It keeps the player guessing at points, as the focus has a habit of jumping through multiple perspectives, and various antagonists reveal different motivations and depths that would have only been hinted at in the previous entry.Īll of these changes to Luminous Arc 2 sound good on paper. Betrayals and turnabouts get worked in, as do plenty of world-changing revelations that are harder to predict than the first game’s major twists. A number of details are also purposefully inverted, like the Shadow Frost Witch Fatima being a complete opposite for Vanessa, switching out fiery independence and ego for fearsome loyalty and emotional fragility.Īs you go through the game, the title delivers a more layered story, with multiple factions and villains. In fact, they’re a major part of the government, and the game’s leads are trained knights of a peaceful country instead of kids groomed to be bloodhounds for a corrupt church. Rather than be portrayed as bringers of doom and discord, the witches are on good terms with the heroes at start. Luminous Arc 2, which shipped to stores a year later, plays with player expectations by creating an all-new continuity.
The characters are so likable and so well- developed, though, that the title overcomes nearly every fault or shortcoming thrown at it. On a personal level, I have replayed the first Luminous Arc multiple times, something I rarely do for games of its size (or somewhat grindy nature). With this in mind, Luminous Arc‘s plot takes a bit to get going, and it’s very clear where said plot is going to go, but the game is so invested in making players care about the world and the characters in it that it’s hard to really be upset.
The two receive an entire chapter dedicated to hashing out their issues and finding their resolve for the battles ahead. As time passes, though, the two slowly come to terms with how similar they actually are. At the outset, the duo fight like cats and dogs. This provides an ideal lens that the game uses to focus on a budding relationship between Alph and Lucia. As the plot progresses, they’re also given the opportunity to teach the main party. The witches are also treated as important characters, because they’re competent figures, who are the only ones who can deliver the truths of the world at large. This plot beat becomes the focus, allowing players to watch the group stress over this, as they scramble to find a solution.
LUMINOUS ARC VANESSA SERIES
This comes to a head in one series of missions, in which it appears that Theo has been cursed to turn into a dragon. They come to understand why the church means so much to Alph, and why he would go so far for his friends and little brother, Theo. Though Alph is a fairly standard protagonist, players are given ample opportunities to spend time with him. Luminous Arc wants the player to care, and there’s rarely a moment where it feels like it’s trying to cynically appeal to the audience. The members of the player’s party are all actively pursuing goals of their own, while dealing with both inner and outer conflicts along the course of their journey. Still, it remembers that a story only works if the player cares about its characters. It has a very “been there” JRPG plot about an evil church, and the power of friendship, and saving the natural word, and yadda yadda yadda.
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