November 6, 2007 - The Xbox 360 has started to accumulate a nice collection of must have games. These are the titles that define not only the genres they represent, but they also do well in helping gamers from all over feel less regret about putting down their money on the X360. However, one genre that hasn’t flooded Microsoft’s gaming systems is the RPG. While the 360 is no longer in its infancy, there is still an opportunity for a game to stake its claim as the must own RPG for the system. Enter Blue Dragon; a three disc long adventure by the makers of a little known game called Chrono Trigger. Armed with a rich pedigree, is Blue Dragon the answer to the 360s RPG woes? Not entirely, but there’s certainly enough game and gameplay elements (albeit borrowed) that will satisfy traditional RPG enthusiasts.

As far as stories go, Blue Dragon’s is of the cookie-cutter variety. You begin the game in a small village by the name of Talta that seems like your typical village except for one slight difference; every year for the past decade, a slew of menacing looking clouds have blanketed the village. This ominous change in the weather leads to the arrival of a treacherous monster known as the Land Shark which, for reasons not thoroughly explained, has a craving for destruction. Leave it to a trio of crafty young kids to try and put an end to the yearly visits of the Land Shark as well as figure out what the deal is with those annoying dark clouds. So the journey becomes clear, save the village and then save the world. You’ve seen this all before.

The cast of characters who you control for much of your adventure are an interesting bunch. The leader of the group is Shu, a small boy with a heart for adventure to go along with a spirited temper. There’s Jiro, the intellectual one with two noticeable facial expressions, smug and more smug. Then there’s Kluke, the girl with the heart of gold and perhaps a little bit too sugary sweet for her own good. Other unmemorable characters that you will meet along the way join these three. On the bright side, no one in Blue Dragon will be accused of being a Final Fantasy rip off.

Early on in the game, you’ll witness a scene that will dramatically change the way you will play Blue Dragon. Your kiddy heroes (through a somewhat convenient turn of events) receive some rather phenomenal looking shadows. Now these things are not mere silhouettes but unique animals for each character. Shu gets a dragon (complete with six-pack abs), Jiro gets a bull, and Kluke gets a phoenix. The importance of these shadow companions becomes imperative to your quest and they especially come in handy when you encounter enemies.

The world of Blue Dragon is large and getting around can be a daunting task. Luckily, Blue Dragon has you covered with different (yet flawed) navigational tools to make your trek across the expansive world seem a little less of a nuisance. For starters, you can rotate the camera around but zooming in and out is automatic and beyond your control. This makes it difficult to see certain things that may be off in the distance or just outside of the camera’s range. There is no shortage of maps to make use of but these are not as functional as they could be. When you are traveling along, you can check where you are on the world map by pushing the start button. In some instances, you will get a marking indicating where you need to go next. The mini-map displayed in the lower right hand corner is the best one available. However, it is a tad inconvenient to follow when you have enemies and other obstacles on the main screen that require your attention.

Another gripe that can’t go unmentioned is the sporadic placement of save points. In some cases you can expect to travel long distances before you have the opportunity to save. Other times you’ll find a save point, a warp stone (which can be used to teleport you to previously visited areas) and the field area in which you can save all in a short distance of one another.

Two types of activities make up the bulk of your quest in Blue Dragon, treasure hunting and battling monsters. The former activity is nothing new in the realm of the RPG. Coming across the occasional potion or tuft of gold while progressing along is a nice, albeit unexpected surprise. In Blue Dragon, the idea of treasure hunting reaches extreme levels. Whatever objects there may surround you, chances are likely that if you search these areas you will come away with some treasure. The novelty behind this is that it limits the amount of gold you’ll need to spend getting curative items and the like. You can then put your money towards items that are much rarer to come across, namely spells and accessories. Although you can only get treasure from each item once, you might consider it a sound investment to spend extra time covering every object to see what you can plunder. If anything, doing this will usually at least cover the expenses of staying at an inn.

When it comes to battling, the possibilities of engaging in combat provide an interesting dynamic. Enemies on the field screen are always in view thus, not having to go through waves of random battles. When you see an enemy you wish to attack you can get the pounce on them by using the encounter attack (X button). With a little craftiness, you can head into battles with a good chance to get the first strike. Another method in taking on enemies involves pressing the right trigger. By doing this, a sphere opens up showing you all the enemies within range that you can fight. You can choose to fight one, two or all the enemies on the screen. Although fighting multiple enemies can be time consuming, the rewards of more gold and experience points are a nice incentive. The game is also considerate enough to provide you with bonuses between each battle such as boosting your attack, defense, and even your health. If that isn’t enough, there’s also a chance that some of the different enemies you encounter will actually fight amongst themselves. Usually the stronger enemies clear out the weaker ones but this gives you opportunities to score a few free hits on your foes before they even bother to retaliate.