Reviewed: February 3, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer
Climax Entertainment
SCEJ

Released: November 15, 2005
Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1-2
ESRB: Teen

7
8
8
8
7.9

Supported Features

But the PSP is different. You have a larger and much more vibrant screen than any other handheld to come before it, and you have a system with so much power that many gamers are playing their PSP as much if not more than their home consoles. Even so, the PSP is pretty light when it comes to RPG titles. Untold Legends and X-Men II are pretty much it, and while those were pretty good, nobody has quite nailed the genre down just right on the PSP.

Kingdom of Paradise is far from perfect but it’s the best fantasy RPG we’ve got so far. It blends a stunning 3D engine with a real-time flexible combat system that certainly sets it apart from the turn-based combat on most console RPG’s. Throw in a fantastic presentation of great graphics, well-executed story, flawless cutscenes, and nice voice acting and you have the new high bar for role-playing on the PSP.

Kingdom of Paradise is loaded with story and it’s told through numerous pages of text and an impressive amount of spoken dialogue for the really important parts of the story. The script is for the most part really well done, but there are either some localization issues or just a few painful instances of dialogue so bad its funny.

There is a lot of upfront work when you first start playing the game. You have to travel around the village and talk to everyone, do some training, and then move on to the action. For an RPG, the game seems to be equally balanced with intense 3D fighting using a robust combat and combo system on par with Onimusha or Devil May Cry.

Your combat system is quite unique relying on “Bugei” scrolls and “Kenpu” forms. Scrolls have slots that determine the number of Kenpu moves you can chain together in a single combo. The bigger the scroll, the more powerful the attack. The entire concept is a bit strange, but only because it’s new and refreshingly original.

Once you grasp the concept you’ll have a lot of fun tracking down all the scrolls and forms and mixing them up into some exciting combinations. There are 150 forms and 15 styles of combat so the potential is virtually limitless. And that’s just the melee combat. We haven’t even covered magic yet.

Chi is your magic ability and comes in five elemental flavors like wood, earth, water, fire, etc. You create spells rooted in each of these elements and the more you cast them the more powerful they become. There are multiple and progressively more powerful forms of almost every spell and each is more stunning than the last.

Combat is in real-time so you have to move and strike in a real 3D environment. And while there is a bit of finesse in creating your Bugei scrolls, using them is a button-mashing affair with no style required. And while Chi powers are gorgeous to watch on screen, they can get too powerful to quickly and create some lengthy periods of imbalance in the gameplay, at least until the enemy catches up.

Even then, Chi spells are so powerful and recharge so quickly that you will likely forsake your more mundane combat skills in favor of the flashier and deadlier Chi attacks capable of taking out multiple enemies in a single strike.

Another reason to forego the melee combat is the ill-executed blocking system. Blocking in Kingdom of Paradise requires you to hit the block button several seconds before the anticipated strike. It’s a very delayed reaction that totally takes away from the real-time nature of the combat, and when blocking doesn’t work you stop using it, and then you just take a lot of unnecessary damage. Better to stick with the Chi and attack from long range.

There is a lot of combat in Kingdom of Paradise with random encounters popping up on just about every screen you pass through on your way to village to village or wherever your destination may lie. There are plenty of NPC’s with whom you can interact, and a massive world to explore.

It’s a shame the world just isn’t laid out a bit better or at least keyed on the map. If can be quite frustrating trying to find some of your destinations. Directions are pretty generic and you’ll often have to seek additional help as you get near your target area. You walk pretty much everywhere but later in the game you can take a boat to travel large distances quickly.

Character modeling is really good with all sorts of detailed textures and subtle design touches, and the animation is outstanding, especially in the various combat moves and combos. Special effects are just insane starting with simple flashes and blurs of weapons strikes to the colorful lightshows that accompany the Chi attacks.

The menus and stat screens are nicely laid out, easy to read, and simple to navigate. It has all the workings of a major RPG but it’s all perfectly scaled to the PSP screen.

Sound effects range from standard combat sounds for the melee to some fantastic and powerful sounds for the Chi attacks that fit perfectly with the visuals. There is also some great environmental audio whether its something as simple as birds chirping or waves crashing along the beach.

I briefly mentioned the voice work earlier, and while all of the lines aren’t Shakespeare, the people doing the reading did their best to deliver their lines. There are a few annoying voices in the bunch, but you expect that with just about any localized title these days.

Additionally, you can trade your Kenpu forms with others over the wireless link, so if you have found some scrolls your friends haven’t, or vice versa, you can even out the playing field. And for those wanting to explore the Kingdom of Paradise online, you can even jack into the Internet for online exclusive Bugei scrolls, Kenpu forms, and other special items.

As the PSP matures I am sure we will see RPG’s bridge the gap between console and handheld, but until that day, Kingdom of Paradise is a valiant attempt to blur the lines between action, adventure, and RPG, and put it all in the palm of your hand.