Initially on release I was very excited about this title, I had high hopes for the Mistwalker stable, and despite not being a DragonQuest fan enjoyed my romp through Blue Dragon. On loading the graphics and voice acting were impressive, and I felt that, while sometimes tipping into melodrama, the dreams were a compelling part of the story.

I actually had to stop playing the game when I reached the regenerating worm monster boss (very early on in game play). The combat system irritated me, and after multiple failures (and several heated discussions with my more avid gamer husband) I put the game away. I am not exactly naive to RPGs, have played all the FF games, am a rapid Tri-Ace fan, and have other favorite titles, including the Elder Scrolls series. My personal style does involve some grinding, as with my schedule sometimes if I grind for my hour of gameplay every night for a week, I can complete a major battle without my fingernails gripping the controller and my nerves being overset. This particular title made grinding close to impossible, and I got more frustration than pleasure out of it.

It was visually stunning, however, and I wish that my husband had completed it so that I could have watched, but he had other complaints with the game.