
	Platform DS Genre Strategy RPG Developer Image Epoch Publisher Atlus ETA TBA
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Luminous Arc

It can be interesting to see how Judeo-Christian theology is interpreted in Japanese games. Some of it lines up quite a bit with what I was taught in my Catholic high school, while other aspects of these Japanese creations are…well…interesting. Xenogears is at the top of the heap for taking a stab at religion in a game, while there is plenty of eyebrow-raising imagery in games like Gungrave, and Castlevania (really, the things that these guys do with a crucifix are amazing). Now Atlus is bringing another game with some religious undertones to North America in the form of Luminous Arc for the Nintendo DS.

The premise behind the game is that centuries ago witches and dragons warred against God for control of the world. It was a tough fight, but in the end God emerged victorious, although he took a vicious beating in the process. In order to heal, He went into a deep hibernation. Now the Church is announcing that the time for His resurrection is close at hand, and with it the world will be led into a golden age. This is all well and good, but there is also a prophecy floating around that the witches and dragons will return soon as well. In order to address this threat, players will take control of the Garden Children, who have been trained from birth to fight these evil creatures of legend.

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Players will fight these evildoers in an isometric strategy RPG setting along the lines of games such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and Final Fantasy Tactics. That being the case, it shouldn’t be too hard for those familiar with these games to hop right into Luminous Arc. Better still, players won’t just be limited to fighting the computer,

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as they will also be able to compete against friends via wi-fi. There is also an item creation system planned for the game that will allow players to concoct all sorts of unusual, not to mention useful, items.

The top screen on the DS will be used for displaying unit data, while the bottom screen is where the action takes place. All the while, Luminous Arc’s visuals will have a strong anime influence. What is particularly striking about this anime-flavored motif is that the game will even feature voice action, something not often attempted on the DS.

There’s still no word on when the game is due out other than “later this year”, but given Atlus’ consistent ability to pump out lesser-known RPGs, it’s really just a matter of waiting at this point.

Jeff Nash

March 15, 2007