy all the cutscenes, as they make the world seem alive to me, and help you relate to the characters. The dialog is fine, considering this is a Japanese game. Another slight fault is that sometimes the fights seem to follow the exact same sequence and moves, but considering the wealth of combat moves, it won't happen often.As you might expect, this game is not online playable, but will probably follow Oblivion's example and have downloads available.Overall, this is a class game, with not many things wrong with it. It certainly has longevity, with a large game world and 3 discs. You certainly would be spending money well, as it will keep you occupied for at least a week. If you enjoy a great story, exploring (fans of the Broken Sword series will love this), and exceptional looking combat, this game will delight you to no end.

6.9.2007

As many xbox 360 players i've been waiting for a classic 'jap'style RPG for ages.I have to say 10hrs in I'm massive disappointed in a few areas and massively impressed in the majority.The game is a 3 dvd game,its huge not a oblivion killer but a good 50hr game and its the huge amount of stunning cut scenes that fills the 3 dvds.From the creative genius of Final Fantasy you get exactly what you expected from his previous games.You play mainly Shu,Joinu and Klute a small pack of friends from a back water village. The main enemy is a old guy called Nene.You rank up by gaining experience - add items,clothes change your attack shadow and skills.Each character is given a magical shadow as their defender and it's this what you rank up and develop to further the game.This is one of the main issues i have with this game, where as in Final Fantasy you have your tank,white magic black magic,support characters pre-set. In this any character can learn any skill, now where as this may seem a good thing, it can come a disjointed, miss-matched, jumble sale mess of character skill building.In my view there is zero difference in any character other than design and voice.This is a good game dont get me wrong but there is simply too many niggling faults that makes this a really good RPG rather than a must have - Final Fantasy beater.The good points- Fantastic graphics and sound - simply stunning.- A huge game area - frankly massive 3 DVDS worth.- Brilliant FMVs.- Easy control system.The bad- Mismatched skill learning- Bizarre metal rock music when facing bosses- why? completely goes against the grain.- A rather random story.And now the UglyThis has to be the main reason this game will never, never beat Final Fantasy 9( the best RPG ever in my view)... The mapping systems is frankly god awful, a horrible cack handed approach. Click on the world map and zoom?.. doesnt explain nothing-it only has 2 legends!!??where is the useful info- where to head, any detail nothing...The dungeon mapping again there is no difference or little difference to tell you where you've been/going or yet to go... nothing and a lot of the time your wondering around on memory alone to explore new areas.This for me is a biggy- I wanna know where I've been and not wonder around for ages to randomly discover a path I've not walked down.Perhaps the Final Fantasy games in story/play and sheer enjoyment are too high a benchmark ever to beat. As mentioned it is a good game and I love to play it at the minute - but it doesnt crasp me the way Final Fantasy does. If you want a brilliant jap RPG sadly we are still waiting -the best RPG 360 at the minute?- Oblivion - BY A LONG WAY.

30.4.2011

I'm still playing the game at current but so far I'm hooked and enjoying it. Mistwalker so far has done well to make games that measure up to the Final Fantasy series. Blue Dragon is far from a disappointment.I really like the visuals of the game and generally, Akira Toriyama's art style has a strong appeal. Blue Dragon has a consistent style with some impressive displays both in battle and exploring some of the 'dungeon' sections.Being a Nobuo Uematsu fan I'm somewhat biased on the soundtrack. I find his music really suits these games setting the mood for story and location. As a whole the soundtrack measures up with those of the Final Fantasy series.The more obvious encounters allows you as

3.9.2007

I'm really enjoying this game. I'll not repeat what the reviewer below said, but I will say that JRPG's are a kind of marmite game genre. You either like them or you don't. Personally I like them as they are fairly slow paced, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, despite what mags and forumites would have you believe. Blue Dragon is a slow burner in much the same way the Final Fantasy series are. Blue Dragon though, seems to me to be more focused than FF games, especially in the skills / level system, which I think is very innovative, simple to understand, yet hard to master. I also really like the way you can take on multiple monster groups with the encounter circle,

24.3.2008

I decided to buy this even after all those average reviews on the web or in magazines.Believing that if you liked jrpg you can't do much wrong.And i'm glad to say i was right. This is a jrpg in the truest sense.I really can't understand this game got so much undiserved critism.Don't get me wrong it isn't a perfect game, like all game it has its good and bad sides. But the good far outweighs the bad in my eyes.The bad points so far i encountered ( i played about 18 hours)is that i doesn't have that epic feel games like FF and recently Lost Odyssey has.And the story lakes a long time to get going and only starts to get interesting after about 10-15 hours into the game.

31.8.2007

I disagree with the review below mine on many subjects.Ok its a JRPG so what do you expect, these are the type of games that don't appeal to everyone, so if your not a fan of RPG's please do avoid as i don't want you to waste your money.Blue Dragon followers the story of Shu, Jiro and Kluke, a group of friends who live in a village which is ravaged by the Land Shark. When the shark attacks their village they try and destroy it and they discover its not a animal, its a machine! I'm not going to go further into the story as i don't want to spoil it, but its a typical 16 year old boy and friends save the world from the bad guys, its great.Blue Dragon had some very big names in the development team including Nobuo Eumatsu and Sakaguchi.

26.12.2008

First off this game is criminally underrated, I remember going to game to buy this, because of the relation of staff between Mistwalker and Square Enix. It suprised me though, i was hoping and expecting for something similar to Chrono Trigger. But what you get from this game is a collaboration of features from previous game made by other developers, that's the main let down of the game. I know people may argue that they can't help this because Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest have near enough done everything with the RPG genre that is possible to do. But there is always a new idea out there somewhere. The games story in my opinion is very good and excellently presented,

4.9.2008

As a 32 year old professional female who previously detested all games consoles and so called computer based 'fun' I have become tragically addicted to this game.After much nagging from my boyfriend I bought him an X box 360 as a gift, and it came with a copy of blue dragon. After complaining about how loud the music was one day, I sat down for a few moments to watch the 'game play'. I am now completely addicted. Having never really played any other computer games before (apart from Dizzy on my brother ZX Spectrum aged 11) I have found Blue Dragon to be completely brilliant and utterly addictive. As I have the co-ordination of an inebriated blind wombat and can't stand any game that requires you to hammer away on the controller like a woodpecker on amphetimine I found the 'RPG'

8.10.2007

A charming Japanese RPG that will easily clock up hours of your time. Traditional turn based with a large range of attacks, spells and classes to master and fight your way against the evil in the land and of course, save the known world you live in.I loved this game, cute but nasty it keeps you wanting more and more and the class system ensures you can always improve your characters. There are stacks of things to do and the game moves into a free roaming mode (not quite Oblivion style) on the 3rd disc but otherwise the Linear quality does a good job of prodding you along.Great game - word of warning though, the packaging for the 3 discs is not great,

6.9.2007

If you don't you may as well stop reading and pick up something else instead. Bluedragon is by people that worked on final fantasy games and the like, and it shows.The plot is, well it's pointless and convoluted beyond a bunch of kids get magic shadows and want to save thier village. Ok there is much more to it but if you care you will want to play the game and find out. If you don't care, it doesn't matter anyway.The cut scenes are great/annoying in depending on your viewpoint, but the do have some clever humour, the action is very well directed too.The Gameplay is very much like final fantasy, except you can choose to avoid much of the random fights.The Graphics are very stylized and the backgrounds are suitably solid.

25.8.2007

After Zelda the twilight princess i needed another 40-60 hour game to take me away from the normal effects of everyday life, and i thought this was gonna be it, and it is, i am only abou 8 hours into it but i cant put the pad down. i am wondering why no one has reviewed this yet cause this is definitley a game that all JRPG lovers should own and if you are not familiar with the genre, you should start here then you will be tracing your steps back to final fantasy 7 and realising what the fuss was about. the visuals are superb, the voice acting can be cheesy in parts but its not a hige deal, the battle system is very well organised, no random battles which is a relief so do as you wish,

24.2.2011

Blue Dragon is a wonderful old school RPG.It goes back to the roots of turn based RPG's. If you've played one of the early Final Fantasy's and enjoyed them, then you will love this!The game is great fun the play, your characters level as they do in most JRPGs, kill monsters, get EXP etc etc, the slight difference in this is that your 'Shadow' can specialise in various classes. E.g Warrior, Monk, Spell caster, etc. They all level independantly and you can have any equiped to any and all shadows.The storyline is cheesy and typical, big bad guy looking to take over the world and only you can stop him! It just adds to the charm of the game as opposed to go against it.

20.4.2016

Blue Dragon is a genuinely good, fun and enjoyable game. It's not the best RPG ever but one of the best RPG's on the Xbox 360.The story is overlooked as it comes across as a kid's game but there's much more to it then that.Positives:Good moments in the story which gives you that good 'save the world' RPG feelingThe musicNice, detailed and pretty graphicsLikeable characters and a decent villainA bit of character developmentGood turn-based battle system with an easy to use levelling up systemGood game play and an open worldFun DungeonsNegatives:Story is lazy, Things happen without any proper explanation.Game can be cheesey (The ending)Dungeons can be tedious and confusingNot really any real

3.9.2007

this game is the work of Hironobu Sakaguchi all right its just like a classic jrpg so please don't listen to the review that say this game worthless this game is gold if u read the bad rating reviews they compare this game to FF10 and FF7! come on these are people who have only played rpg's since 1997 they have no idea what makes a good one and this is a good one ok the story is a bit low key (but so was ganadia 2 and that game was amazing) and the battles can be slow paced at times but it terms of enjoyment factor and additions levels this game is it and put it simply in terms of a jrpg its either this or Enchanted Arms which was well a waste of time its was a good rpg just the battle system

Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) - Reviews

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