Finally a true classic RPG!
Graphics - 8.5/10
You will not be finding any beautiful textures, polygons, or shaders in this game. What you get is 3D blocks. Yes, this game is completely built off of little blocks which brings the classic flat feeling in to a popped out 3D world. Soooooo where does the 8.5 come from? Good question!!!!!! 3D Dot Game Heroes offers something that no game has ever offered. A three-dementional world which is still a top down role playing game with all of the elements from the classics. The graphics are perfect for what ATLUS was wanting to do with this game. There are some nice lighting effects from the sunlight bouncing off of the blocky water and from candles lighting up a dark dungeon room. You really just need to play the game to appreciate the graphic style.
Sound - 9.5/10
Once again you are probably wondering how I came up with this score. The sound is probably the best part of the game. Take the 8-bit sounds from your childhood memories and bring them back to life with some extra flavor. You will hear sound effects and music that you have not heard in almost 15 years. And the best part is that it works so perfectly. There were many time where I thought I was actually playing a Zelda game just from hearing the music and sound effects. This is how good they did with it. And you need to remember, this game is a tribute to the greatest RPG ever made. It needs to sound as if the game could have released 20 years ago.
Gameplay - 9/10
Lets start with character creation. You have the ability to freely create any type of character you wish. Link, Elmo, Cloud, Batman, and Sackboy are some examples. Your imagination is the limit to what you can create. You will need to create a stand still model of your character followed by 2 walking poses, a celebration pose, and 2 fighting poses. This brings your character to life and you can begin your adventure. There is a preview option as your are creating so you can test your character out as you create. You do not have to create a character as you can choose from the many characters already created.
The adventure starts off with your character waking up in a house that looks very similar to the start of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES. You then need to speak with the King because you need to rescue Zeld....err the princess. Go get your wooden sword and start your adventure. The controls are much like the old games where you press X to attack and O to use your alternate weapon or item. You can press R2 or L2 to scroll through your alternate weapons or items on the fly which comes in handy. You will be seeing enemies, weapons and items that should bring back some memories. The boomerang, candle, bombs, rings, books, master keys, health/magic potions, and much more..
Early on you will be greeted with your own fairy ala Ocarina of Time. Your fairy will help you by giving you hints when you reach new areas and are unsure of whats going on. The side quests are much like Zelda: A Link to the Past, where you need to speak to the villagers and do certain tasks for them. This opens hours of extra gameplay and in the end it will make finishing the game much easier.
Overall - 8.75/10
ATLUS did a wonderful job bringing back the classic feeling of a real role playing game. I feel like I am back in 1987 when I play this game and any game that can make you feel like a kid again should not be missed. This game gets Lethal's Stamp of Approval.
Pros:
Real classic RPG elements
Create/Share your own character
Tons of trophies and hours of gameplay
Tons of recognizable bosses and enemies
Only $39.99
Cons:
Sometimes hard to hit the enemy
Minor framerate issues once in a while