Japan Review Check: Tactics Ogre, God of War PSP

Plus: Mafia II's scores just as mixed in Japan.

An overview of the hottest games hitting Japanese store shelves next week, courtesy of Famitsu magazine's review pages:

- Tactics Ogre (9/9/9/9, 36 points): For JRPG fans, this PSP remake of the 16-bit classic is definitely the game of the week. "All the new gameplay features added are incredibly fun and incredibly useful," one editor wrote. "You aren't just rewinding your turns in battle; you get to pore over the branching points in the story and every move you've ever made in the game, which is amazing. With a game as tough as this one, it's a vital tool for your strategy -- I think it makes things a lot more accessible to beginners."

 

"I like the changes made to the leveling system," another added. "It makes creating a truly unified force a lot easier. The difficulty and story are just as hardcore as always, too."

 

- God of War: Ghost of Sparta (10/9/9/9, 37 points): While Tactics Ogre may be the homeland favorite in Japan, it seems plain that the second PSP God of War is the release that wowed Famitsu the most this week. "The graphics and controls have been polished and more than live up to the God of War tradition," one editor said. "The fact that loading is practically nonexistent is impressive, and the new flame-based attacks are awesome when you pull them off. Much of the game is the same as before, but even so, this game takes action to a whole new dimension."

 

Another editor agreed that "while there aren't any major changes to the series here, the simple fact that this game more than stands up to comparison with its console brethren is nothing short of astounding. It's impressive that the PSP can be taken this far."

 

 
- Mafia II (7/7/8/7, 29 points): Maybe Famitsu's scores aren't so inflated after all -- their takes on this game largely match the mixed reviews it received worldwide upon its English-language release. "I love the visuals -- they really succeed at recreating urban life in America once upon a time -- and I like how the story takes you through the ranks of the mafia," one reviewer said. "However, it feels like half the game is you driving from point A to point B. There are no real sub-missions or anything of the sort, and the game is overall extremely linear."
 
"The city's huge, making it seem like an open world, but you actually have very little freedom," another added. "You're just running missions, one after another. It's easy to get to grips with, but I feel like there's not enough meat to it in the end, especially when you factor in the lack of gun and fighting moves at your disposal."
 
- Crafting Mama (8/8/6/7, 29 points): This series has been a guilty pleasure for tons of gamers over the years, and the newest one seems to keep up the tradition. "It's a simple game with no story aspect to it," Famitsu wrote, "but this no-frills approach makes it easy to lose yourself in the gameplay. You do have arrows pointing out what to do, but otherwise there isn't a ton of guidance, which really makes it feel like you're crafting something original."
 
Other editors weren't so kind: "It's a little weird to get penalized for failing to do things that have nothing to do with actual craftwork, like tapping the screen at the right moment. Some of the minigames are too hard to follow, and it seems like you're judged too harshly on them as well."
Source