One genre that's been terribly underrepresented on the PSP thus far is the RPG genre, in particular Japanese RPGs. While PoPoLoCrois is the best RPG of it's kind on the system by default (the only competition being the "as mediocre as it's name" Legend of Heroes), it's more of a good start for the genre than the true RPG PSP gamers have been waiting for.
PoPoLoCrois is actually a combination release of the first and second games in the series, which were released for the first PlayStation and among the many RPGs on the system to never see a release outside of Japan. It follows the adventures of Pietro, a young prince in the land of PoPoLoCrois. At the beginning of our story, Pietro is a mere 10 years old. Yet he's called upon to save not only his mother, but ultimately the entire kingdom as well. Along the way he'll meet up with a diverse cast of characters, all fitting into the quirky Japanese RPG mold, and grow up while traveling the world.
The problem with the plot is that everything that happens is just too generic. Although there are some emotional moments to be had (largely aided by in-game anime events), the written dialog never really conveys a true sense of emotion or urgency about Pietro's quest. It's also incredibly simplistic, which is actually a good thing for those of you on the younger end of that "Everyone" rating's scale but a bit boring for everyone else. In short, the narrative feels exactly like you'd expect from most games released nearly a decade ago on a 32-bit system originally.
That being said, some interesting characters and genuinely laugh out loud moments make it a journey worth taking. The game is just plain charming, from the quaint villages to the naïve and noble characters. Whether it's a sprawling castle, seaside fishing village or town in the middle of the forest every area in the game is interesting and unique from the others. Even the bad guys (aside from the really bad guys) have a certain charm to them. There are also some really funny (or just plain goofy) events that take place during the course of the game and have no real impact on the storyline (ex: a magic student testing out a new spell and accidentally setting someone on fire), and these go a long way towards making the player truly enjoy an otherwise unremarkable story.
The battle system is a mix of old school Final Fantasy active turn-based combat and Ogre Battle like strategy. Battles take place during random encounters, and play out in the same ¾ perspective as the rest of the adventure. Characters take turns executing commands based on their speed, with each command taking distance and space into account. So some attacks can only be executed up close, while others can occur in a direct line across the screen or in a certain area. Characters can also face one of four directions, lending further strategy to placement on the battlefield.
While this system works well enough, what hurts it is that overall it's just a little too slow. Random battles occur frequently, and having to use your first move or two to get into proper position nearly every time grows old rather quickly. Not only that, but when performing virtually any special command the game must first load up that command's canned animation and/or voice snippet off the UMD, which results in some annoying several second pauses during combat.
Since this is essentially a port of two original PSX titles, naturally the visuals don't stand up to modern PSP releases. Although the hand-drawn artwork is charming and the anime sequences entertaining, for the most part it feels like you're simply playing an old RPG (which you are of course). I would most closely equate the game's visuals with PSX clunker (but decent looking) Beyond the Beyond, or the original Suikoden without the latter's elegance. Which is, of course, fine in some instances as the quaint graphics do have a certain sense of nostalgia about them. Most younger gamers will probably point and laugh however (what do they know anyway?), and in my personal experience newer gamers certainly weren't impressed.
Same goes for the sound. The soundtrack isn't that impressive, and although the tunes are competent they hardly rank with the many classic soundtracks found throughout the genre. Usually when I'm writing a review of a RPG I'll have one (or several) tunes looping through my head, but I honestly can't remember a single tune from the game now even if I try. The voice acting isn't annoying, but hardly exemplary and hit or miss when it comes to properly conveying emotion. Same with the sound effects, which are remarkable in their average-ness.
Bottom Line:
PoPoLoCrois is a by the numbers, early 32-bit RPG that competently provides a fun little adventure and a much-needed entry in the Japanese RPG genre on the PSP. If you've been waiting on this kind of thing (and I have), it's definitely worth purchasing to keep you busy until better offerings come along.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
|
| 7.5 |
Posted: 2006-02-23 20:40:34 PST