Platform: PSP
Genre: RPG
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Image Epoch / Capcom
Release Date: 15th July 2010
Price: 5990yen (Regular), 6300yen (E-Capcom LE)
Official Site: http://www.capcom.co.jp/LR/index.html
Staff and Cast
Producer - Minae Matsukawa (Breath of Fire V, Ace Attorney 4)
Director - Kazuya Niinou (Etrian Odyssey, 7th Dragon)
Character Design - Tatsuya Yoshikawa (Breath of Fire series, Devil May Cry 4)
Scenario - Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy series, Kingdom Hearts series)
Composer - Yoko Shimomura (Parasite Eve, Kingdom Hearts series)
Main Planner - Hiroyuki Kanemaru (Tales of Symphonia, Arc Rise Fantasia)
Lead Programmer - Takashi Kawamoto (Arc Rise Fantasia)
Zig - Hiroshi Kamiya
Faz - Yuuichi Nakamura
Ren - Marine Inoue
Makis - Wataru Hatano
Tylong - Hiroki Yasumoto
Harth - Tomokazu Seki
Yuli - Mitsuki Saiga
Rosa - Aya Endo
Zebrila - Banjo Ginga
Norma - Kotono Mitsuishi
Sengoku - Rikiya Koyama
Igorida - Megumi Toyoguichi
Galgano - Jun Fukuyama
Missy - Kaori Nazuka
Theme Song - "Ultimate" by UVERworld
What's this game
This is a PSP JRPG from Image Epoch (7th Dragon, Arc Rise Fantasia) and Capcom (Breath of Fire series). It is about a young man named Zig who decides to leave his village to join the outside world. The world beyond his birth place is controlled by an empire where strength is valued above all else, and everyone is a fighter who is ranked by their performance. To challenge himself, and to discover his true worth in the world, Zig decides to train and fight his way to the top.
Yes, this is a shounen manga style JRPG, with awesome character designs and great art direction. It's really strange coming from Niinou, who previously directed EO and 7D, but he said he wanted to make a RPG that would be fitting for Capcom's legacy - hence the focus on combat with a wide variety of different characters and weapons. Nojima was roped in because he felt he was the right man to write the script for such a concept.
Gameplay
WORLD
Every NPC in the game has a rank, this appears over their heads as you move close to them on the field. When you talk to any NPC, you have a choice of challenging them to combat.
Any NPC in the game can be challenged to one on one combat, and they all have their unique designs, names and titles, and combat voices. Defeating someone higher in rank will increase Zig's rank to the defeated opponent's rank.
There is also a Trial Board where quest jobs are listed. Zig can carry out these quests instead to improve his rank, without engaging in Ranking Battles. While this takes much longer in improve his standing in society, it also allows him to better prepare for eventual Ranking Battles by leveling up and getting better equipment while questing against monsters and so on.
When Zig passes certain milestones in rank, his standing in society goes up and this unlocks clearance for him to access additional areas around the world, giving him access to more events, quests and Rankers to challenge.
BATTLE COMMANDS
You map Commands onto the face buttons. During battles you hold R and press a face button to activate the skill.
When you win Ranking battles, you can get Skill Chips from defeated Rankers as rewards.
You can set an Active and Sub Style for your character, each with its own equipment and command load based on the style's weapon choices. You Toggle between the two styles in realtime with the L button in battle.
SKILL CHIPS
The different types of Skill Chips:
Command Skill - These are skills which are related to normal commands. For example "Counter" and "Just Guard", which give you the ability to aim your regular attack or guard to gain extra advantages in battle.
R Skill - These are special attack skills which you map onto the face buttons, and trigger in battle by holding R and then pressing the respective face button. These are limited to a number of uses in each battle.
Ultimate Attack Skills - These are like limit breaks. Extremely powerful special attacks with cinematic execution. The Ultimate Attack can be triggered by holding R and pressing L. When an Ultimate Attack is used, the use count for all R Skills are reduced to zero.
Combination Skills - These skills are connected to other Skill Chips and alter the properties of the connected skills, sometimes creating special properties.
Auto Skills - These are skills which automatically trigger in battles when the condition is met. For example a skill which recovers your health automatically when your HP drops below a certain level.
Parameter Skills - These are Skill Chips which increase your stats. Depending on the chip, it will boost stats like HP, Attack, Defense, etc.
CUSTOMIZATION
Beat rankers to get Skill Chips, equip skills on the Skill Nest.
As you level up, you Skill Nest grows in capacity, allowing you to equip more skills.
Visible accessories and weapons!
Collect Ranker profiles as you play the game and encounter more characters!
ULTIMATE ATTACKS
These moves are special cinematic moves that major characters in the game have. When they are activated, the battle turns into a cutscene presentation ala Limit Breaks.
If such an attack is used against you, there will be a QTE during the cinematic sequence where the player has a chance to evade or counter the rest of the move, canceling the rest of the attack.
When you defeat Rankers who have such special moves, Zig will learn the moves himself allowing the player to set the Ultimate Attack skill on his Skill Nest.
The Ultimate Attack which is equipped can be executed in battle by holding L and pressing R. While the moves are deadly on their own, using one will automatically drain all your command skills to zero.
Videos
Trailers:
Jump Festa 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPyL9eDZ9Xc
7 Knights - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCb-4QXklBw
UVERworld - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA-TxcrakOc
Battle Medley - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBR9jwI4b-Q
Gameplay:
World - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbW7ci0Nk1I
Battle Basics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WYP1EYFrv4
Advanced Combat - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw3kxr0bhEE
Ultimate Attacks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL5wJTolZUg
Customization - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lns2bSTVMYI
Last Ranker TV:
Field and Encounters - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZS5O__noo
Ranking Battles - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVAd-jJ4ql4
Limited Edition
All pre-orders of the game will come with a special soundtrack CD with selected tracks presented in a special Piano Trio Arrangement. In addition to this, Capcom's E-Capcom site is offering a special Extended Edition of the game which includes the CD, as well as a 48-page full color hardcover B5-size artbook.
