Luminous Arc
Luminous Arc is a series of tactical role-playing video games originally developed by Imageepoch, prior to the company's bankruptcy. The series began with the 2007 release of Luminous Arc for the Nintendo DS, with its most recent game being the 2015 Japan-only release of Luminous Arc Infinity. The series also saw a spiritual successor in the 2015 Nintendo 3DS game Stella Glow.
| Luminous Arc | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing |
| Developer(s) | Imageepoch, Felistella |
| Publisher(s) | Atlus, Marvelous Entertainment |
| First release | Luminous Arc 2007 |
| Latest release | Luminous Arc Infinity 2015 |
Games
| 2007 | Luminous Arc |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Luminous Arc 2 |
| 2009 | Luminous Arc 3 |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | Luminous Arc Infinity |
Luminous Arc
Luminous Arc 2
Luminous Arc 3: Eyes
Luminous Arc Infinity
Common elements
Plot and themes
The Luminous Arc games (and their spiritual successor, Stella Glow), typically take place in a medieval fantasy setting and feature a plot based around elemental witches, female magic-wielders of great power who are recruited by the main character in order to save the world from peril. The protagonist is commonly a male knight, albeit one of little renown yet great potential. While the witches are initially seen as malicious or at least dangerous entities, they are usually largely benevolent and merely protecting the world from malice, the true nature of which is revealed later. Fan service featuring the witches is common, such as Luminous Arc 2's "Engage" system, although it also serves to further their character development through socialization.
Gameplay
The gameplay of the Luminous Arc titles falls along the lines of tactical RPGs such as Final Fantasy Tactics. Battlefields are viewed from an isometric perspective and characters may be moved on a grid. Characters possess powerful special moves that may only be used when a gauge has been filled.