Dragon Legacy is a mix of the games found in Dragon Quest 4 through 8. Certain twists of course are involved and there are several changes as well, most which I hope you agree are for the better. The main character of the story, is Drace, whom's adventure takes him across the world to many different lands and wonders. The character behind Drace's design can be found in Dragon Warrior 8, yes it's the same hero. In addition to him finding many allyies on his adventures, he also aquires many skills a can be promoted to various classes that specialize in certain weapons or skills, the same can be applied to all other characters found in the game. The magic has been upgraded to affiliate different different aspects and properties. For instance, magic can be used to harm a surrounding area of monsters, rather than by group, except for certain "special" abilities and/or magic spells you may aquire during your journeys. Characters can now weild more than one weapon, depending on close and near range battling and while performing certain combos. For instance, the character, Jessica, can use her whip and a knife or sword while using the same combo implied to either using a whip or a sword. However, I intergrated the combos to be a lot like Legend of Dragoon, in which you must perform a set of buttons to properly execute a full combo of attacks. Plus each combo may have certain alterations depending on what buttons your press, but you will still have to use the proper button to escape from a potential counter attack by your foes. Your weapons can be used a shield incase you don't have one with you. Your weapons and armor and shields can break during battle, but you can acquire skills to repair them or you could just go down to a blacksmith or armorer or alchemist to repair them for you. Each character can weild up to three weapons, unless they are weilding a two handed weapon such as a bow or a crossbow or a two-heanded sword, which in acount be as if the character was weilding two weapons already. Another feature is close and far range combat. You want to use your far range combat for far range monster of course. And in addition to that by using far range your character may move about, which will cost your AP (that will be explained a little later in here). It will also cost you AP to attack a far away opponent with a short range weapon, that is if you can attack them with a short range weapon. Far range weapons are also pretty good for attacking flying monsters. You may also want to not associate long range weapons all the time, because not only will your character spend AP to move away from your foe, but he will also open room for your foes to attack your back row characters (this will be explain later too). In addition to weilding more than one weapon, your characters can also be wearing more armor, like plate armor over chain mail for instance, or a cloack over a mage gown. But you must be cautious, because more armor does decrease your agility, which means it'll be harder to dodge and harder to attack. However, any armor could decrease or increase your agility, depending on the armor of course. You can also now use team base attacks and use team base combos and magic spells. This new feature will allow your characters to grow stronger on the variety of a party you possess. So for instance, having Jessica and Meribel in the same party will enable you to use very destructive combo magic. Another unique feature is the AP/MP/BP/TP/SP factors. AP is your ability points, so instead of wasting MP to use an attack like Power Throw, you can now waste your AP, you also use your AP to caste Spells, but it's generally much less than using it for executing a combo or properly dodging away from a huge onslaught from a foe. You can recover your AP by guarding, by walking outside of a battle, by certain spells and abilities, and by resting. Each time you guard you recover AP base on your character's Stamina. MP is your magic points (duh), all this is used for casting spells, you can recover MP with certain items, accessories, certain abilities, and by resting. BP is your block points, all this is used for, is determine how well you can block an attack, having sheilds or simply using a weapon is a good way to block attacks. When your BP reaches zero, you are capable of being harmed critically, so beware on using your BP. You may also later gain ability in bouncing an attack back at your foe or using your sheilds as a weapon in your combos, this feature allows you too use your BP as your factor of damage on someone else's BP, which will allow you to waste more AP with attacking your foe critically. Of course you can do so with out a shield, incase you normally use your weapon as like a shield. BP is restored after every round. TP is your Team points and to gain team points you need more time gaining team levels, these team levels illustrate the willingness your party has at working together. If you run low on your Team Points, your team will start insulting one another rather than fighting together. So you have been warned. TP is used for combo skills, attacks, and magic. The more TP you have, the more combos your team can performed together. TP is restored while walking out side of battle, a bit during each round, with certain abilities, or by resting. SP is your special ability points for special combos, spells, and team based abilities. In battle you have what is called your Speciality Guage, when that reaches full, you can perform special feats with your magic or with your attacks while at the end of a combo. If more than one person has their speciality guage form then they can both perfom a special feat together. Your SP recovers after resting or after every level. Like with Dragon Quest VIII, you can customize your characters skills with using a particular weapon or with a particular art to become better at it. Learning how to be better at a particular weapon will enable you to strike more oftenly with it, weild it more faster in combat, perform more executed combos and being able to keep it from being broken more easierly. In addition you may special acquire skills as well. You gain these after every personal level. Although your team levels also insure your attacks are more better, but only in team combos and attacks. Arts normally focus on spells and abilities outside form using a weapon and these like weapon skills do increase your performance in a spell or an ability. The amount of skill points you acquire is base on how oftenly you use an ability at all in all that battles you have been in that you have won prior to achieving the next level, other than guarding. Which of course also working on the same field as gaining experience points. So do make sure that each character is atleast getting in one attack in each battle. This of course brings up the next part of this new game, character switching. You can switch party members from outside the front row and back row with those that aren't participating at all. You have six character that participate at all in a battle, with a maximum of up to all six of them in the front, or four of them in the back and two in the front. This is special feature that enables you to protect your weaker them mates from attack, while allowing them to attack. Namely this is good for having archers, mages, and healers, however certain attacks and spells can cut through to these characters. You also have a third zone which is where you can place character at that won't be participating at all, you can hold an additional three members here. They cannot fight and they cannot be harmed, if you really want to protect a weaken ally then you place them into here. However they can be attacked if you were being attacked from behind.