Bandai Drops the RPG Bomb on PSP; “The Legend of Heroes” to Consume the Lives of Gamers and Batteries

by Louis Bedigian

“It has many traditional RPG elements – a complex story, large cast of characters, expansive world, and mysteries to be solved.”

I was all set to take that ultimate, end-of-summer vacation when I heard the big news: come September there'd be a PSP role-playing game to sink my teeth into. Not some hack-n-slash cooked up for the heck of it. A full-fledged, Japanese RPG! Magic spells, fantasy worlds, characters with big eyes – all the features you’ve come to expect from the genre. The game is The Legend of Heroes, Bandai’s first major PSP offering. 

All the goodness of a PlayStation 2 RPG has now been crammed into the world's most powerful handheld game console. Featuring character designs by Minako Iwasaki, great graphics, and several cool spells, The Legend of Heroes is the game that’ll make gamers buy a second (and third and fourth) battery for the console. With a lengthy, multi-day quest involved, no one is going to be able to get through the journey on one charge.

Mark Chadwick, QA Analyst at Bandai Games, took some time away from his busy schedule to answer our most important questions. 

The Legend of Heroes is going to be one of the PSP's first major role-playing games.  Tell us why fans of turn-based RPGs (who are used to spending their time at home in front of a television) should get excited.

Mark Chadwick: The biggest advantage of The Legend of Heroes on the PSP is that you’ll be able to play it on a school bus, during lunch, or in the car, and not be tied down to a TV at home. The game can be saved at almost any point, allowing players to satisfy their cravings for some serious RPG action at any point during the day.

Other than being turn-based, how would you classify this game? Is it set in a fantasy universe?

MC: This RPG is indeed set in a fantasy universe, with magical spells, potions, and monsters to fight. It has many traditional RPG elements – a complex story, large cast of characters, expansive world, and mysteries to be solved.  One of its most unique features is the pet that will assist you in battle or collect items for you. 

Those hats make great bike reflectors. 

Where will the game take us?  Towns, villages, castles, dungeons?  Tell us all that you can!

MC: Most of the story development takes place in towns and villages spread out across the continent of El Phildin. As you travel from town to town, you can fight monsters, sail on ships, and discover ancient technology. Encounter new friends and treacherous villains as you explore extensive caves, large towns, and discover the history behind this fantasy world.

Can you tell us about the characters (good and evil), or is it too soon to reveal those details?

MC: Avin and Mile are the heroes of the story. Mile has lived a solitary life as a child until he meets Avin, whose history is quite tragic. Avin was orphaned at an early age and separated from his sister Eimelle. As Avin and Mile set out to search for Eimelle, they find themselves entangled in a bitter battle between the Church of Bardus and Octum’s Apostles, two large religious groups tied to the gods of light and darkness, respectively. Along their travels, they meet many people, some good, some evil, and a few plot twists that send the story in unanticipated directions, as they fight to save Eimelle from the evil forces of Octum’s Apostles. 

Man does that sting! I knew I should've unplugged the toaster before sticking a fork in it. 

Of the 100+ characters there are to interact with, how many are playable?  How many play a key role in the development of the story?

MC: The way the gameplay works is that Avin is the leader of his “party.”  The party can contain up to four characters total, including Avin, and characters are added to and removed from the party by events that occur in the story. As the player wanders around the map, Avin is the character that appears, representing the entire party. All fourteen of the playable characters play key roles in the development of the story, and all fourteen have their own strengths and weaknesses in battle. When a battle occurs, the player assigns actions for each member of the party, and then the battle round commences. For example, Avin is good at physical weapon attacks, whereas Mile is good at “white magic,” or magic that heals, protects, and interferes with the enemy.

How is the story told in the game? Are there specific movie sequences, or is everything explained through text?

MC: The original storyline unfolds in several different ways: through scripted and automated events, and through player-controlled activity. The scripted and automated events mostly consist of conversations and non-interactive activity, which move the story forward. Player-controlled activity includes making decisions, and choosing where to go, as well as engaging in combat. There are occasional intermissions that take place and explain a large passage of time in text.

For those who are unfamiliar with Minako Iwasaki, what makes her artistic style the perfect choice for this game?

MC: Her style is perhaps best at conveying the look and feel of a Japanese RPG on a portable game system, because her ability to render complex character designs on smaller screens is outstanding. The cute little characters that run around on the screen add to the charm of the game, while the larger images used during conversations are used to show the wide range of emotions that many of the characters experience throughout their journeys. 

"What's that you say? You need a strapping young lad to save the world? I think I know a guy..." (Points to himself.) 

Final Fantasy has used orbs, other games use cards – where is magic derived from in The Legend of Heroes, and how does the magic system work?

MC: There are two types of magic in The Legend of Heroes, each of which comes from a specific side of the conflict between the Church of Bardus and Octum’s Apostles. Note that one does not necessarily need to belong to either group in order to use magic, as evidenced by Avin, who can use black magic. Nor is it necessarily an indication of good or evil.

White magic, often practiced by the followers of Bardus, tends towards peaceful uses, such as healing, curing poisons, and interfering with an enemy’s ability to fight. Many of its spells can be used at any time, whether in combat or not. Black magic, most often used by Octum’s Apostles, tends towards more violence, such as raining fire upon an enemy, or opening a chasm beneath their feet. These classes of spells can only be used in combat.

Magic uses Magic Points (MP). Resting at an inn recovers MP, as does ingesting certain potions. MP does not regenerate on its own.

Do battles occur frequently? Are they random, or can you avoid certain encounters?

MC: When the player’s party is out and about moving from one town to another, or searching caves, or many other circumstances, there are plenty of opportunities to battle. The monsters will know if they are stronger than you and attack. However, if they sense they are weaker, they will attempt to flee. You can still attack, but the amount of experience you get for beating them will be low, and it might not be worth your time. Most battles are avoidable, but there are some that are required for you to progress farther into the story.

Wow, that whitening tooth paste you gave me really works!

The graphics are said to be very beautiful. Could you give us a few examples of why this is the best-looking handheld RPG yet?

MC: With the PSP’s large 24-bit color LCD screen, brighter and more detailed graphics can be brought into the handheld RPG market. Some of the subtle details include faint shadows of clouds on the ground as they blow by high above, swaying leaves on trees, textured landscapes, and even camera flare off the sun. The widescreen format also suits the conversations well, as the person who is talking is displayed, but does not wind up covering the entire screen.

Thank you for your time.