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Greatness

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It was a very good game and kept me playing. It was fun amazon.com really helped me obtain what I wanted

great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

if you are into this genre of game, tactical rpg, then pick luminous arc up. it is well worth a play thru. an excellent game, cant wait for the second installment.

Too simple

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this tactical RPG from ALTUS in the hope that it would be "Disgaea" for the DS. It turned out to be Disgaea's cute pre-school age cousin. Sure, you maneuver characters on a grid of squares, do physical and magical attacks for damage, level characters, and can do special combination moves with multiple characters. However, the game lacks any sort of flexibility or depth. The number of available characters in your party is constrained by the story. The number and type of special moves are few, and the combination attacks are both underpowered, and inconvenient enough to not be worthwhile. The story was cutesy, and a bit confused: what you'd expect from a mediocre Japanese RPG. One thing I did like was that every time you leveled up a character, their HP and SP were reset to full strength. This both added a bit of interest to the gameplay, and made the game ridiculously easy to beat.

Atlus once again provides us with a great SRPG

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game on a whim; all I knew was that it was a Final Fantasy Tactics-style game, and a little about the storyline. Knowing that Atlus and Nippon-Ichi (who used to have Atlus publish many of their games) tend to produce the BEST SRPGs, I decided to give it a shot. I was not at all disappointed. For me, it came the closest to capturing the feel of the original Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT) of any game in the genre since FFT's release. Granted, you can't really customize your characters (each one serves basically one purpose), but the game play style, coupled with the story line, really brought me back to that first play through FFT, which is what turned me onto this genre of games in the first place. With a storyline focusing on religion and political intrigue, the story is phenomenal. My only issue with the game is with the controls. There are a few options (left-handed stylus use, right-handed stylus use, and D-pad use), but I think if they would have just allowed you to use a combination of stylus and D-pad it could have been great. Otherwise, fantastic game with a great story, that I think deserves more credit than it normally gets.

A very good, but underated tactical rpg.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First off, let's get this out of the way: this is not Final Fantasy Tactics or its Advance counterpart. I do not understand why people like to compare these two titles. Final Fantasy Tactics did not event the tactical rpg genre; I believe that belongs to the Fire Emblem series (they've been around in Japan since the late 80's). Also, I had more of a fun time playing this game than I did with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Another thing is, when this game was released back in August, the only tactical rpg for the ds at the time was Hoshigami Remix (which isn't too bad either). It's not going to be sometime till next year before we get a hold of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 here in the US. Now with that out of the way, let's talk about Luminous Arc.
Like I said before, this game is great. Not the best, but great nonetheless. Let's talk about the story first. Don't worry, I'm not giving away spoilers, but this isn't the best or most original story in the genre (then again, most stories in the rpg genre aren't, so that's not saying much). It comes off hilarious, though not necessarily in a good way. Even though, the characters, their development, and their dialogs are all pretty good, and can be funny a lot of the times. In fact, I found this to be more of the reason to keep going on in the game, just to see what would become of them. Though one thing about the dialoges I don't like is the redundent speaches they give. In fact, I don't think I've ever played the game with so much talking, with alot of it pointless and repetitive.
Anyway, then there is the gameplay. I like it a lot. It's easy to learn and use (especially if you love these types of games). Even though their is no class system in the game, it doesn't really hurt the game, as it gives the characters a more distinct personallity. Even though it's an easy game to control for the most part, using the stylus can be a problem every now and again because for some strang reason you can't select certian targets that are within range. This isn't a bad problem as it doesn't happen often. But when it does come up, just switch to the directional pad controls (which is cool, because you can do this on the fly, even during battle).
Finally, there are the graphics and music/sound. This is some of the best 2-D graphics that I've seen, and it's also a bright game too. My only complaint is why the designers didn't make the battle stages in rotatable 3-D. This isn't real bad, because the 2-D stages never affect the gameplay. Also, their is a cool animated intro to the game. As for the music, it's great, and one of the best things of the game. Another cool thing is the voice acting. The acting can be a tad melodramatic at times, but it does add personality to the characters. I was suprised that VO was even in the game.
So, is this game for you? Well, if you want to get into the tactical rpg genre, then yes. If you are a veteran of the aforementioned genre, yes again. If you think that Final Fantasy Tactics and it's Advance counterpart are the be all and end all of the genre, and nothing can even come close to them, then no, you won't like this game at all. It's not the most original or the best in the genre, but it's good, darn good. Definitely the money it's worth.

Very interesting game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I think this game is a good strategy game that I've been looking for. It has an interesting story line, could be controversial, but interesting none the less with witches fighting the church. I just love the strategy, especially when you progress through the game it gets extremely tough.

A waste on the DS system.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: October 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I read the other reviews before I purchased this game and thought I was making a smart purchase. Now that I've played it, I'm feeling a little stupid. In fact, it takes VERY little thought into playing Luminous Arc. It's very dialogue-heavy but lacks the excitement of a comic book which is what i think this game was meant to mimic. Comic books at least have a dynamic in the illustrations. In Luminous Arc, the main characters are well-drawn, but aren't very "animated." No, I'm saying the characters should be moving. I'm referring to the way they're ALL posed: arched back, head tilted slightly forward, eyes looking in the same direction. With the exception of the occasional angry brows and open mouth, there's not much to these characters. The voices were inconsistent. Sometimes you got to listen; other times you had to read. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem if there were some use to what was said. Most RPGs tend to hide clues in the dialogue that aid you later in the game. Luminous Arc's storytelling is a bit silly ("Fatal hounds," "condemn the dark, defend the light") and probably unnecessary in beating the game. I was more disappointed by the fact that it was released on the DS. If L.A. was a GBA game, it would've gotten a slightly higher rating from me. So knowing how well the DS can perform, this game felt like a lazy effort to utilize the DS' capabilities.

(This is why I rarely buy RPGs outside of the Final Fantasy series. I guess I just expect everyone else to produce that same quality of game play.)

Disappointing.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 15 / 20
Date: September 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is John. Say hi to John. John has never played a strategical RPG ever. He got Luminous Arc. He loved it. He played it again. He still liked it. Hurray for John.

Unfortunately, I am not John. I have played strategical RPG's before. I have replayed certain ones before and not just FFTA, which was, yes, a fabulous and in depth game.
However, this game has no depth. Nor does it come up to the DS's expectations.

First of all, the DS. A fabulous system. You probably have Mariokart and thought "Wow, these graphics are just as good as the N64, maybe better!" These graphics are fat, choppy, and the battle animations look like the guy is doing the robot. It looks like a slash movement took 2 or 3 frames of animation. Yes, the portraits are pretty, but that's it. It is not going up to the limits of the DS. Even all the armor looks the same, and as no color. When you have a different sword, everything is still the same. It's annoying really. Also, there are things called "Flash Drives". Using one is kind of like using a combo. Even these are poorly animated, and it looks like something off a GBA. I remember Riviera: The Promised Land haveing better animation than the "Flash Drives". One thing really shines in this game. Voice acting. It's fabulous. Everyone has a different voice, accents, laughs, everything. It really is a enjoyable cut-scene experience.

Besides the limitations, it's not a terrible game. The leveling system is pretty nice. You never know when you'll get a new skill, or what it'll be! New skills are always fun, and every one is actually useful. You get new characters, like every game, and they each have their one special weapon and skills. When your on the battle field, you use the stylus to move your people and select options etc. You can change to the buttons, but this is the only time where you use your stylus. It's nice, but also clunky. I calibrated my stylus fifty times, but still nothing doing.
So basically, it could've been a slightly better GBA game in the end.

PROS:
Good leveling and skill system.
Voice acting is spectacular.
When people die, they don't go forever.
Storyline is strong.
CONS:
Graphics are bad, not using the DS to its full power.
Battles are kind of boring.
Linear. Moves to fast.
No depth, slightly dull.
Multiplayer is a laugh.
More like a GBA game than a DS.

Luminous arc is an extremely mediocre RPG. I would only suggest getting it if you haven't played a strategical RPG, or you don't own one.

Been here before, but nevertheless enjoyable

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: August 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Luminous Arc is yet another turn based strategy to hit the DS, and like a decent number before it, it's pretty good to boot. The story of Luminous Arc unfolds in a typical fantasy world with some typical fantasy characters, but it's the core gameplay that helps set it apart from the rest of the pack. The typical turn based gameplay gets a tweak thanks to being able to level-up during the battle instead of afterwards, which can greatly assist you and adds some depth to the otherwise tried and true gameplay. The overall storyline of Luminous Arc isn't really anything we haven't come across before (and in fact can come off as confusing), but the colorful cast of characters more than make up for it. Not to mention that the game also offers a lengthy (yet somewhat linear) quest with some extras to find once you play it again, so the replayability factor is nice as well. All in all, though Luminous Arc doesn't really bring much new to the table, it's unique charm and different take on the overall gameplay mechanics make it worth checking out nonetheless.

A well developed and engaging strategy RPG experience!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: August 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Having been on the market for nearly three years now, the Nintendo DS has given us innovation, new types of games, and revitalizing old genres (like the point and click adventure game), all the while providing loads of fun. Surprisingly, though, one genre has been all but ignored on this little handheld: turn based strategy RPGs. Hoshigami Remix tried to fill that void, but it's essentially a port of an old Playstation title that's too complex and unrewarding for it to be enjoyable. So, is there anything that can really fill that itch? Fortunately, Atlus has answered the call and delivered "Luminous Arc", an original game that is quite the satisfying strategy RPG.

Story:

The story of "Luminous Arc" can be summed up like this. Kids that are raised from the Church, known as the Garden Children, are called up to raise arms against the "evil" Witches, who plan to kill all the people and disobey the will of God. Alph, a young, courageous youth, becomes the leader of the group, and leads off the fight to condemn the Witches. Although the story initially sounds very cliché, the plots really starts to twist early on, and you eventually learn that things are not as black and white as they appear to be. You also start to question who is really the villains in this game: the Witches... or something else?!
Overall: 9.0

Design:

The main story mode is what you'll be spending the most time on in "Luminous Arc". All areas are marked on a map, and locations are marked with icons, and you move the cursor to where you want to go. The locations you visit vary up to battlefields, towns, forests, and the like. Sometimes, you may end up being forced into a battle while trying to get to your next destination. When you arrive at your destination, you either talk to some of your party, sometimes shop, or just advance to the next story battle. This simplicity with providing menus to help you along ensures that it's very difficult to get lost in this game.
During battle, you can choose up to eight party members at a time. To gain experience, you can either land an attack on an enemy, or do a status enhancer or heal on your party. Movement is on a grid based board, and the movement is determined by squares. The attack range is also determined by this same setup. The battle system is very similar to that of most strategy RPGs, but it does work well here. Leveling up, though, is more determined by getting up to 100 experience points rather than a random number. This system makes it easier to determine how many points you need to earn to level up. All status of individual characters is displayed on the top, while the bottom is for actions. This makes things easier to follow, and it leaves the bottom screen uncluttered.
The problem is that the touch screen controls are sometimes unresponsive, leaving you with some frustration if you use that method. You eventually decide to just use the no touch screen option in the options menu and just use the old d-pad. Although it's not much of a gripe, it would be good if the game had good touch screen controls. Either way, it's hardly even a problem for me.
After battles, you have an opportunity to talk with one of your party members. You choose a response. If it favors them, their trust increases. If you talk with them enough, depending on how full their heart is, you get a special cutscene. These special scenes can be rather amusing, to be honest, and adds some depth to the whole game. All the pieces together make for a great blend.
Overall: 9.0

Graphics:
Graphically, Luminous Arc is a decent looking game. The game is 2D completely, but the sprites animate quite well, and their movement helps convey some realism to the anime style characters. Cutscenes are told using still portraits that look quite good, with painted backgrounds. Their expressions change depending on the dialogue, witch helps a bit as well. Some attacks also have a bit of flash, as well. While not much here that could not have been done on lesser hardware, like the GBA, it's still quite impressive. There is also a full motion anime intro at the beginning, as well.
Overall: 8.0

Sound:
Audio wise, the game is a real treat. You get fully orchastraic music, a catchy Japanese pop intro, and voice acting. While the voice acting only really happens for about 20% of the whole game, when it does happen, it's performed well, for the most part. One character I don't like, though, is Nickolai. What is his deal?! Come on!! The sound effects are appropriate and do the job. So, overall, the audio part is great.
Overall: 9.0

Overall:
The game is quite an enjoyable experience. If you're looking for a great strategy RPG for your DS, don't hesitate to pick this one up. It's quite good.
Overall: 9.0

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