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Published by: Namco Bandai
Developed by: Namco Tales Studio
Genre: RPG
Rated: T (Teen)
Players: 1
Release Date: July 17, 2007
Screenshots: Link
Amazon: Buy Now!
Written By: Matthew Prunty

The Tales series has been an overlooked powerhouse on consoles and handhelds for years. Being overshadowed by the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy series, Namco Bandai still found a way to create a strong fan following around the world, which has everyone screaming when the announcement of a new Tales game is made. With the latest title for the PSP, Tales of the Word: Radiant Mythology, Namco Bandai looks to combine elements from previous Tales into one jam-packed RPG. With the gaining momentum of Sony over recent weeks, will this title add to the intriguing flare of the highly successful PSP?

For those new to the series, Tales games have been known for having predetermined characters, which kind of take away from the creative flare of a videogame. Within Radiant Mythology, players are now able to design their leading character. You can customize your character via their hair, gender, skin-tone, and even the voice of the character. Once the player finish creating their character, they are immediately taken into the game, where their character wakes up at the foot of the great World Tree, which protects the World of Terresia from evil.

Once woke, your character will run into a cat-like creature by the name of Mormo. Mormo gives you a brief history of your past and why you have come to be created by the great World Tree. It seems that your hero was created from the World Tree in hopes of defeating The Devourer, an evil organism hell bent on consuming all of Terresia. Just like previous Tales, this wont be a solo mission. You will be teamed with a mysterious girl by the name of Kananno and team by the name of Ad Libitum, which is made up of characters from previous titles. Veteran gamers will recognize some of the faces of old, which is sure to bring back some fawn memories.

There are several gameplay aspects that make up Radiant Mythology, but the most important one would be the adventure quests. These quests are assigned to you by Ad Libitum, and must be completed in order to advance within the main story. Within these quests, you will travel to different dungeons and battle various monsters, acquiring various items requested or saving a damsel in distress. The more quests you complete, the more fame points you would acquire, allowing you team up with more experienced Ad Libitum members like Stahn, Leon, Tear and Luke. If you try to get them to join your cause too early in the game, they will continuously turn you down. One could argue that they roll with the �it-crowd�. But on the upside, you can get some Ad Libitum newbies to join your cause, but because of the lack of experience, your team would have to be balanced in order to survive.

Veterans, who have played Tales of Abyss, will welcome the return of the Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System. This fighting system controls the interaction of your teammates with opposing enemies. In traditional fashion, your teammates would wait to be attacked, but with this battle system, they can move freely among the battle fields, unleashing devastating attacks and combinations, all of which are in real time. Another innovative feature is the ability to change you battle strategy in the thick of things. You will access a menu, which allows you to adjust the attack patterns of your teammates.

Your special attacks, also known as Artes, can be your best friend and your worst enemy. If you are able to connect with your opponent, you can deliver considerable damage. But if you were to miss, and seeing how the game uses a linear battle system, you are left wide open to a response attack from your opponent. Not stopping there, your character limited to carrying 15 units of any given item. This setup requires you to be more strategic in how you battle; otherwise you can easily run out of healing gels to heal yourself and fellow teammates.

Visually, Radiant Mythology looks rather impressive on the PSP. Visual effects are on par with several fan-favorites for the handheld. The environments are immersive in their own right. They are vividly colored and designed to keep your eyes busy when not in battle. The cutscenes are rather entertaining and lively as they consist of moving character portraits interacting with one another, something you don�t really see in RPGs, especially on handhelds. In regards to the musical score, it�s a decent addition to the title, but tends to get a little annoying after awhile. But saving the audio within the game is the voiceovers. This helps the story along and also creates a more immersive atmosphere between characters.

First and foremost, this title doesn�t feature a multiplayer mode, something that should be a staple in all RPG titles. But I can say that the game boast more than 200 quests, which certainly will take some time to beat. Another feature the boost the replay value is the ability to craft your own items and tools within the game. You can even create your own clothes to personalize your own character. You will also be able to items with fellow gamers via the wireless Ad Hoc connection.

Takes of the World: Radiant Mythology is one of the best enjoyable experiences to grace the PSP handheld. This is packed with content to keep you hooked for hours, though plagued with a troublesome storyline that doesn�t lend itself well to the action. Those gamers who are into retro-style RPGs and lots of content, this is certainly a title that shouldn�t be passed up by anyone.

7.7/10

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