Genre: Strategy RPG
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Sony

Jeanne D'Arc's inconsistent art style can be captured by comparing the unintentionally creepy character design of the character "Gilles" with the rich, stylish, and polished tutorial menus. Everything else-- the mediocre Animal Crossing-esque character designs, the flat portrait art, and the occasionally beautiful stage settings-- lies somewhere between in terms of quality. Despite a detailed analysis revealing the mismatched nature of the visual components, the graphics form an eye-pleasing adventure when more casually enjoyed.

Like a lot of other entries in the genre, Jeanne D'Arc doesn't attempt to go overboard with theatrical aural elements, and, pleasingly, sticks more or less to the traditional video game style. Voice acting, limited to the occasional FMV anime-influenced cut-scene, is satisfactory. Takeshi Inoue's soundtrack is unassuming yet chillingly expressive and appropriately European in style. And the sound effects are just different enough from the typical hack 'n' slash assortment to stand out.

The generation raised on vapid MMORPG conventions such as grinding levels, memorizing formulas to boss fights, and ceaselessly replaying dungeons to get better equipment will probably find Jeanne D'Arc to be nothing more than a superficial beauty. For the rest of us, the title offers just enough optional stages to add some variety, just enough difficulty to keep things interesting without requiring massive amounts of tedious levelling, and some nice refinements to the formula as well, such as a damage and hit percentage indicator before confirming an attack on an enemy unit.

Jeanne D'Arc does a fabulous job of seasoning the traditional strategy RPG meal with enough of its own flavor to create a unique, savory experience that will probably stand out retrospectively as one of the PSP's finest games. Friendly enough for those new to the genre, deep enough for those steeped in it, and stylish enough for those who simply want a pleasing experience, Jeanne D'Arc is a much easier recommendation than its more high-strung cousins, such as Disgaea.