Yet Another Look
Gameplay (7) - Lots of Monster Hunting:
Now it goes without saying that you'll be hunting monsters. What many forget to mention is that you'll also be gathering, you'll be fishing, mining, catching bugs, etc. You use these items to either have weapons crafted for you, or to combine them to make potions, ammo, and other items.
The score was rated (7) because the fighting can get repeatitive. You can also lose health quite fast and get a feeling of being overwhelmed. Then again, if you attacked similar things in real life you wouldn't last long either.
Graphics (10) - Beautiful, But Without the Wait:
Simply the best I've seen to date, sparing Midnight Club 3. Unlike Midnight Club though, the load times are actually bearable. You're looking at 30 seconds from town fields, and then about 2 to 3 seconds between zonelines. What makes the graphics especially notable is the attention to detail to the background, as well as lighting and smooth animation.
Sound (8) - Dead Silence to Musical Feast:
The sounds are pretty much on par with what you'd expect. I love the town and farm music, and well as the intro music into zone 2 of the field (when you first zone in on a quest). Unfortunately, it does tend to get a little quiet at times out on the range.
Value (7) - Long Game, But Will You Stick With It?
First and foremost, the game is brand-new as of this writing. Most people cringe when thinking of spending another $40 on their $250+ handheld. You'll definitely get your $40 worth if you stick with this game. But if you're turned off by the hunting and gathering, as well as remembering combinations for potions, etc, as well remember loot dropped off of monsters... you won't last very long.
Tilt (9) - And Why Does This Category Exist Again?
Since its required, here's my "tilt". Based off of categories the games gets around an (8), but I truly feels like it deserves a (9). However, these type of games aren't for everyone and so I had to adjust for that. I have spent near four hours with this game (which felt like only an hour) and came away impressed. You'll definitely get more gameplay/value out of the game if you have friend that enjoys the game as much as you and you can engage in the multiplayer guild quests. Oh, ignore what they say about having to spend hours at a time with it... that what's the "sleep" mode on the PSP is for.
And there you have it, another review for the pile and again in contrast with all of the paid reviewers. Perhaps they've come to have too high of expectations, perhaps its because they couldn't get a good grasp of the game in 30m, who knows? Either way, make your own decision, and my review definitely isn't the only one out there.