A legend in the making

Ever since last September with the release of Final Fantasy VIIII, RPG fans have been patently awaiting the arrival of the next truly great PRG. Well the wait is now over and even more surprisingly this one doesn't come from square, this one comes right to you from Sony itself. The question surrounding Legend of Dragoon is, does it manage to surpass the current king of RPG's Final Fantasy VIII?

Like any outstanding RPG this one has a great story line behind it to move the game along. The game puts you in the role of Dart, who is finds himself on a journey of revenge but finds out that there is a lot more to his life then getting revenge on the monster who killed his parents and torched his hometown. The game really opens up with a kidnapping of a mysterious girl, but then expands to such a large scale as to affect the entire world. The game also has all the elements that keep a story strong, some heart breaking tragedy, and some very surprising plot twists which will keep you guessing until the end. With four disks to explore you can also get an idea of how long an adventure this really is.

During the game you will take control of a wide cast of characters, all of whom are relatively diverse. Each character also has their own unique attitude and personality, which better helps you feel like you are really leading a group of real people. One problem with the large cast of characters is that some of the characters don't get their fair share in the story which can leave you yearning for some better character development. There are some laughable moments in the story too where things are just a little too convenient but hey they have to piece things together somehow. Another problem with the story is your characters at times have a lack of direction and at times it is hard to tell why you are needed to accomplish certain tasks.

One thing gamers will quickly notice about the game is that is incredibly interactive. Almost every attack in the game, you have to determine how powerful it is. In a truly unique move Sony has added a varied method of attack. Forget the days when you could just press the attack button and forget about it. Now with almost every character each time you attack a series of aiming boxes will show up with your attack and you must properly time each and every blow. There are a wide range of these attack combos for each character and they will even level up themselves as they are performed correctly. While in affect all the combos are done the same way, the timing on them is always different for each characters combos, at times you must also read your opponent to see if they are attempting a counter attack and defend yourself from that too.Even some of the item spells are interactive as well. Very similar to the GF boosts of FFVIII certain items require you to mash buttons to work their power up.

The battles themselves are done in a more traditional turn based fashion . While for the most part this manages to be affective some trouble spots set in where you find the enemy getting way too many shots in, where all you can do is yell "this is supposed to be turn based!" at the top of your lungs. Most of the time the battles are enticed by random encounters, but in certain places your enemy must touch you to begin battle which makes for a deeper sense of gaming.

The graphics are pretty well done too. The in game graphics themselves can be described as a cross between Final Fantasy 7 and 8. The characters don't look quite as realistic as they did in FFVIII (most noticeable where joints meet) but aren't nearly as deformed as they were in FFVII. One still has to wonder which look Sony was going for though. The spell and weapon effects look wonderful though. All of the combos have a unique look to them and some of the spells light up the entire screen with visual glory. Many of the enemies are nicely detailed, many of us have seen better but by no means are disappointing. The in game cinemas are pick-your-jaw-off-the-floor good, with very lifelike figures and beautiful explosions. The only complaint with the cinemas is that there could stand to be a few more of them, but the short supply they are in only feeds your hunger for the next one. One of the most incredible show is the game's beautiful water effects which are possibly the best seen on the playstation to date.

The sound is equally impressive as the graphics. One of it's highest qualities is that there are voice overs in the game, and good ones at that. The in game cinemas have some of the best voice acting heard in a while and maybe ever on the playstation. While not movie quality it is nothing to snivel at either. There are also some really good in game voice overs too. At times in the heat of battle a boss will order one of his cronies to help out and attack you which is a nice feature, your character also yells out the name of the combo (or addition) after each successful use. The sword clanging and the spell casting effects are also astonishing, just as wonderful to hear as they are to watch this is the kind of title to play with the volume up. The music is sort of a mixed bad though. While some of the music sets the mood just right for adventure, a few of the tracks sound like a bad fifth grade jazz band which is entirely out of place.

There is a pretty steep leaning curve on this one though. As mentioned above attacks are done in a fashion where timing is the key so you must adapt to this new style quickly or suffer an huge beating from your foes in battle. Other then that the control is very helpful. You have the choice to swap party members at any time, you can equipt automatically at a weapon shop and browsing through the deep menus is a snap. One other plus is that a pointer above your character's head changes color to alert you to potential dangers, and suits as a warning for when battle is near.

One of the biggest downsides to the game is the lack of exploration. Most of the time you are stuck on rails. On the world map you are stuck on a set dotted path on which you must follow. After completing an objective at a certain location a new path opens up. This feature really cuts down the replay value and makes exploration almost nill. Another problem is with the enemy IA. In certain area you incite battle by touching guards. The problem with the guards is they give chase and then quit faster then an obese traffic cop, which makes you remember that you are playing a video game.

It may be hard to say which is a better title Legend of Dragoon or Final Fantasy VIII. Both have their highs and lows. One thing is that Sony sure did surprise a lot of people by coming out and giving us a great RPG, which proves that Squaresoft isn't the only company capable of making great RPGs. So if you are a fan of RPGs then this is another must have title for your playstation, even if you aren't an RPG fan you still may find enough innovative features to make this money well spent.