After playing this game on the bus ride to and from work for the past month, I have finally finished Blue Dragon Plus!

Before I start, I have to let you guys know that I never played the original Blue Dragon for the Xbox360. I had no idea what to expect going in. Well, it turns out that it is more Revenant Wings than Final Fantasy XII.

The game picks up a year after the events of the original. If you haven’t played the Blue Dragon, this is probably the part you’ll be confused by the most. All of the characters are meeting up with little to no background given for each of them, since we’re already suppose to know them. This isn’t a huge issue, as once the story starts to develop, it gets interesting enough that you forget about not knowing the backstory.

So, how do you play Blue Dragon Plus? It is not your typical RPG, it’s actually more of a Real Time Strategy game. Throughout the story, you will gain control of over 16 different humans and robots that you can use to beat each mission. Your team will be divided in groups as you gain more units. By the end, you will be able to form up to four groups. This will let you explore the main map far more quickly, since you can split them up so they can explore different parts of the “Cube.”

Everything is controlled with the stylus, from selecting a single unit to drawing a circle around a group of units you want to select. You also tap to attack and cast spells. You can, however, use the d-pad to move the map around. Since this is a real time game, you need to think a little bit before acting. You’ll need to come up with a formation with the units you have for a mission. If you don’t, you run a higher risk of getting yourself killed. You should keep the little things in mind like sticking the casters in the back and keeping a healer close to your frontline men.

About mid-way through the game, at least in my playthrough, you’ll be able to create robots to fight alongside you. You can choose their attack and stats modifiers and also their shell. All those pieces are collected by completing the missions and quest that are available. There are also quests that you can take on that will send you back to certain levels with specific objectives, like helping someone gather information on an area or to find a certain item.

Each character also can use their shadow. A shadow is a type of damage spell that summons a huge monster to attack your enemies. You can also purchase and equip items for your various characters, which give you different stat boost and resistance.

I completed the game in about 25 hours. Although I didn’t like the fact that I was confused at the beginning of the story, it does get better as you progress. There are also some really nice dual screen FMVs throughout the game. For around $20, you certainly get your moneys worth with Blue Dragon Plus.

Positives: Good controls, lots of different characters, a lot of strategy
Negatives: Hard to get in the story if you haven’t played the original

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