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Stage 1: Impressions

Stage 2: Analysis

Stage 3: Evaluation

Dragon Quest Swords could be best understood as an arcade RPG, in which players focus more on besting scores so as to power up and obtain better scores. Those craving a serious role-playing game built on deep story and combat won't find such elements here.

Admittedly, the story has a simplistic, old-school charm that fits well with the rest of the game. Regardless, it relies heavily on well-worn themes (young boy has to save the kingdom, evil guy escapes entrapment to gloat about evil plans, etc.) that don't bother using their own cliched expectations for surprising twists. Although the plot itself is nothing to write home about, the still-solid pacing at least helps maintain player interest.

The characters are more entertaining than the story they inhabit. A handful of townsfolk comprise almost all of the non-playable characters, but despite a reused model or two, they all have quaint personalities. I even find myself a bit disturbed by the middle-aged shopkeeper who refers to Hero as "my lover", not to mention the burly mini-game guy with his pink head cover.

The main combat party consists of four characters: Anlace, the young prince whose royal demeanor and "mama's boy" attitude make for amusing dialogue; Fleurette, a beautiful French girl whose prior life as a nun could never be guessed by her fashion sense; and Hero's father Claymore, a supportive dad and strong warrior partial to drinking and womanizing. Hero, like Nintendo's own Link, is more an extension of the player than his own unique personality.

The game is divided into chapters, each basically consisting of a newly-opened area to explore and a few cut-scenes to watch (or skip). During most chapters, players are free to explore the town, play the mini-games mentioned in Stage 1 or retry beaten areas for a better score. Players will want to repeat these levels for a few reasons: they provide gold for more purchases and experience for gaining levels; their completion adds to Hero's renown, which benefits various skills; and high ranks award materials for crafting new blades, through which players gain new Master Strokes.

The variety of combat comes from those new blades and techniques, as well as trickier foes. Do note that this is not a lot of variety. Players can upgrade from a metal-based blade to one of the elemental swords (fire, water, electricity), but being aware of the elemental advantage is hardly necessary. A new Master Stroke accompanies each blade, which can then be used by any weapon. New Master Strokes become more complex in the motions required, but the game holds players' hands through them every time, dissolving any difficulty. Although more 'advanced' techniques seem stronger than earlier ones, all of them use up the entire gauge. This seems strange, but building more power isn't hard, either.

Enemies rely on patterns, but the diversity of those patterns, along with the gradual increase in enemy numbers, keep combat pretty fresh. Players might have to block a low strike, leave the attacker stunned and slash away at the taunting cluster of jesters before finishing the job; or while shimming along a high ledge in the Tower of Mirrors (one of the later, more impressive-looking areas), deal with flying enemies who move side to side, closer and away, in circles, or shoot projectiles that have to be returned.

Choosing an ally for these situations holds some importance. Only one can be taken into an area, so only the chosen ally will receive experience points - expect to pick a favorite or replay levels for equalized growth. Anlace is primarily balanced; Fleurette is primarily a healer; and Claymore is primarily a fighter who can bolster Hero's stats. I say primarily because all gain some variety of offensive and defensive moves.

Players can issue commands to allies directly via the d-pad, or set them to a tactic (focus on balance, healing, offense, etc.). Seeing how a few straight hours of playing causes slight wrist ache, it's nice having an ally who can attack in your stead. The biggest downside to these helpers is their limited number of voice clips in battle; even Fluerette's alluring accent might be tiring after a while. Voices can be be disabled in the menu, however.

Square-Enix claims to have added content to compensate for the game's North American delay. Will the extras make Dragon Quest Swords ultimately worthwhile? Stage 3 will have that answer and more.