Despite hosting a convoy of racing games since launch, there still isnt a decent PSP adventure game to swallow the hours wasted on public transport. But even though its not the killer RPG that gamers-on-the-go are hungry for, Namcos Tales Of Eternia is still a deep and rewarding distraction while you wait for something of Zelda-like proportions to arrive.
An old-fashioned, traditional role-playing game - where players are soon up to their necks in statistics, alternative weapons and random attacks from roaming monsters - Eternia is an update of the PSOne RPG, Tales Of Destiny II, the 2D characters and sprawling isometric maps looking all the better for being displayed on the PSPs deliciously sharp screen and making the adventure feel slicker than its 2001 predecessor.
Innovative real-time combat and a host of mini-games that take you off the beaten track to appreciate the scale of the quest also help make Eternia the best role-player on the PSP, and even though the action can often become tedious when you get stuck in rambling conversations with the locals while searching for clues, this is still a charming and compelling adventure.