White Knight Chronicles
System: PlayStation 3
Genre: RPG
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Level-5
Rating: T for Teen
From the studio behind Dragon Quest VIII, Dark Cloud, and Rouge Galaxy comes an adventure filled with monsters, magic and some pretty huge knights that look like giant robots, complete with Gundam-eye-lighting action.
Story
The story for White Knight Chronicles revolves around a boy named Leonard, the main character, who while making a wine delivery to the coming of age banquet for Princess Cisna manages to get mixed up in a battle with the “Magi”, an army led by General Dregias. Upon delivery of the wine Leonard decides he wants to take a quick peek into the banquet, but during that peek the “Magi” attack the castle. During the attack Leonard manages to save the princess, and escape into lower area of the castle where they discover a gigantic white armor. In an attempt to save the princess, Leonard forms a pact with the “Incorruptus”, the gigantic white armor, and gains the use of the “White Knight”. In true RPG fashion though Cisna is captured shortly after the rescue attempt, which is where the real story begins.
With the help of Yulie, Leonard’s childhood friend, Eldore, a wanderer who finds his way into the castle, and the created character that the player makes at the beginning of the game, Leonard begins a journey to rescue Cisna and uncover the secrets of two 10,000 year old empires and the war that led to the creation of the “Incorruptus”. Leonard will also have to deal with General Dregias, who also happens to have a knight of his own. Along the way players will meet Caesar, the son of the ruler of the free city of Greede, and Kara, a dancer from the village of Albana, as well as many other characters of different races. The many types of monsters are fairly impressive, some of the designs on certain ones really surprise. Players will battle against insects, beasts, trolls, giants, and even dragons, but it is the Gigas that really show promise, as they are summoned monsters with some of the best designs.
For the most part the story is easy to figure out, but it does have some interesting plot twists that will make you wonder what just happened.
Gameplay
At the start of the game players will customize an original character to play as when you do online quests, and during the story he/she is a party member that you can use. There are eighteen templates to choose from when starting out, and there is also the option to customize a character to personal preference. The character customization is actually pretty detailed which is great as you can choose from body type, head size, muscle mass, body fat, proportion, skin color, as well as edit much of the facial details. One other great thing is that as players acquire new armor and weapons, once it is equipped it changes the look of the character, every item that is added from pants, shoes, shirts and even a cape is added and during scenes the character wears what is equipped. This may not be a very big deal, but for JRPGs, it doesn’t happen very often.
Controls are basic for an RPG, the right analog rotates the camera and the left analog moves the character. L2 and R2 are used to zoom in and out, while “X” confirms, talks and opens party commands when out of combat. The d-pad is used to toggle between targets, so that when two people are standing next to one another it is easier to choose between the two. Triangle and select each open menus, triangle opens the main menu, where the important options are, such as learn skill and access to items. “Select” opens a sub menu that is used to access the map and character selection.
While in dungeons players will have 3 party members on the field, and at times there will be a guest member that will either have to be protected or they will also get involved in combat and help out. During combat “X” is still used to confirm target to initiate combat and to select the various skills to use. L2 and R2 are used to toggle between enemies, while L1 is used to defend, and if held long enough it locks on to the nearest target. The d-pad during combat is used to choose a skill to use once the “Action Gauge” fills and it is the characters turn to attack, there are three rows of skills that can be set from the “Combat Setup” option, and the d-pad can be used to go side to side or up and down to switch between rows. Items are in a separate row, and characters are limited to a certain number of items that can be carried, but there is item storage where all extra equipment and items can be stored and chosen from later. Character’s status is displayed on the status panel at the top right of the screen, HP, MP, and characters condition, like when characters are poisoned, knocked out and such are all displayed on the status panel. On the top left side of the screen are all the details about combat, items gained and even the messages sent from other players. While fighting characters will build up “Action Chips” which are what the character needs to use more powerful skills, these “Action Chips” are built up by attacking, being attacked, and defeating enemies. For some characters after they earn seven “Action Chips” they can then summon their “Incorruptus.” The “Incorruptus” will then take that characters place in the fight, while the other members of the party continue to fight. Each one of the “Incorruptus” has their own set of attacks that they can use, and each one causes much more damage than the regular player, so it’s best to save them for larger enemies. Combat is too easy though and offers very little challenge.
Experience points and leveling are a major part of this game, at each level you gain skill points that can then be used in the “Learn Skill” option to unlock new skills to use during combat. Skills are broken up into classes to choose from, so not all of the characters will have the same skills unless the player wants all of them to have the same weapon. There are almost 50 skills in each group to choose from, the groups are, sword, long sword, spear, bow, axe, staff, divine magic and elemental magic. Some enemies have weaknesses to certain magic or types of attack, so it is a good idea to keep the characters diverse when it comes to weapon type. Skills can be set in a combo that players can set on their skills commands, so that when their turn is up they can string together multiple attacks at the cost of “Action Chips” and MP. Unlocking the weapon mastery skills will allow players to string together more skills into combinations.
Navigation is fairly normal; as players choose which area they wish to go to from the “World Map”, there is no real wondering around. Once in the area, pressing “Select” and choosing the full map option will bring up a map of the entire floor of the area. A “Star” is usually shown on the map to show where the player needs to go, so getting lost is pretty difficult to do, although at times the dungeons can be annoying, when you have to backtrack to find a key or trigger to unlock a certain door. The “Logic Stone” is a save point that can be accessed in towns and dungeons. It does come in handy quite often, since it can be used to restore health and repair armor, access storage, save the game, and sign in to the GeoNet, the online portion of the game.
Graphically the game is average for a PlayStation 3 game when it comes to looks, slightly better than Eternal Sonata on the PlayStation 3 but probably just under the quality of Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Some of the cut scenes are impressive though, like the ones of the city of Greede, which rests on the back of a giant monster. The game did require an over 2GB install though, which does take up space, but there was very little pause between scenes and levels, and the game didn’t seem to slow down.
Online
The online for this game was something unexpected. Players can join up with three other players and complete quests that you purchase during the game. When choosing to complete a quest, it gives the option of solo or multiplayer. If multiplayer is chosen it then searchers for other players waiting to complete the quest and pairs players up. From there players then just have to finish the quest without the party dying or running out of time. After completing quests, players are scored based on the amount of time, side quests and other factors that will earn players points that will increase their “Guild Rank”, as each rank improves players will be able to earn new quests as well as allow them to upgrade their town further. Additionally there are lobbies where up to 12 players can gather, message boards, as well as access to other players created towns.
The towns were something that could either be fun or frustrating. Players can build their own town, with residents gathered from cities in the game when requirements are met to recruit them. Each resident has a skill, like farming, mining, or they can be lumberjacks, warriors or mages and others. Players can build houses and group residents with matching skills together to add to the town’s stats. The more a town has of a certain trait, the better the items that the store sells, these items can then be sold to other players who can visit other player’s creations. The drawback is that expanding and building up a town costs money that players would use in the single player portion of the game for armor, weapons and other items. At the same time though, certain items can only be found in the online portion of the game, so it can be a double edged sword in a way.
Overall
Overall the game isn’t bad; it really reminded me of the .dot/hack games, except for the fact that instead of pretending to be an online game, this one actually can be. The story is a little predictable, but still kept my attention, which was good. One of the drawbacks was combat, at times it seemed far too easy to defeat enemies; even the bosses didn’t seem to put up much of a fight at times, especially once the “Incorruptus” was summoned. The larger enemies can take longer to defeat, but not because they are difficult, more because they have a lot of heath and it takes quite a bit to put them down. The battle system can be tiresome, waiting for the “Action Gauge” to fill so that the character can attack once and wait again. The dungeons where also a problem, though not as bad as it could have been since they give you a map that tells you exactly where you need to go, but having to backtrack just to find a key or the trigger to unlock a door did seem a little much. Some of the monsters where impressive though, from dragons, trolls and giants to the villains of the story, there were quite a few that I will remember.
The online really does have its moments where it can be fun, but if you don’t have a chat pad it can be difficult to communicate fast enough with other players. Voice chat was a great addition though, and if you are in a party with friends who have headsets things are much easier. Building a town is also a lot of fun, although spending the money on upgrades for the town can end up making it harder to get items you need in the single player portion of the game.
The total time it took to beat the game, for me, was 35 hours 17 minutes, with a level of 36 and a guild rank of 2, which is a pretty low rank, but I concentrated on the main story. The story may have been linear and on the predictable side, but it did keep me interested the whole way through the main story. The next play through I may spend more time on the online portion, and since the game has a “New Game+” feature I can carry over my items, rank, and level.
Those looking for the White Knight Chronicles 2 Walkthrough, it's now available and will guide you from start to finish for this action JRPG from Level 5. This is a complete White Knight Chronicles 2 walkthrough that covers objectives, weapons, synthetics, recruits and everything else within the game providing instructions on best battle tactics to handle all objectives and bosses, where you can discover special items and secret locations. The game strategy guide is online, printable, and downloadable from GameGuideDog and is compatible for PS3. It also includes developer and publisher support as always, so if you want to get the most out of this game, make sure grab your own copy of this White Knight Chronicles 2 Walkthrough.
I hope this one was better then the last one. It wasn't that bad of a game, but i kind of had high hopes
I picked it up and I'm loving it so far. Haven't gone online yet though. Then again, I was a fa of the first despite what reviewers and others said so my opinion may not be the best to judge off of for you, since you didn't like the first.
It's pretty damn cool actually, plus it comes with most of the first one anyway. :)
This game is def with the sickness!! I was totally waiting for this to come out for way too long! It rocks!!!
COIN-OP TV interview with Miki Takahashi one of the Producers on White Knight Chronicles II. This interview explores the differences between the original game and the sequel and also explains what upgrades went into the localization of the license.
If playing WKC1 on this disc feels like a totally different then the laster iteration then I'm really intrigued. Not that WKC1 was bad, it just felt rushed and in need of alot of filling in the blanks. I'm a bit skeptical, but I hope this game ends up being good cause I really want Level 5 to prove how talented they really are.
btw, the way this lady talks is so darn cute, I just wanna hug the crap out of her.
its was pretty good it just felt like a ps2 game they port to ps3 and up the graphic and nothing else i mean it felt like a very low budget game it could had been different story if sony put AAA budget behind it they good a pretty good thing going the specially the online
IMO, Level 5 has already proved how talented they are with WKC 1. I mean yes the game has it's glitches/flaws and what not, but thats to be expected in a new IP/game. And what's better is pretty much everything that was wrong with the first is corrected in the second game, along with adding improvements to make it better, (like being able to make your own knight and customize it to your liking). THAT is what you call a "sequel". Fix problems with the first game and add new features that compliment the existing ones and make the game better.
And yes, the lady was pretty cute, lol.
Robert you're covering JRPGs now? Have you been talking to TechGaming's Deagle or what?
BTW- Thanks for the interview. May have to pick this one up.
ahh COIN-OP TV covers a variety of console games (and some pc) I did get most of these questions from Deagle of Tech Gaming tho :)
I'm definitely getting this game. WKC by no means perfect but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
i enjoyed the first one a lot even though it wasnt perfect. i still have my save file, but i think imma start over since part 2 battle system will be in part 1. this is awesome news to me.
thx for the comments/checking out the video -- feel free to share on your blogs/twitter
Level-5′s MMORPG for the PS3 may not have been a runaway success like other system exclusives but the White Knight Chronicles series has accumulated a loyal following. According to Sony the franchise has managed to garner 1 million shipments worldwide with over half of those sales credited to Japan.
these is great to hear since the sequel is coming soon to america and europe ( and its already out in japan)
Aye, Looking forward to the sequel.
Probably will replay WKC1 w/ the new combat system and stuff to get a better feel of the system.
Was a great game; that is if you chose to invest time into the MP.
The SP campaign was pretty weak, but like I've said again and again (I sound like a broken record) the MP was the saving grace for this awesome game.
Easily one of my best investments in games for the PS3
average game IMO.
Story is simplistic..and same old rescue the princess..
the game It could be better. However, it's still a "ok" game.
I have it right now.
Haven't played it in a few days. Kinda got bored after fighting the giant wolf demon lady thing. lol.
But I'll start playing again soon. I get the same feeling from this like when I played blue dragon.
lol, You won't really get much out of the Single Player.
I highly encourage you to invest some time into the MP.
It was the saving grace for the game (imo)
Spent quite a good number of hours into the MP <3
Great game, looking forward to the sequel!
I loved blue dragon and hated wkc but i get what you mean niether quite lived up to the potential. White knight sucked badly, i was expecting an epic ff12 like game and got a slow fake mmorpg. The second looks great though hopefully its better. I heard they sped up combat so thats def good. Il plow through it though just so im up to speed for the second but i feel like i wasted 15 bux on this game. Again though if you like mmos youl dig wkc.
well I've tried getting online, but it tells me my character isn't allow online and then kicks me.
Oh really?
Are you playing an imported version? (Jap)
Because I think you need a JP PSN account to get online.
Thou it shouldn't give you any issues if you are using the International Version.
congratz to Sony and especially Level 5 on their milestone.
I'm looking forward to their sequel here in America.
Title should read: White Knight Chronicles Franchise Has Only Sold 1 Million Worlwide!
Pretty poor for a having 4 games under it's belt. I have never played it and apparently most other gamers haven't either. I was excited before it launched because the PS3 didn't have many RPG's until I read reviews and watched videos of the boring ass combat. I'll pass on this series.
My opinion is that its either a love it or hate it game. at the moment iv just gotten Leonard's shield, and i have already sinked about 25 hours into the game. I love the grinding aspect, plus the synthesis store makes for an interesting alternative to just buying new equipment. I love the fact that you can trade in your old equipment for a more powerful version and not pay a great deal.
personally, its a 9/10 for me just because i enjoy games like this, HOwever, you bring up great points and this is a great review.
Good Job!
I don't know what is so predictable about this game.
*****spoiler****
Did you knew that the Knights were made with souls of real people? Or that Kara's the Black Knight? I never saw that coming... Specially considering that she was with you to save her sister and then for revenge... Not that predictable if you ask me. On top of that, she had a pact with a gigas too.
**********
But I agree with the rest of the review, everything's true. In fact, I think this was a better review than the one from IGN.
To tell you the truth I enjoyed the game a lot. Specially the part about creating the town. It is really cool when people go to your georama and they are like: "OMG man, how did build this?!".