While there are exceptions, RPGs have never really taken off on handhelds the way they have on consoles – at least when it comes to the PSP. Astonishia Story, the latest RPG to show up on the PSP, is an odd mix of things that work and others that don’t resulting in yet another forgettable PSP RPG.

At first glance, Astonishia Story is enough to get old school RPG fans excited. Rather than take the plunge into 3D, the game sticks to a 2D top-down view. All of the sprites that make up the game’s presentation look great on a technical level, yet fail on an artistic one. All of the characters are missing that spark of life that makes 2D so appealing. There’s nothing about these characters that makes them feel like anything more than stiff puppets. I’ll give credit to some of the game’s artistic designs since some of the characters look neat, though my appreciation never went beyond just liking how they looked.

Sound is forgettable and features your typical collection of generic battle noises coupled with a soundtrack that is easily forgettable.

Astonishia Story centers on the adventures of a young knight named Lloyd who is charged with protecting a sacred artifact on its journey back to its rightful owner. The caravan is attacked, the artifact is stolen and only Lloyd is left alive. From here, Lloyd sets out to recover the artifact and, well… the game just kind of spins off into a very vague story about uniting other artifacts and resurrecting power… or something like that…

Despite its name, Astonishia Story doesn’t tell that compelling of a story. There are a few interesting plot points, though these are never explored any deeper. In fact, some of better plot points are so text heavy and bogged down with poor translation work that it is easy to get lost or end up not caring at all.

Characters are cliché and not all that likeable. Again, this can be traced back to a sub-par translation job. The writing looks like it was simply translated word for word without much effort for its audience – resulting in stiff, unnatural dialogue. There are a few attempts to bring in some Working Designs-styled humor that break the fourth wall; unfortunately, these instances are so off-the-wall that they simply don’t work. Having characters comment on the fact that you’re playing a game or the like is fun when done right (see The Bard’s Tale for a good example), but Astonishia Story forces the idea a little too much. It is always fun to surprise players, but when the surprise is so out of context that it doesn’t fit within the game, you have a problem. It is like having a clown attack the Master Chief as he storms a Covenant battle cruiser. These instances become even more surreal when characters are inserted into the story to make some kind of social commentary on hacks, warez and piracy in general.

Beyond the story, Astonishia Story is your typical RPG. As Lloyd, you travel from town to town seeking information on the group that stole the artifact. Along the way, you’ll meet up with other characters and perform sidequests that take you into deep dungeons and pit you against monsters. Had the story been more entertaining, the game’s cookie-cutter feel would have been easier to overlook. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

Astonishia Story faces awkward balance issues. A major boss fight can be a cakewalk, while a battle with a random group of thugs could completely wipe out your party. The more I played, the more I felt like much thought wasn’t given to enemy encounters. Most of the time, the selection of enemies you have to face feels completely random, such as when you enter a battle featuring 4 – 5 magic users who can cast powerful, area effect magic from across the room before you even get a chance to spread your group out. Then there are boss battles where your initial battle placement means that at least one or two of your guys will die before they have a chance to even move. Sure you can revive one, but that turns out to be a waste of an item or mana most of the time since the character is usually dead before they are given a chance to move again.

One of the things I really liked about Astonishia Story was the battle system. I am a big fan of turn-based strategy RPGs, especially Shining Force. While Sega has yet to deliver a proper Shining Force title, Astonishia Story delivers a system that is reminiscent of series, only on a smaller scale.

Movement during battles is grid-based. Each character has their own movement attribute, so some can get to areas quicker than others can. Each turn, characters can perform an action if they are in range. Melee attacks usually affect one grid box, while most magic spells can either hit several enemies within a boxed area or in a direct line. The game does a pretty good job of varying up the character abilities in your party, but I was disappointed in how long it took to get a real ranged attacker. A number of items can be thrown, giving you a ranged attack if you really need it, but considering the number of enemies with ranged attacks you’ll face, things do feel unbalanced.

Another good thing about Astonishia Story is its pacing. The game is very quick and easy to get through. Menus are manageable and easy to cycle through and you can save anytime you want, making it handy for quick gaming sessions. Unfortunately, even these attributes can’t make up for what is an otherwise forgettable RPG that will really only appeal to RPG-starved PSP owners.