LEGRAND LEGACY: Tale of the Fatebounds by Semisoft Studios is a newly released JRPG, offering a fresh experience in a new fantasy world. If you are a fan of role playing games, especially those similar to Tales of Vesperia, Chrono Cross/Trigger, or The Last Remnant, then this game may fit your interests. This review will cover gameplay and story for the first three chapters.
The story begins with our protagonist, Finn, fighting for his life in an arena. He is an amnesiac, who has some sort of magical potential that purposefully marks him as special. A mysterious old man buys Finn’s freedom and employs him as a temporary bodyguard. As circumstance would have it, tragedy befalls our hero, and he chooses to use his newfound freedom to finish his master’s mission: to save his daughter. After the disaster, we are introduced to Aria, a noblewoman from the north on a quest to end a blood feud. After discovering that prophecy has foretold of the imminent return of other worldly invaders, Aria’s mission ultimately becomes Finn’s. Along the way, they make unlikely allies and colorful companions to aid them in their pursuit of destiny.
While I am not too crazy about the plot, seeming a little cliché, it does get more interesting as you become more invested in the journey itself. The villains fall a little flat, too, but the writers do subvert expectations every now and then. There are many themes of freedom, superfluity of destiny, justice, and the corrupting influence of power. I cannot help but feel like these are the usual tactics of the unlikely hero storyline we know all too well. I also feel as though Finn could have been written a little better, mostly because he comes across as a little too good. There are moments that capture his insecurities, but they do not capture any major flaws that he needs to overcome – just amnesia. The rest of the supporting cast members are written very well. I think Aria may be my favorite character, while being a strong leader, she overlooks certain issues and underestimates some enemies, to the point that she learns from the experiences from each chapter. The majority of characters join the party out of reluctance or caused to join by necessity, but they undergo changes and become heroes. Kael, for instance, is a clever rogue, and even he has a dynamic character arch that I personally enjoyed.
The characters, themselves, are very well designed in both dialogue profiles (that are animated) and in combat avatars. The art style is very cool, making me excited to engage in as much dialogue as possible. The world map, and local areas are well crafted as well. Occasionally I would have trouble navigating some areas because of the camera angle, but nothing game-breaking. The grimoire animations are flashy and cool, though I wish there could be more variety of attacks. The monsters are also put together very well. They just feel like they belong in a JRPG. These creatures will drop items that you may sell in bulk or use to craft items.
There are many different aspects to gameplay, some of which catch you by surprise. The prologue even throws you into the fight for your life knowing that you have no idea how to play yet. Combat is easy to pick up after a couple battles, and you tend to learn what strategies work since you fight the same enemies over and over again in the beginning. What is especially nice is that you can save up your AP, and when the gauge is full you can unleash an ultimate ability. Every character has one, not all necessarily designed to deal damage. Eris is the only character so far whose ultimate ability heals and buffs allies in play. It is best to use these abilities sparingly depending on the situation. Every time you commit to an action you need to hit “W,” “A,” “S,” or “D” at a specific moment to maximize effectiveness. If you play it poorly, then you will either do insignificant damage, or none at all. Be sure that you are using an attack that will affect the enemy effectively, based on elemental weaknesses or other vulnerabilities.
Chapter 3 (my favorite chapter so far) brings more gameplay to the table. I will avoid spoiling the plot, but there is a massive battle, in which multiple NPCs are engaging each other. So, you can engage some of these PCs in sort of microcosm of a battle in relation to the bigger battle going on around you. This war scenario turns into a brief turn-based strategy game as you command your heroes as individual units around a grid. I found that part of the game to be an interesting change in pace.
The soundtrack fits the world and the themes superbly – perhaps one of my favorite tracks among JRPGs that I have played in recent years, because it reflects that dark-fantasy/adventure vibe the developers may have had in mind. Battle music is very reminiscent of something out of Final Fantasy. It feels classic. The different settings also include their own music, like the desert theme from the beginning, the shanty theme at the harbor, and the harp melody from Shapur. They stick in your head for a little bit, and it’s nice to have that ambiance as you visit new places.
I am still having a relaxed time playing Legrand Legacy, and I’m engaged in the adventure wondering how the story will continue now that most of the party has been assembled and there has been a lot of development between the characters. This is an experience that I enjoy, especially since I grew up with classic Final Fantasy turn-based combat games. I think a fair score for this title is an 8.5 out of 10, because it delivers closely to what I am looking for in an RPG in general, but I think the audience of the genre would appreciate building the world more, subverting expectations in characters and the story, and making a defining staple for the Legrand series.
Check Out the Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds – PC Release Trailer:
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