Gaming Signal: A trio of PSP titles

A trio of PSP titles

Recently I went to India and took along my trusty PSP as a way to pass the time on the interminable 18 hour trip (plus - just for me - 7 hours layover in Frankfort, Germany!) Besides 3 books and half of the first season of Heroes on my PC (thank you bittorent), I bought three new titles and tried them out.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions: Nice game for the PSP overall, but slower than I would like. If I have one gripe about the PSP, it is that many games are slow - either in load times or during the game. FFT suffers from long and frequent load times. It really sucks, because I keep feeling I could be having so much more fun than I am. The game mechanics are fun and leveling up is very interesting. The game does throw you in the deep end rather quickly and your RPG choices aren't entirely obvious. It hasn't impacted my game yet, but I can see people easily making poor choices on skills / levels. The gameplay is good, with interesting combat. The game has too many hints during play, but I'm hoping there is a way to turn them off that I just haven't found. I have yet to play a Final Fantasy game that I actually like, but FFT is the favorite of all I have played so far. There are some Japanese things I have a hard time with like the male protagonist appearing like a girl - he's fair and pretty and long-haired and some very strange dialog sequences, but otherwise this is a solid game. If you like Final Fantasy, I bet you'll find this one worth playing.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror: This game was a bargain buy at Best Buy because it isn't a new title. And what luck, because the game is a ton of fun. This is the first shooter on the PSP I felt I could actually play without cursing the interface. And, load times are quick and infrequent - another bonus. The special forces guy that you are plays well and has lots of interesting gadgets that are easy to use. I highly recommend this title.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters: A platformer that has extremely high production value. This has to be the prettiest game on the PSP that I own. The shooter elements are fun, and the puzzles are interesting. I haven't gotten too deep into this game yet (Syphon Filter took up a lot of my time) but I am definitely enjoying it. If I have one complaint, it is that the save system is a bit odd - but once you get used to it things work fine.