The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean (PSP)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 5.8 (2.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Greg Mueller
• Reviewed on: 01/29/2007
• Updated on: 06/22/2007
• Released on: 01/23/2007
• Originally published on GameSpot: The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean (PSP) Review

The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean is the third chapter in the series from Namco Bandai and developer Falcom. Remarkably, it's the third lengthy role-playing game in the series to be released within a period of about 14 months. It's great to see the PlayStation Portable library filling up with role-playing games, but unfortunately The Legend of Heroes III suffers from the same underlying problems that made the first two so forgettable. It's a functionally sound game that's easy on the eyes and will take a very long time to finish, but it's completely lacking in depth and character, which makes for a very dull experience.

As the subtitle implies, The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean carries two familiar themes: water and music. You play as a young musician named Forte who enjoys a carefree existence in a seaside town with his family and friends. Forte is mentored by his grandfather, McBain, an accomplished and well-traveled musician. After receiving a package and some information regarding the lost and supposedly magical Water Melody, McBain sets off on one last journey in search of the secret tune. Being the feisty and adventurous youth that he is, Forte decides to go along on the journey, accompanied by his friend Una and McBain's dog, Jan. You set out across the land of Weltluna in search of hidden resonance stones, which are engraved with fragments of the Water Melody. Along the way, you meet new people, battle hundreds of monsters, and discover secret treasures. While the game has the makings of an exciting and epic adventure, it's unfortunately flat and generic. The characters are likable enough, but none of them are the least bit interesting.

The game is functionally sound, at least. Aside from the story and characters, The Legend of Heroes III contains about everything you'd expect from a role-playing game. You move from one town to the next along winding paths fraught with monsters, and you'll do battle, get stronger, and discover treasures. The game is rigidly linear, to the point that you can't leave a town until you've talked to all the right people (handily indicated by red exclamation marks above their heads). Once you've done that, you'll usually have to go explore a dungeon or cave until you've completed your given task. You then go back to town to activate the next task, which is usually just as menial as the first. You'll spend a lot of time running errands for townsfolk just so you can progress through the story. These quests are only tangentially related to the story, and more often than not your only reward for completing these tasks is being able to finally move on. The game advertises 50 hours of gameplay, which is impressive, but that estimate is buffered by the plodding pace of the game.

When you're on the path between towns or exploring a dungeon, you'll see enemies scouting about. Depending on how strong you are, the enemies will either charge you or try to stay out of your way. If you make contact with an enemy, you're drawn into a turn-based battle. You issue commands to as many as four party members and then watch as the turns are executed according to initiative. You can attack; use skills, magic, or items; run away; or switch out your characters if you have five or more people in your party. Much of the time, all you'll have to do is select the attack command over and over until all the enemies are dead. Some enemies will be out of range, requiring you to move closer at the risk of forfeiting a turn. Every time you take a turn, you fill up a power gauge for each character. When a character's power gauge is full, you can press the circle button to perform a finishing move. These moves are unique to each character and usually inflict serious damage on one or more targets, often resulting in an instant kill. A finishing move takes no skill or strategy to use, but it's the closest you'll come to a gratifying moment in what is otherwise a very simplistic battle system.

Continue reading

Where to buy

The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean (PSP): $29.95

store	price	in stock?	rating
GamesDirectOnline	$29.95	No

see prices from 1 store

Compare prices for The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean

GamesDirectOnline

$29.95