![]() ![]() Okay, no problem so far, but the characters that score the killing blow of an opponent get a significantly higher amount of points. So, every time a particular characters does something like making a successful attack they get their own set of experience points. It's not spread out in a collective manner instead, characters gain experience by the individual actions. One comes from the way experience is divvied out to your party. Making DP a limited commodity is a great decision, as it gives greater weight to your actions.Įven with all the smart design choices on display, there are some significant pitfalls. These Flash Drives can be thought of as Limit Breakers, allowing your characters to unleash a super powerful move. DP can be used to enhance actions for example, it can power-up attacks or make potions more effective or it can be continually stored until you have enough DP to execute a Flash Drive. Once you have DP, you have two decisions you can make. Every time you execute a successful action whether it's hitting an enemy or healing a party member your character gains DP, which can fill up to three blue bars. The Drive Points (DP) meter also breaths some distinct life into Luminous Arc 2. The decision to tie Roland's battle capacity to his witch partner's constitution adds a layer of depth, encouraging you to look after particular characters and think carefully before launching headfirst into battle. However, should Roland's witch partner die, then he'll lose those abilities. For example, if Althea a fire witch is in your party, when Roland enables Engagement he'll get a set of fire-charged attacks. Alone, it has no effect in battle, but whenever there is a witch in your party, Roland can use an ability called Engagement to pair his engine with a witch's magic, giving him new abilities and spells. ![]() These guesstimates are fairly accurate, making the feature necessary for later battles where every strike counts.Įven though that all sounds very expected (and it all works well), there are some things Luminous Arc 2 does that sets it apart. ![]() You can also preview the damage of a particular attack beforehand as well as get an idea of whether or not the attack will hit or miss (measured via a hit percentage). Character order is displayed along the top of the screen, so you can keep a tab on the flow of battle and possible move and attack options are laid out ahead of time. Typical expectations like attacks from greater heights netting more damage and side and back hits being more effective than straight ahead blows are all there. All battles take place on a limited, sprite-based set of grids. Those familiar with Final Fantasy Tactics will find themselves right at home with Luminous Arc 2's combat system. Since the Runic Engine is paired to him, he promptly goes from zero to hero and it's up to him and his rag-tag group of friends to stop the conflict at hand. Early on, Roland's hand binds with the Runic Engine, a piece of technology that allows him to harness magical powers and become a Rune Knight. The Rev Magic Association has noble intentions, seeking to only use magic to beat back the onslaught of Fiends - the game's evil beasts - whereas a rogue group, led by the Shadow Frost Witch, has more sinister aims. Roland, a knight in training and his two friends Rasche, a fellow knight and Rina, an archer get caught up in a conflict between magic associations over the proper use of their bewitched abilities. Like many a fantasy RPG, Luminous Arc 2 sticks to a very customary story. Everything is done well enough that Luminous Arc 2 feels sort of like comfort gaming a title whose charm and well-executed mechanics outweigh its conventional gameplay. However, instead of these qualities coming off as negative in any sense, they're the exact opposite. It simply sticks with grids, a generic magic-filled story, and a Final Fantasy Tactics-like layout for battles. Luminous Arc 2 is a strategy title with no grand ambitions. Why bring up Valkyria Chronicles? Well, if it was an example of how to push a genre forward, then Luminous Arc 2 is its antithesis. So, while there is no checkerboard design laying out characters movements, the principle of limited mobility, which encourages properly executed plans of action, was still there it was just tucked beneath a more elegant surface. ![]() Even though that game did a lot new like doing away with grids it still showed its strategy roots. The recent Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3 demonstrated that genuine innovation can take place in the strategy RPG field and rejuvenate interest in the genre. ![]()
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