Yggdra Union

"Another masterpiece made by Atlus"

Over the years, Atlus has published a lot of RPGs. I wasn't really fond of any of their games until I bought a copy of Yggdra Union. My friend told me that this game was one of the best games for the GBA. After it got ported to the PSP, I decided to pick up a copy of Yggdra Union and add it to my starving PSP library. Within mere hours, Yggdra Union has already made my PSP one of my most favorite consoles.

Graphics: 9/10
It's not that hard to see that Yggdra Union is both enjoyable and beautiful to see. Although the entire game is 2D, everything in it is drawn very well. From the characters to the maps, it's nearly impossible to be bored of seeing the game's wonderful art. Skills and attacks are really flashy, thus fulfilling one of the vital requirements for a successful RPG. Even if it doesn't have CGI or Hi-Def graphics like the top PSP games, Yggdra Union is still wonderful in its own way. In fact, the graphics are one of the reasons why this game is unique.

One flaw of this game is that your characters will always be holding the same-looking weapon in battle. Although it's a minor flaw, solving this problem can actually make a small positive impact in the game. It would have also been more entertaining if they added a few cutscenes instead of using text-based conversations for the whole game.

Gameplay: 9/10
I'll get one thing straight. This game is definitely not for everyone. Casual RPG players are also recommended to not choose this game due to its rather hard difficulty. It may seem weird and confusing at first glance, but once you've gotten used to Yggdra Union, you'll find hours of addictive fun waiting for you ahead.

If someone asks me what game is identical to Yggdra Union, I would be left completely speechless. This is because Yggdra Union's gameplay is extremely different from any other games I've played. Based on the storyline, an area of Yggdra Union's world is shown in each level as a map. A grid field (similar to tic-tac-toe) is presented on the map. This grid field will be the level's battlefield. Your characters, which are represented as sprites, will move and engage the enemy throughout the battlefield. Sounds like any other Strategy RPG, don't you think? Wrong! The truth is, it's not!

When a battle is about to start, the objectives and conditions of the level are presented. Another nice aspect of this game is that the winning condition isn't always obliterating the opposing force. They can involve things such as moving all your characters onto a certain grid or defeating a certain enemy unit.

At the menu screen before the battle, you are presented with the characters that you've already acquired so far. The number of characters that you may send to battle is based on the map. You may not send more or less characters than the map requires.

Your character can equip any equipment and items that you've obtained throughout the game. Many of the equipment and items in Yggdra Union can only be used by specific characters. For example, a book-type item can only be used by characters that can read. You should always plan carefully since almost every item and equipment in the game has a limited amount of usage.

After you're done choosing and equipping, you're sent directly to the battlefield. How do you actually move and fight? The answer is by using cards. Cards? Yes, those things people play with if they're bored! Cards play a vital role in this game. Before you start a turn, the game presents a deck with your remaining cards. You obtain cards by completing maps and doing special objectives. Every card has four important elements. The first one is the skill that the card holds. The second one is a weapon-type symbol on the left-top corner of the card. The third one is the number on the bottom-right corner of the card. The fourth one is the number at the top of the card.

A card's skill is an important key to winning a battle. Every card has a unique skill that can be used to make a difference in battle. While the skills can be used as many times as you want in battle, every card only holds a single skill.

The weapon-type symbol, or Ace, is an important element to activate a card's skill. For example, if a card's Ace symbol is a sword, only sword-using characters may activate the skill. Even if the skills are rather restricted, any card can be used by any character.

The number at the bottom-right corner of the card represents how many times your characters can move. Be aware that the number shown is the overall movement allowed for your party. This means that if the number shown is 7, it doesn't mean that each character can take 7-steps. Players will experience a lot of trouble with this annoying rule.

The number at the top of your card shows the card's attack power. As you win battles with a certain card, its attack power increases. Cards with a higher attack power lets your characters deal bigger damage in battle.

After your turn ends, the enemy will make their move. Unlike your deck, the enemy only has a single card. This is not a disadvantage for the enemy because I think they tend to use the card well.

After the enemy has made their move, you will gain another turn. The card you used in the previous turn will disappear from your deck until the next map. You will then be required to select a new card. If you used up all your cards before the battle ends, it's game over.

When one of your character is near an enemy unit, you have the option to engage it. A screen shows up showing a prediction of the battle's outcome. Although it's not 100% accurate, it is important to help you decide whether to fight or not. The game tests your strategy by allowing you to make a critical decision.

You can gang up on an enemy with a unique tactic called Union. Probably the most original aspect of this game, Unions allows you to overcome your enemies by entering multiple units in battle. Male characters have an “X” union pattern while female characters have a “+” union pattern. Any other friendly unit caught in the pattern will join the battle. I find it interesting that the enemies can also use Unions.

When you're engaging an enemy, you'll be brought to a scene where you and your enemy's soldiers battle each other. The one who starts the battle will do a starting charge. If the conditions are right, the opposing force may counter the charge. You don't actually control the skirmish directly, but there are some ways where you can change the tide of battle. One of the most effective way is to use your skill. To activate it, you must fill the bar on the top of the screen to 100%. When you're charging the bar, your units will become weaker and more vulnerable. If you're depleting the bar, your units will become stronger and more resistant.

If you or your enemy's units are defeated, the unit's morale will drop. Morale is the game's equivalent to a unit's health. If a unit morale's reaches zero, it will either retreat or die. Your units will usually retreat, but important characters such as Yggdra will always die if they lose. If any of your units die, the game is over. What makes Yggdra Union so fun and challenging is that your unit's morale will not refill in the next map. You'll have to refill them manually by sacrificing items and equipment.

All in all, Yggdra Union's gameplay is simply marvelous. Although it may get a little bit repetitive later on, the battles will never cease to give you a nice challenge.

Story: 9/10
The story of Yggdra Union is what you may call an interesting novel. The main heroine, Princess Yggdra, is the daughter of a king that rules the huge kingdom of Paltina. One night, the kingdom was attacked by a huge army from the powerful Brongaa Empire. Although everyone in the castle was slain, Yggdra managed to escape into a nearby forest. There, he meets Milanor, a young, bold thief that rules a clan of bandits. Together, both Yggdra and Milanor set off to retake Paltina and put an end to the Brongaa Empire.

I have to admit, the plot may be little slow at first, but as the story goes on, it gets more interesting. I liked the fact that this game actually has a plot that isn't so complex like many other RPGs. Those who don't favor the gameplay that much can still play it for the story. Don't expect a dark and menacing plot here, though.

Sound: 9/10
The soundtracks of this game may be one of the best ones I've heard from all the games I've played. The composer, Shigeki Hayashi, has produced wonderful tracks that fit the game well. The only flaw is that the voice acting needs a little bit more work. The Japanese voice acting was alright, but the English one needs a little bit more tuning. One noticeable flaw is that Yggdra sounds way older than she's supposed to be.

Replayability: 8/10
With Hard Mode unlocked upon game completion, there is still a reason to replay this game. Some contents can only be unlocked when you finish the game for a second time.

Overall: 9/10
Yggdra Union is definitely a fantastic game to add to your PSP collection. It has managed to save the console's starvation from the lack of good RPGs. I recommend picking it up if you're a hardcore RPG gamer.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/09

Game Release: Yggdra Union (US, 09/16/08)