If players hate RPGs for the sole reason of random encounters, then they need not worry with Blue Dragon’s take on encountering enemies. Similar to Tales of Symphonia, players will be able to pick and choose which enemies they want to fight. The enemies will be on the battlefield and it’s up to the player to walk up to them to engage in a battle. Be warned though, the enemies will chase Shu all over the map – so be on a watchful lookout at all times.
For the technical aspects, Blue Dragon is aesthetic pleasing of an RPG that I have stumbled across in recent memory. It may not have the futuristic look with gigantic cities of wonder, but what it does great is put forth great water, beautiful landscapes and colorful settings. I will admit if gamers hate Japanese anime, then they’ll of course hate Blue Dragon due to Akira Toriyama’s involvement. The graphics may end up being the turnoff for many games when they decide if they want to buy, rent, borrow or play Blue Dragon.
Also, for the soundtrack, Nobuo Uematsu has lent expertise. While his work is usually near perfect, his score in Blue Dragon tends to become repetitive. The voice-acting is great due to the inclusion of both Japanese and English voices. The only aspect that wore thin on my nerves in the sound department was the text-to-speech announcer. The voice announces what happens on the field map such as defeating an enemy, which became annoying moderately fast.
Xbox Evolved Interview with Nobuo Uematsu
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Is this a total next-generation experience? It depends on how you define the term. The voice-acting is surprisingly done well, the graphics are above many RPGs currently available on all consoles, and the characters are loveable. The removal of random battles may assist in attracting RPG fans to putting a lot of their spare time into the storyline – but what Blue Dragon doesn’t have is the appeal to keep players interested beyond one play through. In fact, they may get bored with finding it to be a typical RPG that follows the blueprints of a clichéd RPG. Personally, I am one that begs and pleads for more RPGs, so I recommend trying out Blue Dragon before writing it off. If a sequel is on in fact on its way, then try out Blue Dragon for yourself.
