Another superior PSP game that proves that the PSP is still going strong and it's a great addition for ur PSP libaray.
Presentation & Story:
Each Chapter, you'll get into a cut-scene that is the introduction of each chapter you finish in the story, what's great really about it is that you are controlling and making the choices you think is best for you. That being said, you choose your path and it strongly effects the story. The game feels like Final Fantasy Tactic War of the Lions on the PSP, no wonder it's from the same developer after all. Even the menus, the characters' look, the classes "Jobs" weapons and armor's labels and so on. It all looks the same as Final Fantasy Tactics. But that doesn't mean it's the same game.
The choices you make, make characters either join you, fight you, or leave for good. YOu have to choose carefully what your next step is and all that only makes it a great game to enjoy.
Score: 9/10
Gameplay Mechanics:
It plays like any SRPG "Strategy Role-Playing game", but the difficulty frustates the player and makes it so challenging. Enemies level up with you as you progress except for main battles, a standardized level is set for you, so you could level up above them.
The main menu has a lot of customization and you almost feel free to do anything you want with your characters. Equipments, Skills, Magic, Classes are so varied, although the classes are different from Final Fantasy Tactics. Instead of leveling up certain classes to open others. Here you have cards which are shaped on Markery of Knight, Wizard, Valkyrie..etc. Each class has two different labels, one for a male character and the other for female character, but some classes have one unified name.
The battle system is good and feels similar to any player who have played FFT or Digaea games. You can retreat from any random battle and that's good thing that wasn't available. Another good feature is the time machine feature also known as the Chariot System. You can go backward the battle and rewind any phase you want and it's up to 50 moves. This makes the game easy..?? No, don't bet on it because each different move you make, the chariot system changes. Although for the reader, the game sounds easy but it's not. The AI controler doesn't make the game any easier especially if you have protecting missions or guests "AI controlled AI" in your party. It's insanely suicidal. You can't save and you will not. I have lost many poor souls because of the AI.
Also, the enemies are so strong, so you won't be able to fight without a strategy.
Score: 8.5/10
Conclusion: The AI is crazy and it's one of the things I almost give up on the game itself because I haven't saved a single sub-main character in my 26 hours of playing. It made so depressed that I felt that I am not a good player.
Graphics:
Overall, it's good, not great. It's not different from the PSone's graphics "Saw some pictures comparisons" and I think the graphics were remastered for the PSP not remade. It's still 2D graphics and they look nice.
Score: 6.5/10
Sound and Voice Acting:
Well, the voice acting only appears in each chapter's introduction and it's... surprisingly good. It's an old dialouge and kind of old English too, but it has a nice tone and atmosphere well-suited in the game.
Sound effects are great. When you hit with your weapon. There is clashing sound. You fire guns, the gun sounds like a really old gun. The screams in battles when an enemy/ally is knocked down are very well done.
Score: 8/10
The Verdict:
This is a game where you will spend a lot of hours and hours playing it, who knows maybe you will never finish. Don't worry if you haven't liked Final Fantasy Tactics, because it's different game after all despite the similarity between them. But if you want another Final Fantasy Tactics like game...Go for it and you will get your money worth spent.
Final Score:
8.5/10