Dragoneer's Aria: The Dragoon Squad Company: NIS America Imagine that it is your graduation day. For years you have worked hard and you have finally reached the big payoff at the end. Just as you are about to walk up on stage and receive your diploma, a giant dragon swoops in and wipes out the entire campus. While that probably isn't a problem many of us will ever encounter, it is what happens to Valen, the protagonist in the upcoming PSP RPG, Dragoneer's Aria. Valen is the newest initiate into the order of Dragoons charged with protecting the six elemental dragons. Dragoons are descendants of a legendary hero who fought alongside the Holy Dragon until it was destroyed by the Black Dragon. The Holy Dragon was shattered, creating six elemental dragons that are in direct control of the elements; if the dragons die, so does the world. On the day of Valen's initiation, a ceremony where candidates receive blessings from each of the six dragons, the Black Dragon attacks. The Water Dragon attempts to thwart the attack, but is critically injured. During the attack, Valen comes to the aide of a girl, Euphe, who becomes smitten with her hero. Valen and a group of Dragoons set out to discover the fates of the six dragons, receive their blessings and defeat the Black Dragon. As a show of trust, Valen is given the fire orb while Euphe mysteriously comes into possession of the water orb. Dragoneer's Aria is a different look from what Nippon Ichi usually publishes. Rather than using a 2D anime-inspired look, the game employs 3D characters and environments that exhibit a much different art style. The overall story has a more serious tone that matches the darker color palette. Valen and his crew do a lot of traveling, though their progress isn't impeded by the bane of RPGs, random encounters. Instead you can see enemies in the field and attack if you want - an essential feature in a portable RPG since it keeps you from becoming bogged down by the slow dirge of countless random encounters. When you do enter combat, which you will have to do eventually, they play out in traditional turn-based fashion. What is interesting about Dragoneer's system is that every attack earns you points that can then be used to cast spells and special attacks. This lends a different set of tactics to combat since everyone has to participate in combat rather than just hanging back and casting spells. Different combat actions result in different point totals; doing no damage grants a few points, while landing a critical earns a bit more. Successfully blocking an attack will also earn points. Combat is more action-based and engaging, so you aren't mindlessly pressing buttons and flipping through menus. Even more interesting than the combat system is that Dragoneer's Aria will feature a four-player ad hoc multiplayer mode. Each player takes control of a character and participates in a group quest. I wasn't able to try the mode out for myself, so I can't comment on how it plays out, though it is something that should grab gamers looking for a different type of experience. Dragoneer's Aria is set for a late summer release. Though it doesn't do a whole lot different, the small tweaks to the formula and promise of four-player co-op make it something to watch. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker Related Links: Dragoneer's Aria -- Official Site NIS America