Luminous Arc | 
| From: Atlus Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $28.99
You Save: $1.00 (3%)
New (4) from $28.99
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1304
Platform: Nintendo Ds
Genre: role_playing_games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo DS
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.7
MPN: 40009
Model: LA-40009-6
UPC: 730865400096
EAN: 0730865400096
ASIN: B000P46NK2
Release Date: August 14, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | An isometric strategy RPG on Nintendo DS | | • | Create new weapons and equipment with the Vitae Imbusing system | | • | Strengthen your friendship with comrades and improve your attacks on the battlefield | | • | Compare your friends' strategic prowess against your own with Wi-Fi multiplayer |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
One thousand years ago, dragons and Witches warred against God for the fate of the world. God's power was triumphant, but it was a difficult struggle, and the deity sent Himself into a deep sleep to recover from the terrible wounds he suffered in the battle. Ten years ago, the Church has proclaimed that a great event will soon occur: God will be reborn, and the world will be led into a new golden age under His guidance. However, this news is coupled with a grave warning: the Witches will soon reappear to begin the millennia-old conflict once again. Take control of the Garden Children, a group of fighters and mages trained since childhood and dedicated to eradicating the Witch threat, and discover the mysteries behind their return, their motives, and their history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
Pretty Engaging August 16, 2007
Sean A. Rhodes (Aurora, Colorado)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
The DS is perfect for tactical RPGs. It's been demonstrated to us several times. Luminous Arc is another example of a Tactical Strategy RPG that works well on the DS. While Luminous Arc really doesn't do anything different from your typical strategy RPG, it's still a pretty fun and engaging game on the whole. If you've never played a Tactical Strategy RPG before, then Luminous Arc is a brilliant introduction.
There's not much to Luminous Arc's storyline. 1000 years ago a war happened involving witches and the church. The witches lost the war. Now, there are rumors that the witches have returned, and soon the church of Luminous proves these rumors to be true. A band of people known as the Garden Knights are dispatched to take care of things. However, the problem lies in the fact that the evilest of the witches has already grown very powerful. It's not much of a story really. There's some political intrigue here, but for the most part the storyline could've been better overall. It's presented through cutscenes in which you view your characters facing one another and talking (similar to Disgaea).
The animations are beautiful, and there's even some voice acting. The keyword there being "some". Its rather sad that there isn't always voice acting, but it's more about how the game utilizes it. In the most dramatic of dramatic moments... the game doesn't have voice overs, but in a lot of insignificant moments it does. However, you are getting voice acting at least. Sometimes you just wish there was more of it.
The game is played out very simple like. You move your characters around, have them attack other units and whatnot. If you've played Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, it's pretty much the same thing here. Attacking an enemy directly increases your chances of missing while attacking them from behind or from the side increase your chances of a successful attack.
Part of what does make Luminous Arc a little interesting is the use of "Flash Drives," which are more or less your special attacks. Whenever you attack enemies you'll fill up a flash gauge. When its full you'll gain a flash point. Get three flash points and you'll be able to team up with other characters to devastate your enemies. Much like the rest of the game, it's simple stuff, pretty basic.
You can control the game either by using the stylus, or by using the D-Pad. The idea of using the stylus and touch screen only sounds like a fantastic idea (after all, it's perfect for a tactical RPG), but in Luminous Arc it's more trouble then it's worth. For starters, this is an isometric 2D map and on top of that, it uses the grid system. User error is just far too great when using the stylus and moving units around. Sometimes the angle of the map will cause you to select the wrong square. Thank goodness there's always a confirmation menu, but moving around your units is not simple when using the stylus on a 2D isometric map, especially because you can't rotate the camera. There's a lot less stress in using the D-Pad. The stylus is simple, but the D-pad is, in the end, faster and simpler.
Another interesting aspect of the gameplay is that you're not drowned out in the story. The story is fairly linear, but there's not a huge abundance of dialogue between missions. In fact, a lot of the dialogue between missions is entirely optional. After battles you have the option of talking to your allies and giving them responses. What you want to achieve with this system is a stronger friendship with your allies. It's a system that helps character development a little. Sometimes your responses can yield items. You don't have to do this, but sometimes you might want to. The good news is that the game never ever forces you into these conversations. If you're someone who does enjoy character development, though, you might want to engage in these conversations, though.
On the other hand, a lot of the game feels optional. Even the main storyline at times feels optional. You always know where to go next, but the game never hurries you along to your next destination. Rather than advancing the storyline, you can battle and train your characters some more. There's a fair level of balance here, and your characters gain experience after just about any action they do. Again, though, the main storyline is pretty straight forward and linear. There's really not that much off the main path you can really do.
There's online multi-player in Luminous Arc. It isn't available from the get go, however.
On the visual side, I already talked a little about the animations, but the in game itself isn't bad looking. For the most part the landscapes and settings that you battle in are really good looking on an artistic level. Not a whole lot of 3D effects are brought out, but a lot of the anime inspired art is really good. The game is also really colorful. As far as how the game just looks, though, it doesn't look that different from a GBA game. So while a lot of the anime inspired art looks good and the landscapes look good for what they are, the DS is certainly capable of more than this.
Musically, Luminous Arc sounds absolutely brilliant. It's got a really good soundtrack with a lot of memorable tunes. The sound effects are also good and along those lines, the voice acting (when there is voice acting) is pretty good too. As noted earlier, though, there's not a whole lot of voice acting, and you wish it were involved in some of the more critical moments of the game, but on the bright side, you are getting voice acting, and some voice acting is better than none if it's your cup of tea.
For the most part, Luminous Arc is a fun game. It may not do things that differently from your standard Tactical RPG, but it's still a fun game overall and it's pretty engaging. The story isn't the best, but it certainly isn't the worst either. If you're looking for some fun, Luminous Arc delivers.
The Good
+Gorgeous anime inspired art
+Simple to get into; there's nothing about this game that's complicated
+Battles are tackled at a good pace
+Fantastic soundtrack
+There's some voice acting, and it's good
+There's online multi-player
The Bad
-A lot of user error with the touch screen controls
-Very linear
-Doesn't look all that different from a GBA game
-There's online multi-player, but you'll be a ways into the game before you can actually utilize the function
Been here before, but nevertheless enjoyable August 28, 2007
N. Durham (Philadelphia, PA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
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.
 Disappointing. September 24, 2007
Wesley Jacobs
13 out of 18 found this review helpful
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.
 A well developed and engaging strategy RPG experience! August 25, 2007
Daniel W. Thompson (Denville, NJ)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
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 cliche, 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
A waste on the DS system. October 1, 2007
Hautesinner (Dallas, TX USA)
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
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.)
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