A First Look At Sega's Shining BladeDon't shelve your PSP just yet.10.22.11 - 3:46 AM
SEGA isn't slowing down with its
Shining series apparently - and nor is it moving on from the PlayStation Portable anytime soon. Whereas
Shining Hearts was a traditional RPG, the next title, known as
Shining Blade, is more action-oriented. Already in its reveal, the title was compared to
Valkyria Chronicles for its realtime strategy battle system.
Taking place in the Dragonia Kingdom, the game's main protagonist Rage has to set out to thwart an attempt to resurrect the Dark Dragon's leader - a plan which requires using up the world's spirit energy. Rage is actually from another world, however. He's been summoned as a soul blader who can retrieve the Shining Blade - that is, the key to saving the world and the devastating effects that the resurrection would have.
Also in his journey, Rage is required to seek out a diva to sing the Song of Mana. He travels with an elf named Altina who uses a bow as her weapon, and the warrior Roselinde, the leader of Fenrir, a Dragonia resistance movement.
With up to 5 characters in your party, you'll need to converse with them during event scenes, meaning choosing from dialogue options. These choices will affect your relationships with the other characters, which in turn determines what kind of co-op techniques will be available in battle.
Our first gallery for the game contains 17 screenshots and some key art, all of which you'll find below. Shining Blade for the PSP releases in Japan sometime next spring.
