There’s not much in the way of strategy to the fighting, a problem that is compounded by the fact that you are given an automap with radar. The automap shows you the entire level, not just locations that you’ve visited, and marks the position of enemies with red dots. It makes it hard for the enemy to ambush or surprise you when you can see their hiding position and the path you need to take to catch them in their “secret” place.

Telling troops where to go is as strategic as it gets.

The game incorporates some RPG elements in that you gain experience when killing enemies or completing goals. When you gain a level you can spend points to improve your stats such as health and strength and to purchase new combo moves. There are also weapon and armor upgrades to be had, as well as a weapon socketing system ala Diablo 2. However, since pretty much all of the combat simply requires constant clicking against mobs of enemies, it is really hard to tell how much of an effect new weapons and improved stats really have on your character.

The fact that it serves up videogame-style gameplay is not a knock against Joan of Arc – but the fact that the game suffers many of the same problems that plague the also-rans in the videogame action/adventure genre is a problem. The primary problem is with the game camera. It has a tendency to swing wildly during combat to radically different angles. Needless to say this can make it difficult to keep track of where you are, let alone the enemy’s positions. There are also invisible walls everywhere. Short rails are insurmountable obstacles, open doorways may as well be brick walls, and pens, porches, patios, and the like can not be entered. It makes you feel like you are on a movie backlot instead of in 15th Century France. Further shattering your illusion of being in another world is the game’s incredibly short drawing distance. Trees, buildings, and even huge castles seemingly pop-up out of thin air as you approach them. At least the developers could have tried to hide the limitations of their graphics engine by adding fog.

Joan of Arc makes the claim that it is also a strategy game hybrid, but that’s not really the case here. You can zoom out to a strategic view to move groups of troops and then jump back into the first person action, but that’s about the extent of it. There's no base-building or resource management, although a barracks in some missions can be used to recruit new units.

If you’re not a fan of console action games, then odds are you won’t enjoy Joan of Arc. It really does nothing to stand out from an average action videogame. Even if you like third-person action games, the repetitive gameplay and other game issues will definitely cut into your enjoyment of the game. This one is probably best left to those who really want to play a console-style game on their PC or are obsessed with all things Joan of Arc.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 58%.  Too much repetition, too many problems, not enough fun.

System Requirements:  Pentium III 800; 256 MB RAM;  32 MB Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM;  1.1 GB Hard Drive Space;  Mouse.

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