Simple, straightforward RPG worthy of mobile phone popularity, but not handheld console popularity.

User Rating: 4.5 | Astonishia Story PSP
Since the old days, RPGs have been so underground, until prominent RPGs came out. The likes of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy dragged gamers to their ridiculously oversized game consoles and play until their wits end. Obviously, that charm is now gone, replaced by spiky-haired bishounens flashing ten-foot swords and posing for the cam. That's how RPGs are today.

But Astonishia Story begs to differ. Going back to RPG's simplistic beginnings, Astonishia Story tells the tale of a former knight out to avenge his crew's death. Astonishia features the old-school 2D look, and old-school turn-based tactical battle that has options of whether to run, use an item or attack. Now, before nostalgic RPGers start to shell out their ka-chings, remember well: Astonishia Story is a simple, basic RPG not worth your $50.

First off, it's developed by Sonnori. No, there's no problem with that. The problem is that it was targeted for mobile phones, that's why it's that simple. Another thing is that it's too simple. No multiplayer co-op support of any sort, no extras, nothing. The humor is bland, and the travelling-between-towns thing is so old. To top it all off, the story is confusing. You aren't really sure where to go next, and that assures you that you're gonna go walking blind. The english translation is also awful, with lots of typos and graphical errors streaming down like a river.

It could've been a special game, if it had received better effort, such as actually being meant for the PSP. If you can handle the flaws, it's a good trip down RPG memory lane, though.