Heaven's Will

The 2006 Japanese PSP Heaven's Will traps an amnesiac captive in a timed underground survival game. Sword, gun and shockwave attacks help him clear monsters while protecting up to three experimental companions, or EOs, whose powers can reveal maps, locate threats or strengthen equipment. Choosing whom to bring and how much danger to expose them to gives the sinister science-fiction premise a worthwhile tactical and emotional hook. Ten facility floors and multiple endings suggest a compact game worth revisiting, and the setting makes an effective first impression. The execution is much less assured. Enemies tend to approach predictably, so the safest solution often becomes parking companions and clearing each room alone. Switching weapons stops the character, room transitions load frequently and even interrupt the music, making traversal feel slower than its time limits suggest. Later items and levelling can reproduce companion abilities, reducing the importance of the game's best idea. Replay requirements for alternate endings then magnify the thin encounter variety. Curious PSP collectors may appreciate the unusual premise; players seeking polished action or sustained survival-horror tension are likely to be disappointed.

Who it is for: Players investigating obscure PSP science-fiction games despite rough execution.

Play notes: This Taito title is not Kingdom of Paradise or Tenchi no Mon.