Brave Story: New Traveler

Brave Story stands tall not so much as a brand new experience with innovative gameplay, but a solid homage to the genre that manages to get every aspect just perfect.

In the end, Brave Story comes as something of a surprise and quite a pleasant one at that.

The best RPG so far on the PSP.

Brave Story New Traveler is a simple old-school RPG for all ages and is one of the best handheld RPGs ever released.

Make no mistake, this is a dyed-in-the-wool mid-generation PS1 RPG with no aspirations to being anything more. But it does what it does astonishingly well, so much so that it becomes much greater than the sum of its parts.

While it may be a little easy and a little childish, Brave Story: New Traveler is an RPG that will appeal to an incredibly wide audience and is one of the first titles to truly take advantage of the handheld hardware Sony has provided.

Brave Story: New Traveler is a must own for all role-playing fans.

A must for players who have longed for a 3D Final Fantasy to be made for Sony’s handheld.

For those of us that find ourselves longing for an RPG that we can enjoy for awhile, without ever feeling rushed or overly caught in minor details, Brave Story can fit that bill on the PSP.

Saying this game is visually stunning is an understatement. [Aug 2007, p.72]

It's a great game to be sure. Extremely playable and thankfully portable, it can have you going for hours on end. But seriously, I wouldn't mind if they tried to break out of the JRPG mold a little more.

Brave Story: New Traveler isn't innovative; it doesn't bring anything new to the RPG genre, break graphical bounds, create a revolutionary new combat system, or last 80 hours. What it is, however, is fun. Battles are swift and enjoyable, the characters are charming and likable, the side-quests are interesting and rewarding enough to keep you searching every nook and cranny of the world, and the graphics are among the best on the PSP.

With a fun battle system, great graphics and character design, no loading times, and plenty of charm and wit to boot, Brave Story is an easy recommendation for any RPG fan. This is one of the best RPGs (if not the best) for the PSP yet.

With a lighthearted story, stellar graphics and an all-around solid presentation, New Traveler has a lot going for it.

It literally takes a good two or three hours before things really get rolling. If you can make it that far, though, you'll get to bang away at a very solid game.

It may sound strange, but the developers of Brave Story: New Traveler have created an above-average experience by taking a perfectly average formula and making absolutely no errors in its execution.

Sadly, this could've been the best RPG on the PSP to date, but it's marred by an exhausting 2-3 hours of intros and reading (yup, no voices). [Sept 2007, p.82]

It's the perfect PSP purchase for RPG fans, and a great way for genre newcomers to get their feet wet. [Sept 2007, p.61]

Though it can hold claim to the title of most advanced PSP tech showpiece, the actual gameplay part of Brave Story is left lacking -- if only a little. Go into it expecting naught but a cliched RPG experience and you won't be disappointed.

It’s one of those games that looked back and took notes from history’s best, simplified that, and sped up the pacing just a bit to keep players interested each time they turn it on.

It's a solid RPG that's sure to appeal to fans who want a fun yet simple romp through the genre they love. However, Brave Story lacks the ingenuity to make it something I'd play for hours on end.

The turn-based battles are stylish, and even feature team attacks and recharging magic points. There is also a collection sidequest involving goalfinch battles, which are basically cuter and less gruesome cockfights.

Brave Story isn’t for everyone. The storyline drags along at a snails pace and the lack of customization options doesn’t benefit the replay value.

It's hard not to admire this 2007 PSP game for what it's worth, but it simply doesn't develop its assets far enough.

Brave Story follows the traditional role-playing-game formula to the letter and ultimately turns in a serviceable, though unremarkable experience.

The random battles, simple controls, and linear storyline may put off those hoping for a newfangled experience; but the high production values, engaging characters, and vibrant world will keep this Story from being shelved.

There are a lot more engaging RPGs available for the PSP. Brave Story: New Traveler just treads the same old ground.

If you’re bored of strategy RPGs and really want an opportunity to sit down with a traditional game, then I suggest this title. If not, stay away, especially at retail price.