Genre: RPG
Year: 2007
Developed by: Mistwalker
Published by: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: XBOX 360
#158
Feeling Like: That mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave
Want to hear the best boss music in any video game? Which also happens to be the worst?
If Blue Dragon is known for anything, it’s this.
I’m not sure what they were thinking. It’s the most over the top, ridiculous power ballad that seems tonally and totally out of place for a traditional Japanese Role Playing Game. It’s sung by Ian Gillan of Deep Purple fame. It loops until you end the encounter. You can only shake your head.
The rest of the game is more paint-by-numbers and I’m sort of surprised to see it at #158. But, I’m a simple man; when I play a JRPG that has all the stuff I want in it, a few excellent sections and doesn’t overstay its welcome, there’s a very good chance I’ll relish every moment.
Still, I’m making a face when I peer at how many games it’s ahead of on the 500. Certainly some classics I can point to and say no. No, Blue Dragon isn’t better than those games. No cultural impact. Marumaro, pictured above on the left, may have the single most annoying voice in video game history. It’s childish. It’s too easy to game the battle system.
All of that is true, but the shadows look cool, combat is fun (if on the easy side), there’s an earnestness to it all that makes me smile and there’s that part with the tree.
There’s a ton of childish dialogue. Shu tells the player that he “won’t give up!” at least a dozen times and it doesn’t get easier to listen to with each subsequent proclamation. We get it, Shu. Marumaro I eventually learned to tolerate, but I don’t blame those for abandoning ship the moment they hear the little yellow guy speak.
However, the giant blue shadows that you eventually hook up with look dope as hell. A giant dragon doing all your attacks for you is a neat visual I hadn’t seen before. Naturally, each character gets their own shadow: a phoenix, minotaur, sabre-tooth tiger and more. I’m a sucker for these types of summons, sue me.
I watched a recap of the plot and I was surprised how much I’d forgotten. That is to say, almost everything. I had a faint recollection of the wrinkly, savage Nene but in terms of how you get your powers or the end result of your saving the world (spoiler alert!), no clue. I do like how you end up living on a giant cube, in a universe filled with giant cubes. Hadn’t seen that before.
What really perked me up was the scenario with the evil tree.
Screenshots are difficult to find for Blue Dragon, so you’ll have to pretend you see a gross, evil tree in the middle of a fading village. You can’t leave – the tree won’t let you. You’ve been stripped of your powers after a major defeat. It felt like a climax’s cousin, and then you’re thrown into this psychological, wooden prison.
The tree, naturally, is evil. You can’t fight it, it knocks the crap out of you without your big blue buddy accompanying you. Morale is low. Some of the villagers have been killed. One woman you befriend is so despondent, she attempts suicide. This is such an emotional shift from the rest of the story that I was impressed by the sheer audacity and it’s not like the game shies away from it. The young woman wanting to throw it all away isn’t implied, Shu literally has to rescue her from jumping off a cliffside and motivate the rest of the team to snap out of it.
I dug it. I loved how dark everything felt, and this is on the back of suffering your biggest loss of the adventure so far. Naturally, you get your powers back and defeat the tree but the way this scenario was done left a mark on me. I sort of wish the rest of the story had that kind of bite, but maybe it’s best it stands out.
Is that enough? A section that lasts less than an hour in a game that takes 40+ to beat? Maybe not – even writing this now, I may have some regrets about placing this one so high. But I loved how customizable your characters were; there are a ton of abilities to learn, both active and passive. I LOVE learning passive abilities in games, it’s an issue. There were a few escort missions that surprised me with how enjoyable they were, instead of hear-tearing. The world map, graphics and characters were slightly cliché, but not enough to bother me. There are even a few notable tunes, other than the boss theme. The Ruins, for example.
Who am I kidding. It’s the boss theme. That’s why Blue Dragon is at #158.
The 500 