You Simply Have to Play This Stone Cold PSP Tactics Classic on PS5, PS4 | Push Square

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Even at the point of its 2007 release, Jeanne d’Arc was considered a stone cold classic – and the passing of time has only elevated the tactics title’s standing in the eyes of fans. Developed by Level-5, during a period when everything the developer touched turned to gold, this is a strategy RPG akin to Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem. It’s also equally as good as the aforementioned – if not, dare we say, better.

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The game – loosely based upon the story of real-life patron saint Joan of Arc – sees you navigating a historical map of France, with major narrative moments marked by amazing anime cut-scenes. The turn-based combat system has a rock-paper-scissors-style strategy to it, much like in Fire Emblem where certain classes can overpower others. The difficulty is perfectly pitched, so even tactics newbies can enjoy it – but there’s plenty of depth for genre veterans, too.

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Fascinatingly, this game never actually released in Europe, as publisher Sony decided not to bring it to the region. For that reason, many of you may have missed it; this author was forced to import a US copy at the time, as it was region-free. That makes the title’s surprise release on PS5 and PS4 as part of PS Plus Premium all the more important; you’ll be able to download and enjoy this emulated version with up-rendering and rewind from 16th July. It’ll likely also be available to buy standalone.

Sony’s got a lot of criticism for its approach to retro releases, but if it can continue plunging the well with acclaimed games like this, it’s going to be build up quite the selection. If you’ve never played Jeanne d’Arc but have even a passing interest in tactics titles, we implore you to give this a go – it’s one of the genre’s very best.

As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through