Dungeons and Dragons Tactics PSP

I had ZERO knowledge of this game until a few minutes ago and can not believe how nice it looks (Visually) and clean it looks (game play wise).

Out in 2007 is all I know for now, but one I will keep up on. Article below from IGN.PSP

http://psp.ign.com/articles/708/708322p1.html

The PlayStation Portable fanbase deserves a good RPG built for all of the capabilities of its machine, taking advantage of the power and multiplayer support and versatility of Sony's hefty handheld. Atari and developer Kuju Entertainment are heeding the call with a tactical, turn-based RPG set in and using the rule set of Dungeons & Dragons, and if everything in development proceeds the way that the E3 demo showed it to be going, we may finally have it in hand what RPGers have earned by buying a PSP.

Dungeons & Dragons Tactics works on PSP so well because, although its "Tactics" name may strike gamers as a FF: Tactics or Metal Gear AC!D type game, the gameplay is essentially the same turn-based multiplayer gaming that pen-and-paper board game players have been rolling their way through since the '80s. Only here, it's presented in 3D. The game strictly follows all of the AD&D 3.5 ruleset guides, including weapon strike chances, encumbrance, etc. You can have up to six characters in you party (which in 6-player multiplayer can be individually assigned to each gamer), and tactical rules of turn dictate the initiative of who can move or strike when across the game field (you can also use delay of turn moves to help mitigate overuse of a turn). The battle map looks like any other large 3D role-playing game, complete with dynamic lighting, 3D rotation and zooming of the camera, fog of war disguise of unseen areas (especially in dark dungeons, where torches and light spells individually light sets of space) and detailed character models. However, when you choose a turn, the level floor draws out a grid of movement possibilities, thus the "Tactics" of the title. A menu pops up allowing you to choose attacks or actions or items, and inside each choice are further modifiers such as attack or full attack, magic, set to ready, etc.

The PSP game takes place in a new realm, different from Icewind Dale or other recognizable episodes of the franchise, but it will still contain a vast number of elements familiar to fans. All of the core races and classes are represented, plus two Psionic characters are included -- a Psychic Warrior and a Psion. Its core story is about the scurge of dragons, which is probably a good thing since the in-game dragon models are huge and awe-inspiring.

Although the dungeons of the D&D tradition are represented well here in the variety of stages, there are also outdoor realms such as castle rooftops, large stretches of treacherous landscape, and even astral planes. We witnessed one castle siege sequence set in what looked to be a fortress built in the trees, and the view was an impressive break from the claustrophobic dungeons settings. These are not in any way cut-down mini-stages designed for quick-play, and are in fact so large that the designers have implemented a save-anywhere feature (even in multiplayer) so that handheld players can pick it up and play but will still get the full depth of an RPG. Furthermore, this isn't just a basic dungeon hack, as there will be slight puzzle and strategy elements to dealing with each stage. Lighting is a big feature when you are exploring the darkness, for instance, and there are traps to avoid and loot to collect throughout. In one significantly intriguing sequence that we saw, players must deploy their archers to another section of the map in order to gain a shot on the ropes for a drawbridge so that the rest of the party can advance.

One of the coolest and most truly RPG elements of the game is that it has a path of good and evil to the story. There are varied quests for each alignment, plus different endings depending on how you decide to let your characters go. This good/evil set-up is dynamic, and the game will warn you as you begin to veer towards the dark side. Your party characters are also fully customizable, upgradeable, and able to be equipped with gear and weaponry and techniques, with the ability to trade characters in multiplayer also included.

For this PSP game, Kuji is packing it up with a number of features. Besides the item trading and six-player co-op features, there are also adversarial multiplayer modes that include Deathmatch, Last Man Standing, Treasure Hunt and Dragon Hunt. The game will unfortunately not be playable online, but downloadable content is planned to help extend the game.

Of course, it's too early to say now whether Dungeons & Dragons Tactics will be truly great across all of its planned 35-40 hours of gameplay until we venture through it deeper, but we were really impressed with what we saw and what we recognized of the D&D ruleset represented here. Even at just 50% completion, the game looks to be an attractive 3D RPG, with just the need of a bump in framerate (which the dev is already concentrating on) to help bring its impressive detail and lighting to life. Look for further impressions on a more complete build of the game later this year.