Leave it to Atlus to bring a game to the States that is just a little different from the norm. With the niche success of Skygunner previously this year, Atlus is looking on building that same kind of success with Dual Hearts.

Technically speaking, Dual Hearts doesn't come anywhere close to the quality shown in some other PS2 games, however it does show an amount of style and creativity rarely seen in games. Building on the premise of entering the dreams of other people, the game gives artists the thing they want most - freedom. As I played through the game, it was very clear that the artists used every bit of it and really let their imaginations soar. Each level has its own personality and does a great job of reflecting the personality of the person who is dreaming it. The most noteworthy of these effects comes when you enter the dream of a little girl and the entire world is drawn in crayon. To add to the coloring book world, the artists made everything except your characters 2D. This is an effect that is played to the max of its abilities even going so far as having your character struggle to pull 2D objects into his 3D world or transitioning levels by turning the page. Ever wondered what dogs dream? You'll find out here.

Like the graphical presentation, it is not the most technically sound...uhm, sounds ever produced, but they do exhibit their own uniqueness. However, they still lack that certain flair the graphics do and at times come off as cheesy.

In ancient times, humans learned to control their dreams and brought about a Utopian society. Soon, Nightmares began to enter the world and destroy the dreams, resulting in a battle of good versus Nightmares. In the end, the good was able to overcome the evil by trapping them in the Dream Stone, but in the process, Utopia was destroyed.

Enter Rumble, a treasure hunter with the uncanny ability to find the most elusive of treasures, is searching the Dream Temple for the legendary Dream Stone. At the same time there is Tumble, a mythical creature who can wander in and out of people's dreams, who is searching for the dream keys he misplaced. As the usual video game course of events goes, Rumble and Tumble both discover that they can use each other to help further their personal goals and set out on an adventure together.

As far as adventure games go, Dual Hearts is rather linear and straightforward. You always know where to go next and there are very few times when you have to think. The better part of the game is based on both the intricate weapons system and the relationship between Rumble and Tumble. Rumble begins the game with a sword and spear. As he progresses through the game, he acquires new weapons. The essential gameplay element is figuring out which weapons work best in which situations. Using an axe may give you power, but the lack of agility will hurt you when facing faster enemies. This element is brought out even more by the ability to carry two weapons - allowing you to figure out which weapons work best when combined.

As if managing the weapons system wasn't enough, much of the game is also based on figuring out how best to use Tumble's special abilities. After defeating enemies, Tumble can eat the energy left behind to fill his 'Tummy Points'. As long as he is full, Tumble can use different abilities such as flying, high jumps, fire breath, and even the ability to heal Rumble.

As complicated as it may sound, Dual Hearts is actually a fairly easy game. Younger, less experienced gamers may find it a nice challenge. Seasoned vets however will find the game a little too easy, especially since you can acquire a near infinite life meter via Tumble's healing ability. The weapons system offers some interesting spots, but at times I felt it never truly pushed the barrier and capitalized on the system. Overall, most of the game feels way too open and combat can creep down to such a slow pace that it is easy to lose interest in the game altogether.

When it comes down to it, Dual Hearts is amazingly similar to the N64'sZelda in terms of control. This most notable feature is the lock-on system. By pressing L1 during combat, you can lock-on to an enemy and fight. As handy as this feature is, the battles in the game become so rudimentary and slow paced that most of the time it's easy to forget you have the lock-on and just wail away at enemies. I was really happy to see how well the controls were integrated to allow control over both characters. During combat, controlling Tumble's healing abilities are as easy as hitting the L2 button, while pressing R2 allows Rumble to ride Tumble and open up a whole slew of new abilities for the duo to use.

Overall, I was somewhat impressed with Dual Hearts. Both the gameplay elements and general style of the game were enough to at least get me interested in the game, yet the whole experience never follows through - resulting in a fun, yet incredibly easy (and short) adventure. This is a worthwhile adventure for younger gamers, but older ones may want to try something else.