One of the top RPG publishers for the PlayStation Portable, Xseed Games, have finally decided to bring over The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky to the North American market, for the first time ever. It is noteworthy that this title is actually developed by Nihon Falcom, which is behind many of the RPG titles offered for the PSP. Trails in the Sky is the first title in a full fledged trilogy, with the other two titles eventually making their way to the North American market as well.

At the start of the game, players will be slowly introduced to the two main characters, Estelle Bright and Joshua Bright, through a lengthy cutscene. Joshua himself was brought home by Estelle’s father, Cassius Bright, while he was out performing his duties as a member of the Bracer Guild. Joshua was severely hurt, and was brought into the Bright family, and even adopted eventually. Numerous other characters will be encountered throughout the game as well that will join you on your journey, each offering an interesting backstory that has made them who they are in the game. It is interesting to see some of the things that have shaped these characters as you progress through the story – it definitely makes you feel more related to them.

In the game, classic RPG fans will feel right at home, with not only the gameplay mechanics, but the deep story mirroring many RPGs. Granted, some fans may not like having to read that much text within the game, but it definitely adds a ton of depth to the history behind the title. Occasionally the conversation allows the player to choose what will be said, with this level of choice adding a personal aspect to the title, making it all the more important to pay attention to the different conversations that will occur throughout the game.

Fast forward five years after Joshua’s adoption, and Cassius is one of the most famous members of the Bracer Guild. It seems only natural that Estelle follows suit, and joins up to the guild with Joshua when she reaches the age that allows admittance into the Junior Bracers. The game centers around these two as they complete various Bracer missions, and there are, of course, a few unforeseen twists and turns along the way.

What is a story with great characters without a fantastic environment for the story to take place in? Trails in the Sky occurs in a fictional land known as Liberl Kingdom, on the western half of the Zemuria Continent. The Liberl Kingdom is still recovering from an attack that took place 10 years ago by the Erebonian Empire. Much of the technology that is used was learned from the invasion that occurred those years ago. As you progress through the story, you will discover more things about the past of the kingdom itself, and learning about specific character’s pasts, primarily Joshua.

It is amazing the level of depth that Nihon Falcom went to with the title. It is really a story that covers all possible angles, but also leaves many questions that will hopefully be answered in future installments in the trilogy of Trails in the Sky.

The game will have you doing many jobs in the beginning once you become a Junior Bracer. These jobs can be found in the Bracer Guild headquarters, and typically involve investigating instances that occur around the the Kingdom. It is a bracer’s duty to protect civilians and areas of the land, hence the reason they are required to be combat specialists to be in the guild, as well as pass many tests before acceptance. To accept one of the many jobs available there will be a bulletin board with job postings, and approaching the board will allow you to accept the job your choosing.

After completing a job, it is essential that you report back to the Bracer Guild to not only get your pay, but also your rating on the particular job just completed. The money you will receive will be the in-game currency known as mira. How much money you get depends on your rating and actions during the job, so you are constantly being evaluated as a Bracer. Besides the money, you will receive a certain amount of Bracer Points, known as BP. These points are required to move up in the levels of being a Bracer, which is essential to become a top level Bracer. When advancing in your Bracer rank, you will not only receive a new “rank”, but also special equipment as well.

Trails in the Sky features a magic system just like many other RPG’s past and present, but it is in the form of using orbments. Being that there are several types of orbments in the Liberl Kingdom, it is essential that this is the technology that drives their culture. But it is not their own, they were picked up from the Erebonian Empire when they invaded Liberl ten years prior. But the orbments have become such a norm for the people, that they are used in almost everything. This ranges from airships to even battles themselves. All orbments must have orbal energy to function. Via the in-game menu, players can load out their character specific orbments with whatever features they would like. If you want a specific character to primarily be a fighter, then you would focus on filling the slots of the orbment with those abilities that must be purchased at a orbal factory, which are found throughout Liberl.

To power the orbments you must fill them with quartz that you have created at the orbal factories. Making these requires the use of various sepith that you have acquired throughout your battles, and there are a total of seven different kinds of sepith, and each kind of quartz requires specific versions of sepith. The sepith may also be traded in if you have an abundance of a certain kind for the in-game currency of mira.

Now what is so important about these orbments? They are essential to winning key battles, allowing for statistics boosting, addition of various kinds of magic, and several other effects. The quartz that are equipped into them can also be leveled up, with the higher leveled quartz allowing for more advanced spells/effects. The spells/magic within the game are known as the Arts. While in battle choosing to use the Arts will consume EP, once drained it cannot be used unless replenished through rest or a form of medicine.

There is equipment to equip on various parts of the body, allowing for the character to have five total things equipped. This includes weapon, body wear, footwear, and two accessories. Equipment may be purchased at vendors, or found/discovered in the game continue reading…

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© Joseph Peterson for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us

It looks like developer Acquire has found someone jazzed up enough to bring their Wizardry game from the shores of Japan to North America. Xseed has stepped in and will be giving western gamers some dungeon crawling love when they release Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls for the PlayStation 3.

The news was discovered by Siliconera via an ESRB listing for the game. Labyrinth of the Lost Souls was originally released in Japan as a PSN downloadable title but was recently packaged together with the sequel on a Blu-Ray disc.

No word yet on if this will be retail or downloadable when it comes stateside but either way, it is great to see another game coming our way. Enjoy the screenshots below and check back with us as more details reveal themselves.

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Xseed Games have announced today that Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky for the PSP has gone gold. Along with the gold status announcement they have released screenshots, a trailer, and story information to celebrate.

Players take control of Estelle Bright, a young martial arts master and his friend Joshua as they attempt to join the legendary Bracer’s Guild. The guild is responsible with upholding peace and keeping the citizens safe but to join Estelle and Joshua must first travel the world to gain qualification in all the regions of the kingdom. Xseed promises 50+ hours of story and plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky releases on the PSP March 29th. Look for our review coming soon and until then, enjoy the screens and trailer below.

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | No comments | Add to del.icio.us

Ys I & II Chronicles is the latest PSP title from the Ys series, yet it’s not new at all. Instead of a new installment, it’s a remake of the Ys I & II Complete remake which appeared on the PC in 2001, meaning this has updated graphics from the original released back in 1989. The game itself was localized and published by XSEED games here in North America. Both titles are included on one UMD, so you are able to switch between games at a moments notice. There have been many titles that have been remastered or re-released on the Sony handheld — how do Ys I & II hold up on Sony’s portable device?

Ys I

Upon the opening of Ys I, players are greeted with the traditional introduction screen, then comes the choice they must make, choosing either the Chronicles game mode or the Complete game mode. The Complete game mode is of the game that was originally released on the PC back in 2001 — it features upgraded visuals and other things from the original 1989 game. But the Chronicles game mode is even further upgraded and has been optimized for the PSP.

You take on the role of Adol, who wakes up in Barbado Port, where your journey begins in the Ys series. Adol will meet many interesting characters willing to offer their help in saving the land of Esteria, where the first game takes place.

The story is nothing spectacular — it is your traditional RPG story: you, the main character, must save the land from some evil entity. Essentially Adol must find the Books of Ys, and these books will give him the knowledge to defeat enemies, which in turn will save the land. Along his journey to gather the books, you will encounter many enemies along the way. The reason for the large amounts of monsters is because of the stormwall that has appeared around Esteria. This has not only hurt the economy and trading of towns, but caused people to remain within the towns and not travel because of the monsters.

The game features a very simple approach with a buttonless attack control scheme. Simply approaching your enemy initiates an attack upon your enemy. Though there is little explanation on which approach is best for this fighting style, other than talking to various townspeople, it is obvious going directly at an enemy straightforward isn’t the best idea. In fact you will find yourself circling around your enemies quickly in attempts to flank them to land a better attack.

There are several things to equip to your character that will not only boost your stats, but also change  the way the game plays. For example, there is a mask known as the “Mask of Eyes” that grants the player the ability to find secrets easier in the dungeons/areas you are exploring. But there is a sacrifice that must be made when wearing this mask, and that would be all color fades from the world so it becomes black and white, this also results in enemies not being seen. So you will be venturing around the map attacking invisible characters, and they will be in turn attacking you back, but you can’t see them. This adds an element of strategy based on what equipment you’re using at the time, and is a clever addition to a mostly traditional RPG.

The map and environment of the game is pretty big for a handheld title. You will find yourself wandering around, running into numerous enemies while attempting to figure out what to do. This is honestly the one downfall of the game at times, you will have no clue as to where you are supposed to be heading. The dungeons themselves feature huge maze-like layouts that are both challenging and fun at the same time. Between the little direction on objectives and confusing layout, it will lead to a lot of “where do I go?” moments. But for those that have been playing games for a long time, this may not be a downfall, but actually a plus. It will be a trip down memory lane of how games used to be unforgiving and required gamers to think and explore. It all honestly depends on how you like to play your videogames.

Some of the additions/changes made to the game include graphical enhancements, as well as musical upgrades to the sound. For those that are worried they will be missing out on some of the older music from the original soundtrack, it is all accessible to be used in game via the sound settings. While this isn’t a huge deal, it is nice to see that all iterations of the soundtracks are included within the game. Graphically, the game has a retro, sprite-based look to it. It looks absolutely fantastic on the PSP’s vivid screen. New cutscenes have also been added which show the characters in a new light.

Ys I shows how a retro game should be redone on a handheld. It offers fantastic pick up and play ability, as well as the ability to allow for long gaming sessions without becoming bored. Simply put, if you are a fan of RPGs, give this one a look.

Ys II Review

Ys II literally picks up right where the end of Ys I left off. So for those of you that have yet to play Ys I, consider this your warning for potential spoilers that may be contained in this review. For those that have Ys I, or have completed it in the past, feel free to continue without worry.

You resume the role of Adol Christin. When he awakens, he doesn’t even realize where he is, but he knows he must continue his journey to rid the world of Esteria of evil.

The overall game – gameplay, graphics, story and all – plays much like Ys I. If you’ve played the first game, which you should do before moving on to Ys II, you’ll know what to expect. Probably the biggest addition to Ys II would be Adol’s ability to use magic. These spells will definitely come in handy in his journey and help him defeat the countless enemies that you are sure to encounter along the way.

Ys II shows that you can still keep the well-known formula of traditional RPGs, add a couple things to it, and have an experience that is well worth your time. RPG fans, this is a must own for you. Once again the only thing holding back Ys II from perfection is the lack of direction at times, but it is by no means game breaking.

Essentially the only big difference between Ys I and Ys II is that Adol can now use magic in the sequel. But the saying “when it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here. There isn’t much they could have added to this game to make it any better. Just as in the first title, the only downfall would be the lack of direction offered within the game, but as mentioned in the first part of the review, it all depends on what type of videogames you enjoy.

This bundle of Ys I & II Chronicles shows why it is great to bring some of the older games to a new platform with a complete upgrade for gamers that never originally experienced the titles. The combination of original gameplay, tied in with fantastic retro feel and original soundtrack makes this a must pick up for PSP owners.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score + Fantastic remastering of the two original titles. + Traditional RPG, with a unique twist on controls. - At times there is little to no direction on where to go.

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© Joseph Peterson for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us

With the Ys series pretty much all but wrapped up by publisher Xseed, it is time for them to turn their attention to yet another series in need of a stateside PSP release. In steps The Trails In The Sky series to pick up where Ys left off and Xseed just so happens to have the rights to all three games in the series.

The first title in the series, The Legend Of The Heroes: Trails In The Sky is in line for a March 29th release in the US and Chapter 2 and 3 should be following close behind it. For those who don’t know, Trails in the Sky puts players in the boots of Estelle and Joshua Bright as they uncover the dark side of the government. Combat is turn based with players giving orders to their troops in turns until the AT bar is emptied.

This is all great news for PSP owners who will be receiving yet another solid RPG series starting March 29th, 2010.

[Source]

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us

Developer Falcom and publisher XSeed games are back at it again with the second Ys game seeing release on the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Earlier this year we got Ys Seven, and now, here is Ys: The Oath in Felghana, a remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. In a day and age where games are expected to give a complex and deep experience, Oath in Felghana gives gamers a straightforward romp through the lands of Felghana.

The Oath in Felghana will once again have you fighting in the boots of the red-haired adventurer Adol. Adol and his traveling companion Dogi have returned home from their travels to find that monsters have increased in number and are attacking the villagers of Redmont. As you would expect, Adol takes up his sword in defense of the villagers and goes from Dungeon to Dungeon expelling all those in his way. For those looking for a deep story this might not be the game for you. The story does a good job of moving things along while staying out-of-the-way of your main goal, killing monsters.

The Ys series is all about combat and this game is no different with most of your time spent slaying monsters left and right. Right off the bat, veterans of the series will notice that the party system has been removed and gamers will now take the role of just Adol on their journey. It is a bit of a bummer not to have your party of team members to use but at least Adol is more than capable of handling anything you throw at him with his trusty sword. At the beginning your sword will have just the basic attack, but over time gamers will unlock new abilities such as whirlwind attacks to aid you in battle.

While combat in general may be all about moving at a quick pace, boss battles in the game need a bit more in the way of tactics. During these fights it is essential to take your time, learn your enemies habits and try your best to dodge when needed. All of this is made even more difficult because you have no way to heal yourself outside of dying and trying again. Thankfully dying is not the end of the world as the game gives you a retry option and after a few tries at a boss, will allow you to lower the difficulty. Boss fights are easily the highlight of this game and offer a challenge for just about anyone out there.

The sword is not the only thing you can upgrade in the game as you also have an armor and special slot to upgrade at the lone shop. Don’t expect deep customization here though as the shop is very limited in its upgrade choices and there is not much here to buy. Upgrades are obtained by gathering materials throughout the world so pay attention on your journeys. Items are also very scarce with the developer obviously wanting things to be a smooth experience. To this end, you will not find any health potions in the game and instead must use save points to heal yourself or gather health dropped from defeated enemies. Enemies will also drop boosts to defense, speed and attack when they die, which really keeps gamers moving forward.

Combat may be the focal point of the game but it’s not the only thing to do in Felghana, you must also master the art of platforming. This here is where most of my frustration came from. The platforming itself is not overly difficult, though you will find plenty of jumps that require a perfectly executed jump, whirlwind, double jump combo which can be tough at times to pull off. No… the real frustration lies in the fact that most failed jumps will land players 3 or 4 screens from where they were, leaving you the task of trekking all the way back.

Presentation is a bit hit or miss. Graphically Ys won’t do much to push the boundaries of the PSP with bland environments and lackluster character sprites. Luckily the soundtrack is once again nothing short of fantastic with tunes that really are music to your ears. Whether it’s a battle or walking through town, Oath in Felghana will make any task easy on the ears. The dialogue even pitches in with a very adequate yet unspectacular job.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana is one of those games that fits perfectly on to a handheld system. Its balls to the wall game combat is wonderfully complimented with a simple item and upgrade system. Running in unison with the game is a great soundtrack and a minimalistic story, which in this case is not a bad thing. Frustrating platforming, a lack of depth, and a relatively short campaign do hamper the experience, but the pure fun of this game and its strong boss battles helps ease the pain. Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a great companion for those looking to jump in and start killing monsters, but likely won’t appeal to those looking for a meatier overall experience.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score + Combat is to the point with challenging boss battles. + Soundtrack that borders on epic. - Short experience and frustrating at times platforming.

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© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | No comments | Add to del.icio.us

It is time to return to the world of Ys and enter into a new tale of the over-energized Adol. To help us get ready for the trek, Xseed Games has released both a gameplay video and highlights trailer of Ys: The Oath in Felghana for viewing pleasure. These videos showcase Adol’s new abilities that gamers will have at their disposal as well as some solid portions of gameplay.

In addition, below are a fresh batch of new screenshots which have been included to sink your teeth into.

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | No comments | Add to del.icio.us

While the story definitely plays a major role, it does not overshadow the combat which is the meat of the game and what the series is known for. There is a lot of fun to be had in the combat of this action RPG, with plenty of enemies to slaughter and multiple characters to control during battle. Enemies are visible as you navigate the treacherous terrain and various dungeons in the game, meaning any battle can be passed up if you desire. Combat is actually pretty straightforward at a glance; a single attack that can be charged, a dodging roll and a block button. However, players also have the ability to equip 4 skills per weapon and an extra skill that provides the selected player with an extra powerful attack. To use either of these the player must first build up enough Skill Points, which can be had with each successful attack. This all equates to a surprisingly deep and complex combat system that will keep you coming back for more.

The biggest key to the combat is the strategy involved with the multiple characters and their weapon type. Each party is made up of 3 characters and the game provides you with plenty of colorful characters to choose from. The combat plays out as a Rock-Paper-Scissors affair with certain weapons and characters being useless against various enemies. This forces the player to mix up characters mid-battle as you try and choose the right one to complete the task at hand. It’s this kind of strategy, added to a fast paced combat system that really makes the battles in Ys Seven the star of the game.

Outside of the combat the game provides players with side quests to further your playing time and give you a break from the main story. These quests can be found around the various towns in the game and can be completed as you please. These side quests become a vital part of your playthrough as the game sometimes forgets to let you know just where to go to progress the story. Most of these quests are a bit on the easy side with simple objectives such as collecting materials, but others such as monster battles can be exhaustively tough. Materials can be found everywhere along your journey, with plenty of areas to mine and bounds of loot that drop from each defeated enemy. You’ll use these materials to build new weapons and items via the game’s synthesis feature so be sure to collect as much as you can along the way.

Ys Seven features an impressive presentation from the graphics to the audio. Developer Falcom steers clear of CG cut scenes for most of the game, content instead to use the in-game engine. The character models are sharply animated and the towns and various terrain are well designed, though, a bit lacking in detail.. The game’s audio throughout the game really shines through with a smashing soundtrack that fits the moods and situations presented in the game without getting repetitive. Voice acting is left out of the title and the story is instead told through text.

Overall, Ys Seven is a very solid RPG to add to anyone’s PSP library. Y’s Seven doesn’t really do anything to reinvent the genre or make it stand out amongst other RPGs, however, the game does do everything an RPG should do, and does it well enough to keep fans interested throughout the main journey. A knockout soundtrack, fun combat and interesting characters, along with close to 20-40 hours of game play make this a great pickup for the RPG fan out there.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score Fast paced & fun combat Great soundtrack Visuals could use some major work

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© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Title: Half-Minute Hero
Publisher: XSEED Games
Developer: Marvelous Entertainment Inc./Opus Studio
Platform: PSP
Release Date: October, 2009
UPC: 8-53466-00123-0
Genre: RPG
Player: 1-4 players

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For centuries, an epic battle between humans and evil lords has been raging and destroying everything in its path. The civilized world is under attack by these relentless enemies and all that remains are ruins of castles and the bodies of the faithful knights who once proudly protected them. Throughout time, heroes and legends have risen above the chaos, only to eventually disappear into the ashes. As the last wandering sage and final hope for humanity, it is up to the protagonist to somehow transcend time and death to unite these legends and their unique powers in one last battle against the Ultimate Evil Lord.
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In Half-Minute Hero, choose between four modes of accelerated gameplay, each complete with original quests, enemies and attacks. Battles are either random, real-time encounters with monsters, evil lords and bosses, or stage related encounters. There are 50 stages in Hero 30 Mode and 30 stages in all other modes, in which players have 30 seconds, or a half-minute, to complete their tasks before joining forces with the other past and future legends to fight together in the legendary Hero 300.

An unorthodox approach to traditional RPGs, Half-Minute Hero combines adventure, an epic storyline, legendary characters and a punishing countdown clock to destruction, to create an adrenaline pumping experience that will blow past conventional fantasy games. Retaining the charm inherent in classic RPGs, Half-Minute Hero is a breakneck foray into an ancient land of monsters and magic, all under 30 seconds.

KEY FEATURES:

• Fast-paced Action for Instant Gratification – A fresh new way to play games, clearing stages in 30-second intervals.
• Four Completely Different and Unique Gameplay Modes – Four distinct storylines and modes that encompass an action RPG, a shooter, an escort mission and a strategy game, keep the gameplay fresh and varied.
• Over 20 Hours of Total Gameplay – With each of the four unique modes (plus bonus modes!) containing 30-50 distinct stages, short individual play times add up to many hours of total gameplay.
• Intense Multiplayer Action – Connect two to four friends through ad hoc wireless connection for blazing fast competition!
• Old-School Graphics, New-Age Metal Sound – Classic 8-bit graphics give this game its unique visual style, while original music by one of Japan’s most critically-acclaimed guitarists keeps a pace as fast and furious as the gameplay.

© Kyle for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Brave Story: New Traveler is a traditional RPG title developed by Game Republic, the same team that brought us Folklore and the Genji series. While the team at Game Republic succeeded in making Brave Story accessible and easy to play, there are some crucial areas that were overlooked, unfortunately.

Brave Story is loosely based upon a Japanese manga series of the same name. The story begins with a boy named Tatsuya sitting on a bench with his PSP (I kid you not), happily ignoring his lady friend, Miki, who simply wants him to pay attention to her. Art imitates life. After Miki gets fed up and ventures off on her own, Tatsuya ends up finding her on a random street, apparently in a coma. You can actually rename both characters at the beginning, but be wary of a glitch that adds spaces to the end of your names. It ruined the dialogue for my entire play session.

After a talking frog offers Tatsuya a chance to save Miki from certain death, he ends up in the fantasy world of Vision. While most of the game takes place in Vision, there are a few chances to revisit the real world, albeit through in-game cinemas. Before being granted access to Vision, there are a few trials that end up affecting different aspects of your character’s abilities, such as strength, agility, and defense. Though this section is a bit convoluted at first, it’s a nice touch that personalizes your character.

This PSP title will feel familiar to anyone who’s played a JRPG during the past 15 years. Jars and chests filled with rare items litter the environment, combat requires everyone to be polite and take turns hitting each other, and any character that looks suspiciously well-detailed is destined to end up joining you on your epic journey to save the world. Though the game takes a few hours to pick up speed, the developers definitely went out of their way to make sure the player never gets lost or confused. Item shops and inns are marked with emblems for easy reference, dungeons are separated into nice-sized chunks and even include directional markers, and the R button reiterates the specifics of your current mission, which helps if you stop playing for a few days.

Brave Power (BP) is the main focus of the battle system, and acts similar to MP in that it controls the usage of magic spells, such as healing or remedying status effects. But BP also controls the usage of high-powered physical attacks, which are identified as Bravura Skills and Unity Skills. The two skill types are identical, except that Bravura skills are solo attacks, while the Unity Skills require multiple party members.  BP is obtained by either dealing damage to enemies or finding Healing Points in the environment. The cool thing about Unity Skills is that while BP is taken from each party member involved in a Unity attack, only one character turn is used. So if your BP meters are high enough, your party can deal three to four times the normal amount of damage seen in a normal turn. This ends up making boss battles a lot easier, and even acts as an alternative to dealing with particularly tough enemies.

The ability to create your own accessories to boost character abilities, or add new ones, does add quite a bit of depth to the title. For instance, I built Leech Rings for all my party members, which allowed them to receive HP for each attack they pulled off. This ended up taking a lot of weight off my mage and freed up valuable BP for more Bravura and Unity Skills. The flipside, however, is that the creation of these accessories requires a thorough investigation of every town and dungeon, as well as completing some side missions. In addition to this, raw items obtained through killing enemies are required to create these accessories. Accessories make the game lot easier, but only if you’re willing to explore every facet of the environment and play through random battles for hours at a time.

The graphical quality is impressive for the most part, and Brave Story manages to stand toe-to-toe with mid-range PS2 titles. Character and enemy design is extremely well done, and the models look great; the environments though are often a mixed bag. The smaller environments generally look very good, but the larger areas tend to suffer from repetitive texture work and a lack of polygonal detail. This is more evident during cinematics. Also, the art direction for a few of the environments is downright horrible. For example, the old Triankha Hospital has vines covering every visible surface, but it’s simply applied as a texture map instead of being physically modeled. This ends up making the level look grainy instead of dilapidated, as well as aesthetically boring. This doesn’t occur very often, but when it does the immersion level takes a big hit. Thankfully, load times are pretty much non-existent.

The sound design during battles is great, and in conjunction with the fancy camera work and comic-style exclamations, the game really comes to life. Strangely enough, this doesn’t carry over into the exploration segments. Except for the MIDI tunes playing in the background, the environments are freakishly silent, regardless of how many people are onscreen. What compounds this situation even more is that voice acting is completely absent outside of battle, save for a handful of cinematics. All dialogue is performed through on-screen text, and what’s worse is that Tatsuya NEVER SPEAKS. Without any thoughts, quips, or opinions, he ends up falling flat. The other characters are actually very dynamic, which makes me wonder whose brilliant decision it was to make the main character mute.

While Brave Story: New Traveler doesn’t have any gameplay hindrances, it also doesn’t attempt anything particularly unique or exciting. The Bravura and Unity skills make the battle system enjoyable, but the story and exploration aspects of the game are as clichéd and boring as RPG games get. The Accessory Building system itself only involves collecting items, whether it’s the raw materials or the instruction pages required to build these items. The bird catching mini-games are a nice distraction, but require pure luck to win.

The real problem with the game is inconsistency. If every aspect of the game was well thought out and properly implemented, it would have been a very enjoyable experience. But as it stands, certain aspects of the game are done very well while others are just sloppy. With enough work, this could have been a worthy competitor to Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, but just isn’t brave enough to break out of the confines of its genre and become something truly great. Brave Story: New Traveler is still a pretty good game for adolescents or those who love SNES-style JRPGs, but for those wanting more, look elsewhere.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score Great art style, generally good graphics. Overall game quality isn’t consistent. Great combat system, but exploration is a mixed bag.

© Draisey for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us