Jeanne d'Arc Review - Screenshot 1 of 5

Jeanne d'Arc is a pseudo-historical retelling of the story of Joan of Arc from developer Level-5, released on PSP in 2007. It always had a reputation as a rock-solid turn-based strategy RPG, but as publisher Sony never released the title in Europe and other territories, it was one many that players outside the U.S. and Japan (including yours truly) never had a chance to try for themselves.

With the release of the game for PS5 and PS4, which features up-rendered graphics, quality-of-life features like rewind and quick save, and custom video filters, there is now no excuse not to play what has rightfully become something of a cult classic. Level-5's take on the historical Hundred Years War that raged between the kingdoms of England and France in the 15th century is a creative one, and we're glad to report that the wait has been worth it.

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Made very much in the vein of its genre-defining tactical predecessor, Final Fantasy: Tactics, Jeanne d'Arc puts a larger emphasis on story and character, with the units that you command representing real historical figures in some cases, with more time spent in cutscenes getting to know the cast. In this ahistorical retelling of events, England, under the regency of the Duke of Bedford, makes a pact with demons, allowing a particularly evil one to possess the body of the young Henry VI, heir to the throne.

When English soldiers and their monstrous allies raze her village to the ground, Jeanne, along with her childhood companions Lianne and Roger, is thrust headlong into a battle for the survival of France's soul. In the melee, Joanne acquires a mysterious, magical armlet that allows her to hear the voice of God and even temporarily transform, granting her superhuman powers based on its currently infused gem.

Gameplay takes place on a grid, with the player commanding Jeanne and a limited number of her allies against a force of enemies that will often accompany a gimmick from stage to stage. This might range from defeating a specific foe within a set number of turns to not letting an ally fall in combat, or reaching a part of the map within the turn limit. As there are no generic allied units in Jeanne d'Arc, each character that joins the party has a personality, given their moment to shine and stand out, serving a specific role or playing a needed part.

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For a tactical RPG that came out almost two decades ago, combat is surprisingly solid, with quirks and systems that make it unique even all these years later. This is perhaps best exemplified by the Burning Aura and Unified Guard mechanics, and alignments correlating to Sol, Luna, and Stella (sun, moon, and stars) further add to the equation with a rock-paper-scissors system that adds another layer of elemental complexity.

Unified Guard lessens the damage an individual unit takes, according to the positioning of allies around them. The downside of creating these little shield walls is you become more of a target for area-of-effect attacks. However, as positioning affects damage dealt and received, aggressive movement is incentivised by the Burning Aura that appears behind a struck enemy, encouraging players to use characters in tandem to break out and tackle powerful foes quickly, as the buff disappears after a turn.

Jeanne and select other characters can temporarily transform into a divinely blessed armoured form using the power of the armlet and currently equipped gem, with each bestowing special effects. The first gives Jeanne bonus damage and the ability to move again after killing an enemy; the catch is that these transformations can only be used once per battle, and characters revert to normal after a few turns, so timing is critical.

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Similarly, magic works a little differently than what we've come to expect. MP starts at zero and increases each turn rather than being subtracted from a total, so units will need to wait between turns to keep casting. It helps that all characters can cast spells (although some are more suited than others), and it's a refreshing change of pace.

Between battles, players guide Jeanne and company between cities, castles, villages, and other geographic landmarks on an overworld map of France. Some locations allow for grinding, which is sometimes necessary, and in others, the buying and selling of new arms and armaments. Along with equipment, the player must manage each character's equipped skills and spells (in a limited number of slots), and in this way, the affinity of a chosen alignment can be further boosted.

Graphically, the units and the environments look great, but the effect is somewhat undercut by the low-resolution UI, which doesn't look great on larger screens. It's not a deal-breaker, but you'll need time to adjust. More annoying is the unfortunately archaic style of control, which we wish had been modernised, but we suppose that's why the asking price is relatively low. The cursor is controlled via the directional buttons, with the sticks mapped to the camera by default. It can be remapped manually via the emulation settings, but it takes some getting used to, and even then remains a bit fiddly.

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There are a surprising number of impressively animated cutscenes sprinkled throughout the game's lengthy campaign, which are quite compelling. There are no spoilers here, but if you're familiar with the fate of the real Joan of Arc, that shouldn't be too surprising. Level-5 plays with history, however, and throws some genuinely unexpected narrative curve balls along the way.

Conclusion

Even after nearly two decades, Jeanne d'Arc remains a classic strategy RPG, now available to a broader audience than ever before, thanks to its release on PS5 and PS4. Of course, it looks a little dated and controls a bit stiffly, but innovative tactical mechanics and a compelling narrative make history come to life.

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