The PSP is quite a interesting handheld device, it’s major draw for me was the more Mature themed content and the 3d Graphics. That’s not to say I don’t own a DS but there isn’t Kratos on the DS. This time around it’s a fresh new title from Tecmo called Undead Knights. I was lucky enough to get a review copy to give a spin. How does this game live up to it’s undead title?
Gameplay
What an interesting concept Tecmo unveils for the PSP. It’s kinda a Overlord-ish type game but substantially different. The story takes place in a Medieval realm. Essentially you play as a undead character that for story purposes is going out for some old fashion revenge. As you attempt to secure your revenge you are face with wave after wave of various enemies. The question then becomes “How do I beat all of these enemies” the answer is pretty simple turn them into Zombies and let the mayhem begins. The basic controls is pretty easy to understand. It’s broken down by Strong Attack, Light Attack, Jump and Zombatise!!! You use the Analog stick to control your character while the R button is used for directing your Zombies. Simple Hold the R Button and then direct using the Analog Stick. Zombatysing works by grabbing the opponent and infecting them with the Zombie Disease the more health they have the longer it takes. If you weaken a Enemy and they are blinking red grab them and Bam Insta Zombie!! There are also a couple of different ways to use your zombie. You can use them as a shield which lowers the amount of damage you take. You can lob the zombie at someone which in terms of the bigger enemies the zombies will hold onto them, when a certain amount of zombies are on them they get brought down. Then it’s time for some Hack n Slash!! You also can swarm people by directing your zombie horde at a particular target. This works for the lesser enemies but the larger ones generally back hand them down. The Zombies also have a shelf life and don’t last forever. Generally there are plenty of enemy’s around to repopulate your horde. The rest of the game is broken up into getting into a castle while destroying everything in your path. The Controls were pretty descent though at times I wished for a extra Analog Stick, especially when attempting to direct my Zombie Horde. Though this is more the fault to the PSP design. During the game you collect souls that you can then use to upgrade you character. Undead Knights also features a Multiplayer element over the Ad Hoc system.
Graphics
The Graphics were pretty nice actually. Certainly not the best I’ve seen on the PSP but still looking solid. The Blood spurts and zombies were always entertaining and fun to watch. Especially with various limbs being torn off. The Lighting was pretty descent adding to the overall environment of a Medieval Realm.
Sound
The sound was just so so. There is full voice over in the game that features an English cast. There wasn’t a option to switch to Japanese Dialogue but this should come as no surprise when it’s on handheld device. The Voice acting wasn’t bad but it did lack a bit. The Music also seemed a bit out of place at times. It was largely Heavy Metal music that didn’t really help the atmosphere. At times it seemed to not fit the overall vibe of the the game.
Overall
Undead Knights is a pretty descent game especially being on a handheld system. It feels like the game has a lot of potential and might be better suited for a console counterpart. With the lack of a Dual Analog on the PSP it seems to hinder the Controls a bit. The game is largely based around the handheld style, meaning that chapters don’t take to long and you can usually get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. It’s very entertaining game and fits pretty well with the PSP.
