Renaware

Luminous Arc Reviewed - Enjoyable and Splendid

November 16th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Luminous Arc is a turn-based, tactical role-playing game in which a group of orphaned youths, known as the Garden Children, embark on a quest to rid the world of eveil witches. As they progress, the children mature and believe that evil is relative.

The story takes you in a linear fashion from one location on the map to the next, predictably with you fighting battles at each stop.

Thankfully, there are plenty of elements that add variety to the battles, breaking the monotony of an otherwise repetitive gameplay.

For instance, instead of simply defeating enemies by wearing down their hit points, you might need to surround them with your party members.

Luminous Arc also offers each character special skills, magic spells, special attacks that are strangely named as “Flash Drives”, and even cooperative attacks. The tactics in battle involves the placement of your characters on the grid relative to the enemies’ positions - kind of like chess.

Characters attacking from a relatively higher position deal more damage, as is the case when you attack an enemy from behind or from the sides. So, the challenge is how to best place your characters for maximum attack and minimum damage.

Participation in battles allows your characters to gain experience points and level up, attaining new spells and skills. Equipment and items can be purchased from merchants or picked up post battle to enhance their battle prowess.

Luminous Arc has a bunch of eclectic features that give it a distinctive “kawaii” - Japanese for cute - anime feel. Cutesy visuals aside, the score is touching yet cheery, and the dialogue full of sassy humour. Too bad the humour is let down by poor dubbing.

Although not a game that possesses you wholly, Luminous Arc is a welcome distraction for long commutes or boring lectures.

You can Purchase Luminous Arc Here