Customer Reviews

Brave Story: New Traveler

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are hardly any original RPGs on the PSP. There are ports and re-releases, but nothing that's truly unique enough to stand out. That may be what's so attractive about Brave Story: New Traveler. It's an RPG that isn't a port or re-release, and it also isn't a spinoff or anything like that. Those with a PSP craving for a decent RPG will have found one with Brave Story. So far, it may very well be the best RPG on the system.

Brave Story begins with a guy named Tatsuya playing his PSP while his friend Miki tries to talk to him. Yes, the main character is a gamer and it plays off the typical stereotypes. Guy plays game; girl tries to talk him; guy is too immersed in his game to care or listen. After she tires of being ignored, Miki runs off. Tatsuya's dog, Kratos then comes to him barking like there's no tomorrow. Tatsuya then follows the dog and finds Miki has collapsed. It turns out that Miki has fallen ill and that she may very well die. Tatsuya then runs out of the hospital. When he does he hears a voice that opens presents a door to him. Walking through this door is the pathway to Tatsuya's destiny. Through this door is a whole new world full of magic and mystery... kind of like the games he plays. At first glance the storyline is enough to make you roll your eyes in disgust, but stick with it (at least past the intro) and the game turns out to be really fun in the end, and even the storyline is quite impressive in its own right. The story is well written and fleshed out, and in the end is actually something quite fun to partake in. It's also got a good dose of humor.

The gameplay is where things really begin to unravel. Brave Story is very much a traditional RPG. You explore an overworld map, dungeons and towns. Along the way you'll also get into battles. Combat is as traditional as you can get here. It's turn based and menu focused. Yet in many ways its surprisingly strategic in its design. While you can easily enough just select the attack command over and over, there are some elements to Brave Story's battle system that many gamers might appreciate. There are of course your basic commands, but characters also have abilities they can use by expending BP. BP are Brave Points, which is pretty much the systems for magic. They allow your characters to perform special attacks and are restored depending on the amount of damage you do to the enemy. Keeping your BP up in battle is no arduous task, though, and you'll find that throughout your travels you can usually keep doing special attacks with little cost in there. RPG veterans won't find much of a challenge to Brave Story in that case.

In addition to a single characters attacks, however, there are also Unity attacks. Meaning an attack that two or more characters perform together. This really does add a bit of spice to the strategic feel of the game, and gives you a few more options for battle. On the other hand, much like special attacks of a single character, Unity attacks make the game fairly easy.

The good thing about Brave Story is that battles go fast. The bad thing is that the random encounter rate is quite high in most places. This probably isn't something most RPG players will be upset about, though, and it's a small price to pay seeing as how most of the battles you'll come into are over in a flash.

There's nothing in Brave Story that's overly complex, and that's part of what helps it succeed. It's a new RPG, but one that relies more on things that worked for the genre as a whole rather than trying so hard to shove original new things down your throat that might not work well at all. For some this is great. It makes it so anyone can get up and play Brave Story without getting the feeling that they'll have to learn and master a complex system of sorts. On the downside however, the things that help Brave Story succeed can also be the things that make some people want to leave it on the shelf. It's great the game relies so heavily on the RPG elements of the past that make the genre great, but there's not a whole lot included here to separate it from the crowd. There's little in terms of elements that make Brave Story its own or stand out in the RPG genre. It's a great game, but one that'll probably be overlooked in long run. Another thing that may be a bit bothersome is that while the story moves at a great pace, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to develop its characters. For the most part you'll probably like the cast of characters, but the game doesn't go as deep in getting to know them as it could.

As far as PSP games go, Brave Story is without a doubt the best looking one hands down. It's also one of the best running games on the system. The load times are virtually non-existent, and that's saying a lot for a PSP game. There's no pause between when battles begin and end, which is good considering the enormous amount of battles you'll get into throughout the course of the game. Everything also runs smoothly and flawlessly, and the character animations are also quite impressive. No framerate issues to worry about or anything of the sort. As a technical achievement, this may very well be the best you'll see on the PSP.

I can't exactly say the same for the music. The music is good in the sense that it works for the game, but there aren't a lot of tracks here that are memorable or outstanding. There's also not much voice acting really. Your characters will say things in battle and grunt and stuff, but aside from that, the main story doesn't feature a whole lot.

Despite what little shortcomings Brave Story has, this is quite a defining RPG for the PSP. Those looking for a decent RPG on the PSP, look no further. Brave Story is quite possibly the best you'll find.

The Good

+Overall, it's an interesting story
+Simple battle system
+The most stunning looking game on the PSP to date
+Virtually non-existent load times
+Simplistic Gameplay overall makes this a treat for every RPGer new and old alike

The Bad

-Not enough character development
-Not much voice acting
-Brave Story is a great game, but doesn't do a lot to make it stand out in a crowd of RPGs... it's not really a bad thing, but it makes the game fairly easy to overlook

Turn-based RPGs of old(like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Golden Sun) are hard to find in this day and time. Most are taking the action RPG route or some mixture of that & another type of game. So, it's really nice to see XSEED produce a game for us fans of the older Turn-based RPGs. Based upon the manga & anime, Brave Story, the story begins with a young man named Tatsuya and his friend named Miki sitting on a bench. Tatsuya is sitting there playing his PSP, for awhile, when he notices that Miki is missing. Kratos, her dog, barks and shows Tatsuya where Miki is. Finding her unconscious on the ground, Tatsuya sees she is sick from some unknown illness. He wishes that she becomes better when a voice speaks to him. It asks him if he wants to save her and make her healthy once again. He accepts and is whisked away to a land he doesn't know to save his friend. That's where the story begins. Although Tatsuya & Miki were created specifically for the game, many of the cast from the Brave Story manga are in the game. I'll admit, the game is typical old school Turn-based RPG fare but it's a solid game with some of the most breathtaking visuals that I've ever seen on the Playstation Portable. At the present time, you couldn't find a better RPG to waste your time away on.

Brave Story is something many RPG fans have been looking for. Lately, most RPGs seem to reach for an almost unattainable goal, some groundbreaking new territory that will redefine what people expect to see in a game. In all honesty, Brave Story does not do this. Brave Story takes the core of many of the classics, such as the Final Fantasies, and brings in elements that make the gameplay new and refreshing. Simple and intuitive, the game is very easy to pick up and play, without worrying about complex button routines or unusual options menus. The graphics are smooth and impressive, showing a great deal of inidivudal character motion, including unique motions to the various models. Catkin have ears and tails, and both respond much as what you would expect a real cat's too. The attention to detail is wonderful, and refreshing. Battles are fast and fun, with slightly exaggerated sound effect words displaying with each hit, making the game more engaging without being annoying. Another great thing, there are virtually no load times, anywhere. Battles will come and go without any pauses in your gameplay, it takes between 1 to 2 seconds for a battle to be loaded and going. The story has characters that aren't a rehashing of the same stereotypes, but has enough archetypes that players can still recognize their favorite traits. Oh silent protagonist, how we love that you only speak when we have an option to choose what you say.

Brave Story does not redefine the RPG market. It does however, offer gamers a way to enjoy a fun, straightfoward RPG experience with no real downsides. My first reaction was wow, and I have yet to be disappointed with the game. Don't hesitate.

About time. Here we finally have an original RPG for psp that is worth playing. In almost every aspect, Brave Story surpasses every previous RPG for psp by taking the flaws that every psp owner has come hate and correcting them. Load times, graphics, playablility, story and overall fun... this is a refreshing title for the sytem. Now dont get too excited for it isnt perfect and if this was another ps2 rpg, i probly wouldnt think too much of it for its nothing new and unique but the plain fact is that this is a turning point for crappy rpgs on the psp.

If you took 3 or so previous rpgs (lets say Blade Dancer, Kingdom of Paradise and legend of heroes or something similar) you would have an amazing rpg for the psp but alone, these games arent too amazing (not to say these games arent good). The problem with rpgs for the psp is that while they may have great qualities, they come short of being a great game for they lack other qualitites necesary to be an amazing title. One game may have good graphics but no story while another may have voice overs and an OK story but graphics suck and load times are LONG. Brave story just about has it all.

Graphics are great. The characters are detailed, environments are colorful and alive and everything is smooth with 3D graphics, no pixelation and almost NO LOAD TIMES (you heard me. the load times are nearly instant)

Music is pretty good. Its not final fantasy but every area has new music to fit the mood along with battle themes and character themes.

Sound is good as well. There ARE VOICEOVERS for the characters in specific spots, (except the main character for that is you) but unfortunately 75% of the game is in text and not voice but everytime something important happens, there are voiced cutscenes. Could use a bit more as far as sounds for footsteps, movement and areas but its nothing that really brings the title down.

Story is rather good as well. It has one of the best original RPG stories ive seen on the psp yet. Now again, its not final fantasy but its enjoyable and with new characters and events always popping up, it doesnt get old thanks to a load of cutscenes. Like I said, most of the cutscenes arent voiced but they're still enjoyable and keep you playing. You are constantly moving to different areas and dungeons so the game stays fresh.

The Battle System is great. Sure its nothing new and different but its fun and stays true to classics such as Dragon quests and earlier final fantasys so if you like those titles, this is a great one for you.

Tales of the World: Radiant mythology is another RPG that was released just before this one and everyone seems to think that its better than Brave Story but in my opinion, this games kicks its butt. 5hrs into Tales of the world and what had I done? countless quests spiraling in a never-ending pool of boredom and lack of story. This game however is ALL story with good characters, a great battle system and gameplay that is just fun. With Brave Story just released, Dragoneer's Aria comming soon and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII sometime in the hopefully near future, the RPGs for PSP have just begun.

I love this game. While the character development is lacking, and some voice acting would be nice, I have to say the game play is a lot of fun. Normally, turn-based RPGs tend to annoy me after some time... but not Brave Story.
Character design is great for a handheld game. Yuno is so cute!
The storyline is more based on the movie than the book, but it's still a loveable storyline.
All in all, it's a great RPG and I recommend it to everyone! (And the book!)

I absolutely love this game!! It's everything an *old-style* rpg gamer could ask for and more.

What made it great to me were the quests within a quest. You have the major quest with dozens of mini-quests that are listed in your Questbook once they are activated. While you could finish the game without worrying about the other quests they are what truly made a good game great!

Once the game finishes you can even select a clear save and have a couple of new quests to do should you choose to do so. This game is a must have. It's better to me than Final Fantasy and that's saying a lot.

I am hard of hearing so I can't comment on the music or the voices.

The graphics are so gorgeous that you almost wish you were there too. For me, there is no game out there better than this one and I can't wait for another game with Tatsuya or maybe his son! :)

I've had this game for about a week and played about 15 hrs worth. Here are some initial thoughts:

PROS:

+Hilarious dialogue and very charming characters. Since you'll be spending your whole game with these characters, humor and personality is a must.

+Quick battles and I love the extra attack feature that happens from time to time to speed up battles

+Gorgeous game, top-notch cut scenes and beautiful scenery and towns

+Quick learning curve. I've mainly played only Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts RPGS but Brave Story is easy to learn and dive into

+Gives you the option of listening to either the JAPANESE OR ENGLISH voices in battle mode, no other game i've played so far offers this feature, too bad it doesn't give you that option for the cut-scenes too.

+ALMOST NO LAGTIMES AT ALL. Seriously.

+Those of you who have watched the anime movie will be pleasantly surprised to know that some main characters make an appearance and actually join your party for a short time!!!

+This game is currently under $20, pretty cheap considering the quality.

+Decent music, it's not mindblowing but it's pleasant and easy to listen to.

+Besides the main quest, you can also do sidequests like helping the villagers in return for useful items There's also birdcatching and birdbrawling (aka cockfighting) which is pretty addictive, i just wish there were more characters in the game you could birdbrawl with.


CONS:

-The Maps: THERE ARE NO MAPS FOR DUNGEONS OR FORESTS. This is a huge problem for me because there are easily dozens of paths in these areas and i'm constantly getting lost or retracing my steps because I can't use the map feature.

-The English voices are VERY annoying, just grit your teeth and bear with it though.

-A lot or random enemy encounters, when you're trying to get somewhere specific this becomes very annoying.

-It's not an amazingly new or innovative addition to the RPG genre. Basically the same save the girl story.

-Slow text, there's a lot of text dialogue and I wish there was a skip feature for dialogue I've already read through.

-The main character is as boring as a rock, there are times in the game when you're given an option for saying either the expected thing or something wildly humorous, but this doesn't happen enough. Thankfully, the side characters are there to make up for it.



Final thoughts:
For an RPG it does almost everything right. And at it's current price, this game is a catch. I'd recommend this game for experienced gamers who want to play something solid and casual gamers who are new to the genre. I'm not sure why it's $70 on Amazon, but just buy it from the other vendors.

It's a great game! The story is a bit simple, but it's entertaining. The characters are all likable except the main character, who is silent, a pet peeve of mine. But other than that, it was good fun all the way through. There's a lot of text, rather than voice acting, which could put off some people, but everything else is sound. There's some nice usage of soft filtering on the characters that really make the graphics look nice. The combat system is a little different, offering combination attacks among members of your party, and your mana refills as you attack. If you're into turn based RPGs, you'll enjoy this one. It plays it safe as far as innovation goes, but it's still a great game.

I don't remember any loading times, so they must have been short, and I didn't encounter any technical problems whatsoever. No worries there.

Recommended!

This game is part of a media blitz that took over Japan some time ago, starting with a book and following with a manga series (sold here on Amazon), an anime movie and more cool stuff.

The game's story starts with a boy being given a chance to save his sick friend from an unknown disease by journeying to the fantasy world of Vision and proving his bravery to that world's goddess. To prove his worth he must get five gems. Every time he gets one his sword will become stronger and the day he gets the ultimate sword's form he will be granted one wish, whatever it is.

The world is well built, the characters are likeable and, most important, the gameplay is fun. The graphics look great with beatiful scenery and cool monster designs. The sound and music is not the strong point of the game but still they are pleasant enough to hear through long game sessions.

After starting playing I couldn't drop the game for some days until I reached it's end, but fortunately there are still some side quests to pursue. If you have a PSP and do yourself a favor and add this game to your PSP library. It is one of that must have titles you can't afford to pass.

I just got a PSP last week and this is one of the first games I picked up and I haven't been able to put it down. Though it lacks the flashy graphics that a lot of people seek in games these days, the story is fun and the characters are entertaining and creative. Based of the same fighting style as Final Fantasy, it goes with the back and forth combat but with an array of new ability. The Unity Abilities are awesome as far as I'm concerned, being able to combine an attack with your fighting characters. All in all, I love this game and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys RPG style games as much as I do.