Last Ranker

Last Ranker (Preview)

Every hardcore Japanese gamer knew about The Last Ranker before its release early last month. It had been promoted in playable form for at least a year, hype was high, and finding the game on launch day was difficult for those without a pre-order. For most western gamers, however, Last Ranker is a small blip on a crowded radar, and after playing around with the Japanese release version it's not hard to see why. Last Ranker was designed from top to bottom to appeal to Japanese, male teens- the same demographic that has made the PSP and Capcom's own Monster Hunter series a success in Japan. Last Ranker appeals to its target fans by sticking close to genre tropes. It starts off in a small and peaceful village where the protagonist, Zig, has decided to leave in hopes of becoming a Ranker, a warrior who is ranked against others. His friend, Faz, attempts to stop him and this battle serves as a tutorial for the battle basics of the game. Zig's SP meter charges steadily in battle. Doing anything costs SP. Square unleashes a basic attack that can be comboed with a following press of the square button or an off-hand weapon attack (triggered by circle).