Let’s get one thing straight. The Kingdom Hearts universe is pretty convoluted — so much, in fact, that even though I’ve played through most of the “main” entries in the saga, I’m still not exactly sure what’s going on. Perhaps that’s why I found Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep to be such a refreshing and entertaining play. It’s familiar, yet improved in ways that change the series formula up beautifully and technically, you needn’t be a diehard Kingdom Hearts fan to enjoy the narrative that’s laid out in such a fascinating, action packed, and touching adventure that I would recommend to any fan of the franchise in a heartbeat. It’s not perfect — what game rarely is? — but, well, it’s got a lot of heart.
All posts in PSP
Review: Gladiator Begins
If you’re into beating fellow Roman slaves to a pulp, then Gladiator Begins is probably the game for you. It does this fantastically and with gusto. Good thing, as that’s all you’ll ever really do during your time with the PSP brawler. As a newbie gladiator hopping into the ring to fight for what could eventually be your freedom, you’re tasked with dueling to the death in a claustrophobic pit while aristocrats and free citizens ravenously cheer you on. As Adam Lambert might croon, you’re there for their entertainment.
Review: Dead or Alive Paradise
If you’ve never seen a real woman, don’t count on Dead or Alive Paradise to placate your desire. In fact, even if you were a fan of the sometimes entertaining Dead or Alive: Xtreme Volleyball, you won’t find much to enjoy with Tecmo’s latest PSP iteration. In a strange bid to attract what I can only assume are the most hardcore fans of the ladies of Dead or Alive, yet another excursion to New Zack Island has been released, this time to a handheld that can’t quite hold up to the standards needed to render the ladies properly. Robotic, stuttery minigames, scattershot gameplay, and a thin plot are reason enough to pass over this travesty of a “game.”
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Impressions: Ys Seven
The Ys series, a venerable and long-running RPG franchise from developer Falcom, returns to Sony’s portable darling with Ys Seven, the latest numerical sequel in a long list of releases, most of which haven’t made it Stateside. This entry found its way to gamers in Japan last September, while North American experience point junkies had to wait about a year for a followup to the brilliant Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. Ys chronicles the adventures of one Adol the Red, or Adol Christin to those not acquainted with the swordsman, as well as the companions he meets along the way. Entries in this series have appeared everywhere from the MSX2 to cell phones, and it shows no signs of slowing. The latest addition was released in Japan last year and thanks to Xseed Games, lucky non-Japanese fans can now enjoy the latest addition to the stalwart RPG series keeps players comfortable and coming back for more.
Review: Gitaroo Man Lives!
One of the most striking aspects of my profile as a gamer is that I have dabbled in quite the few music and rhythm games in my time. From classics such as Dance Dance Revolution to the more obscure titles like Ontamarama and more recently, Gitaroo Man Lives!, a port of the PS2 rhythm title, Gitaroo Man. Having thoroughly enjoyed the original iteration of the game, I was extremely excited to try one out that I could take with me rather than dragging along my PS2 each time I decide to leave the house.