An excellent “Action Role-Playing Game”. Not so much an RPG.
That being said “Kingdom of Paradise” performs as an Action RPG almost flawlessly. As you sprint around your linear missions you’ll be collecting tiles called Kenpu that you will use to fill scrolls called Bugei. The layman’s description is that a Bugei is a martial arts technique defined by a certain string of moves. Kenpu are the moves that you use in the string to create a Bugei. The simple allure of hunting down and collecting all the Kenpu to complete each and every Bugei is a wonderful feeling and you’ll find yourself hunting them like an addiction. The real treat is when you find certain Bugei that are blank templates allowing you to use whatever combination of Kenpu that you like effectively allowing you to create your own unique martial arts style.
Combat using a completed Bugei is as simple as tapping the ‘O’ button or unleashing a devastating magical Chi attack by hitting the ‘[]’. Unfortunately the simplicity of combat also means that you’re not going to be utilizing a whole lot of strategy in fights either. Most of the time you’ll be sprinting around the screen avoiding attacks while you charge your Chi meter so you can properly crush your opponent. That’s not to say that combat isn’t fun, though. The beauty of the combat animations and the ability to utilize so many different martial arts techniques always makes battle entertaining.
I’ve noticed that a good majority of previous reviewers have said that they found the lack of direction a detriment to the game. I have to admit that I found it really refreshing for a game, especially one in this particular genre, to not give me a cookie cutter view of what I have to do or explain things to me using kid’s gloves and small words. It was interesting to have to talk to as many people as possible to see what’s going on around me. Also, I noticed that the map has garnished a lot of complaints as well. There are two maps in this game. One of them is a world map that is just what it sounds like. A large world overview with major roadways, cities, and landmarks clearly marked. The second is the HUD map that’s on your screen at all times as you play. Because the game doesn’t hold your hand it also feels that is shouldn’t need to show you exactly where to go next by using bright, blinking dots. The maps are very functional and serve their purpose.
My only real complaint with this game is the voice acting. It’s not really even the pronunciation that annoyed me like it did with the Gamespot review. My biggest problem with the voice acting is the speech inflection. With its infuriatingly slow pace you’ll find yourself wanting to mash the ‘X’ button to forward the conversation along and end up missing a pretty vital bit of information. The in-game music is pleasant to listen to and plays soothingly in the background both during combat and during travel. The graphics are absolutely stunning during both real-time animation and cut scenes.
Take this game for what it is and enjoy. I highly recommend this excellent Action RPG.