I'm begging Final Fantasy Tactics fans to check out this hidden strategy RPG gem that was locked away in PSP prison for 18 years

Jul. 11, 2024

Jeanne d’Arc battles demons and, worse, the British in this cult classic

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PlayStation continues to surprise me by bringing its back catalogue of classics to modern consoles. Getting to play Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter, and all the Ratchet & Clanks on PS5 signifies the company’s renewed attitude toward backward compatibility, but I’m equally happy that certain overlooked gems can get a second life.

The next in line for a fresh audience isJeanne d’Arc, a cult classic strategy roleplaying game that was once relegated to the PlayStation Portable, coming to PS5 and PS4 on July 16. The PSP game will be available in the PlayStation Plus catalogue, or you can just outright buy it if you’d rather not subscribe.

As you might have sussed out for yourself, Jeanne d’Arc is a historical epic that follows Joan of Arc, the most famous figure to crawl out of the Hundred Years War, and a girl that supposedly called upon divine visions to fight against British occupation - when you think about it, she’s kind of the perfect heroine for a game that remixes a major historical event with added demons and possessions and magical abilities.

Jeanne d’Arc followed in the footsteps of Final Fantasy Tactics' winning isometric formula, and subsequently courted both passionate fans and eager wannabe fans alike since the game never came out in European territories until now, which is a very weird strategy for a game rooted in European history.

PlayStation’sannouncementsays the game is “enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters” that weren’t available in the original 2006 release. Most of the PlayStation classics lineup are available for less than $10/£10, so if you’re one of the loud people that keepbegging for a Final Fantasy Tactics remake, here’s your chance to temporarily scratch that itch.

Already played Jeanne d’Arc back in the day? No worries - see our picks of thebest strategy gamesto play right now.

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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.

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