Boys vs. Girls vs. Grids vs. Cards vs. Stats vs. Terrain

Introduction

Yggdra Union by Sting Entertainment and published by Atlus for the US is a card battle and strategy game to the core. Gameplay consists of turn based battles where units do battle with their enemies by way of careful planning, card selection, and some paper-rock-scissors style strength/weakness exploitation. A port of an earlier release by the same name for the GBA, Yggdra Union's PSP release brings enhanced storyline, added voice acting, adjusted difficulty curve and other minor tweaks to the table in its bid to get its hardcore fans to make a repurchase. It also stands as the second of Sting Entertainment's “Dept. Heaven” series of games, the first being Riviera: The Promised Land (which also debuted on GBA before an enhanced move to PSP).

Graphics: 85% (Crisp and clear)

 Graphically, Yggdra Union is simple and utilitarian. Cutscenes are presented via text dialogue and a corresponding anime representation of the character speaking. The character drawings are well done and are look quite good on the PSP's screen. Gameplay itself is comprised of an overhead view and a battle view. Characters in battle view are decently animated but not too spectacular. Card effects, however, make use of the hardware's rendering capabilities to bring out some decent animations. The overhead map screen keeps it simple, which is a must in a grid-based strategy game, and the characters actually reminded me of the old NES Final Fantasy in their look. Again, simple is the rule, and in this case it works in the game's favor to help keep the game's strategy core at the forefront.

Sound: 70% (Weak but for the words)

Sound, as with the graphics, keeps it simple. Music and effects all feel pretty standard, and I didn't feel as though I was missing much of the experience when playing with the sound low. What does stand out, however, is the PSP port's added voice acting. Cutscene dialogue is well presented, as well as each character's taunts and battle cries. Gameplay sound itself, however, feels directly out of the original GBA game and doesn't seem to offer much, and the music was easily ignored as I blazed a trail through each stage. It almost seemed as if most of the audio budget was used on the dialogue and nothing was left over to punch up the music. Also, unvoiced text is sounded off with the standard JRPG “I'm talking” noise that blips as each letter appears, and can get annoying at times. If not for the spoken sections I could have easily played with no sound at all.

Gameplay: 75% (Solid play for solid planners)

Gameplay is turn-based strategy 95% of the time, with a small dose of action thrown in during battles. Each stage consists of your group and enemy groups taking turns selecting a card (which has corresponding move points, attributes, strength, and skills), using the move points to position your characters on the grid to best support each other, and then initiating combat with enemy units. Several factors come into play: including card power, the geography of the square the unit is standing on, the character's level and attributes, the card's power, and even the character's gender. While there is a small amount of chance involved, it is plain to see that careful planning and tactics are the order of the day.

Action play comes during battles, where players control their character's attack style (passive, aggressive, neutral) and use of card skills (charged via attack style). Still, strategy is at the forefront and I soon found myself using the graciously provided high speed mode while battles played out.

Cut Scenes/Video: 80% (Well presented)

The story of Yggdra Union unfolds via voice acted cutscenes during battles. Each chapter is bookended by a brief narration, and the Princess Yggdra's attempt to reclaim her kingdom unfolds via a series of voice acted scenes during the course of each stage. The previously mentioned voice acting is well done, as are the character portraits that represent the players in this fantasy drama. It seems the game's developers had a “come for the gameplay, stay for the story” mindset, and they do their best to keep you wanting to press forward.

Controls/Interface: 70% (Like riding a bike)

Admittedly, I had some difficulty with the interface when I first began. Once I got started, however, the tutorials walked me through the different aspects of the game decently. The complex nature of the system means there's a lot of information to keep track of, and the game ramps up this complexity at a decent level. Those replaying from the GBA version may be frustrated by the inability to use all of the tools available from the get-go, but being new to the series I was thankful for the gradual layering in of aspects of battle, and by the end of the second chapter I felt as though I had a pretty good handle on how to play and how to win.

Summary: 75% (A decent ride)

Yggdra Union is solid, and is designed to please its audience. Engaging characters and difficult battles, both full of twists, are sure to keep players ready to press on “just until I get through this next battlefield.” The difficulty curve can be steep, and poorly planned attacks will certainly punish the player, but this serves to make wins that more rewarding. Card battle and strategy aficionados will definitely be thrilled with each victory. Action gamers and the impatient need not apply.

Fast Facts:
Publisher: Atlus
Web: http://www.atlus.com/yggdraunion
Developer: Sting Entertainment
Release date: 9/9/2008
PEGI: T for Teen
Format: PSP
Genre: Strategy RPG

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