La Pucelle: Tactics

"Nippon Ichi is back, and they don't disappoint."

For those of you who don't recognize the name, Nippon Ichi is the same development group who brought the tactical marvel, Disgaea, to our shores only a year or so ago. Before all the “La Pucelle isn't as good!” flames start flying, just sit back and relax. If you're looking for the successor to Disgaea, you're going to have to wait a bit longer; La Pucelle isn't it. It came first. With that knowledge in mind, overlook some of the minor control differences, enjoy the lush, 2D graphics (which are still phenomenal), and have fun. If you enjoy strategy-RPGs, there is no reason for you to not buy this game, and quickly.

Demon-Slaying 101.

Welcome to the world of Prier and her misfit demon-hunting group, La Pucelle. This is a world of political and religious intrigue and conflict. Demons and other dark creatures are suddenly beginning to re-emerge with an alarming rate, and it's all your group can do to contain them. Some people say that it's a clear sign that the Dark Prince is returning, and that is definitely not good… unless you just happen to believe that you're the Maiden of Light, the ‘chosen one' of sorts. And of course Prier does. She has no ego, you see. :)

If anything, the story of La Pucelle: Tactics is handled with much more care than that of Disgaea. While still slightly episodic in nature, this story has much more coherence and flow. There is a definite progression from the beginning to the end, whereas Disgaea just felt like someone said, “it might be funny to do this,” and when people agreed, they did it.

It also helps that the story itself is strong. It's true that it is a bit stereotypical, and of course that makes it somewhat predictable, but that doesn't matter. It is still compelling. Even for those who might not like all of the sometimes-overly cutesy characters, the plot still draws you onward. That is the mark of a great story, and La Pucelle has it.

In addition to that, the real highlight of this game is its phenomenal gameplay. Sure, the plot is a great diversion, but if the battles weren't madly addictive (and all the Nippon Ichi games are) then La Pucelle would just be another burnout for the PS2. The controls are simple and straightforward, though the direction scheme is a bit off from previous SRPGs. Also the battle mechanics have taken another turn for the weird with the inclusion of Miracles and conversions. Both, however, become child's play after a few trial runs and hours of use.

Making Miracles, one map at a time.

In an unusual turn for the genre, La Pucelle: Tactics does not allow you to create allies, generic or otherwise, to join your forces for combat. Instead you have to literally convert them in battle using a technique called Purification. Essentially this boils down to your character trying to convert the evil in the baddy's soul to good (before killing him), so that he will switch sides mid-battle and help your forces after his defeat. This can easily turn the tides of battle if used correctly, and it is also the only way to get new, non-story allies. It might take a while for some enemies, as the higher their level the harder they are to convince (though the higher your level the easier to convince). It's just another brilliant little tweak Nippon Ichi gave the genre, and it's amazingly effective.

Purification is also how you set up Miracles and, with a bit of extra practice, their massively destructive brothers, Mass Miracles. Miracles spring from dark energy portals that spread out across any given map. You can bend and manipulate the flow of this dark energy simply by standing in the flow and pointing it a different direction. By creating a closed circuit (square, rectangular, or otherwise) and then purifying the beginning dark portal, you create Miracles.

Chaining more than one portal's color and destruction creates a Mass Miracle, which can easily wipe out even the strongest bosses. Furthermore, those very same Miracles work to power up your items and strengthen your characters, so it's definitely a great system to explore! Let's not even go into what happens if you neglect dark portals too often other than to say you might find a way into the “Dark World.”

For those familiar with Disgaea don't worry, the ability to power-level is still very possible; it's just a bit harder to do. In fact, there's much less of a need. The hardest (secret) boss in the game can easily be beaten by a level 800 party, or even lower with good tactics. While this might actually make some of you cringe, it's not to say that you can't just pound levels as high as you want. The main problem with that is the complete lack of a New Game+, so that massive leveling would only be valuable on your current game. A minor setback, but still disappointing.

Not all golden…

There are few things in La Pucelle that really seem to detract from the overall experiences. First off, the battles aren't nearly as fluid as its succor, Disgaea. Each time you do an attack or use a special move, you cut to a different “close-up” scene to get better animation. While this is a nice graphical touch, it serves to slow the game just enough that it can be somewhat cumbersome. Then again, it's no worse than having lengthy attack and spell animations, so I guess it's nothing to worry about. Think of it as a throwback to great games of the past, like Shining Force!

Another notable absence from the game is the overwhelming comedic element that Disgaea both had and flaunted. La Pucelle is a much more serious game, and it shows. Character interaction is more of a driving force here, and the plot is paramount. There is more to it than just random, unconnected episodes. Unfortunately, this also means that most everything that Disgaea took potshots at and satirized is present here. And then some.

Then again, no game is perfect, and La Pucelle: Tactics is the precursor to the phenomenal Disgaea, so it's obvious that Nippon Ichi learned from their mistakes. That doesn't quite forgive the too-cute character designs, the sub par voice acting and scripting, or the clichéd plot, but it helps. It's also nice that there are multiple endings to each chapter based off of what you do (or don't do) in the battles and conversations leading up to each ending. That at least offers a bit of non-linearity and replay value… just not enough.

Unsurprisingly, La Pucelle: Tactics just isn't as good as it's successor, Disgaea, but that still doesn't keep it from being one of the best strategy-RPGs ever made. Nippon Ichi has found it's niche, and if you're even a slight fan of the SRPG genre, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 7/10
Story: 8/10
Replay: 5/10

Overall: 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/16/04