Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner (PSP) - Review
High: Excellent voice acting and anime-style character design.
Low: A LOT of conversations and a lack of exploration in areas.
Monster Kingdom is probably the best RPG style game out on the PSP. However, that isn't saying too much. Not only is it a RPG, but it's only available on the PSP, which makes it a little better since it's really one of the only games to be solely for PSP. The game is full of very great voice acting and crisp anime style character designs. The music isn't too bad either, and the sound effects seem to be pretty on queue. There are no awesome CG cut-scenes though, just the stylized anime style characters that pop up when it's their turn to talk. The storyline is good enough to keep you interested, and the concept of the game is as addicting as Pokemon was before all the cartoons and card games. You run around throughout the story capturing jewels, which contain monsters, that you can summon in a battle to protect you. I really look at it like a mix of Final Fantasy (storyline and character-based) and a very matured Pokemon.
Got to catch “em all! Well, the game is a lot like Pokemon in some ways (tons of monsters to catch), but there isn't the feeling of having every single monster you see. Why do you ask? Well, the monsters have different elemental properties (Earth, Wind, Ice, Fire, etc.) and within each property the monsters have the same spells and attacks. If MK would have made each monster have a different set of moves, it might have been more exciting in the sense of capturing every monster. However, there is a nice unique element to the game in fusion of Jewels. You can have a monster jewel fused with different element gems and you can teach the monster a new move once the fusion is complete. However, it takes a while to do the fusion, you can only have up to 4 moves (later you can have 5), and sometimes the fusion fails. It is nice though, to teach your monster an attack that protects them against their opposite element. The monster design is, for the most part, good. The only complaint I have about the monster design is that there seems to be too many different forms of a monster and the only difference in those monsters are the color of their fur/skin/scales. Monsters can evolve, just like in Pokemon, and their evolved forms aren't too impressive. Usually they are just a little bigger, with all the same moves. Just seems like MK ran out of ideas for monster design, but the ones they did come up with are good enough to get you through the game without feeling jipped.
When you start out this game, be ready for hours of conversation between the characters. The best thing about this game is the very good design of the characters and the excellent voice acting, and Altus had to have known this because there is an over-abundance of conversations. If you can get through the first 3-5 hours of the game's dialog then you can get through most of it. Honestly though, most of the conversations are needed, to show the character development and to advance the storyline (obviously). There are times when you will get sick of a little princess of a character and a hot-headed street-punk, but the unique storyline is worth sticking it through. About the storyline? Well, it deals a lot with the power source of the planet, monster jewels are being used for energy. The Academy is against it because the jewels contain living monsters, and the way they are using the jewels kills the monsters inside. So, they are fighting against the government-type group in the game to free the jewels and save the planet from abominations (really big monsters-greatly animated) that are formed from the planet. It sounds a lot like Final Fantasy 7 doesn't it? (Mako=Monster Jewels, Weapons=Abominations) The main character is enough to build a good back story behind, and enough for gamers to enjoy play as. I will let you make an expert opinion about Vice though, and I will let you find out his back story.
The graphics are pretty good, mostly just pretty basic environments that you can't really explore too much compared to other RPG games. There are a few areas here and there where you will get lost, but just use your field abilities you gain throughout the game and you should be able to get through it well enough. Field abilities? Yeah, abilities you gain as you progress that allow you float across breaks in the path, make blocks disappear, and even set traps to catch monsters. The field abilities are another great addition to this game, pretty unique in this format. You will not be able to explore big cities though, which is a downfall of the game. When you enter a city, a map comes up with different dots on it you can click on, which are shops, houses and inns. When you click on the dots it just takes you right into a conversation, usually, in the destination you clicked. This makes the game play move quicker, but it also takes the fun out of exploring a bit.
The fight controls are pretty basic. Vice, the main character, and two other comrades will roll into a fight with their first monster out (each character can have up to 3 monsters, the other monsters are in a "monster bank"). The battle menu is simple, you have 4 (maybe 5) options of attack which each monster, and you just pick the attack you wish to do. Also, there is an items option, a summon different monster option, and escape options in the battle menu. It is a turned base system during the fight, and it works a lot like Final Fantasy 10, to where you can see which character will be coming up next by a group of different icons at the bottom of the screen. Each icon is a different character, and the one closest to the left is the character that is attacking currently. Confusing when you are reading this, but if you have played FF10 then you probably know what I'm talking about. There are 6 basic elements on each monster, and with each element comes a weakness, fire melts ice, ice puts out a fire, wind erodes earth, etc. Also, there are holy elements and dark elements, which negate each other entirely. Each of the 6 basic elements falls under either holy or dark magic. Either way, it works a lot like other RPGs with magic systems in the fashion of magical weaknesses.
In conclusion, Monster Kingdom is a very good buy for your PSP, especially if you like character development and you have a PSP without a good RPG. Again, there is a great amount of dialog, but the voice acting and beautiful anime style character design makes it worth sitting through it. The story is may not be the most unique, but it mimics that of FF7, which is an incredible story. The battle system is simple enough to get the hang of within the first few times you use it, and Vice is a great front man to the game. If you liked Pokemon when you were younger, chances are you will like the more mature, older brother Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner. It is worth the money in my book.
High: Excellent voice acting and anime-style character design.
Low: A LOT of conversations and a lack of exploration in areas.
Monster Kingdom is probably the best RPG style game out on the PSP. However, that isn't saying too much. Not only is it a RPG, but it's only available on the PSP, which makes it a little better since it's really one of the only games to be solely for PSP. The game is full of very great voice acting and crisp anime style character designs. The music isn't too bad either, and the sound effects seem to be pretty on queue. There are no awesome CG cut-scenes though, just the stylized anime style characters that pop up when it's their turn to talk. The storyline is good enough to keep you interested, and the concept of the game is as addicting as Pokemon was before all the cartoons and card games. You run around throughout the story capturing jewels, which contain monsters, that you can summon in a battle to protect you. I really look at it like a mix of Final Fantasy (storyline and character-based) and a very matured Pokemon.
Got to catch “em all! Well, the game is a lot like Pokemon in some ways (tons of monsters to catch), but there isn't the feeling of having every single monster you see. Why do you ask? Well, the monsters have different elemental properties (Earth, Wind, Ice, Fire, etc.) and within each property the monsters have the same spells and attacks. If MK would have made each monster have a different set of moves, it might have been more exciting in the sense of capturing every monster. However, there is a nice unique element to the game in fusion of Jewels. You can have a monster jewel fused with different element gems and you can teach the monster a new move once the fusion is complete. However, it takes a while to do the fusion, you can only have up to 4 moves (later you can have 5), and sometimes the fusion fails. It is nice though, to teach your monster an attack that protects them against their opposite element. The monster design is, for the most part, good. The only complaint I have about the monster design is that there seems to be too many different forms of a monster and the only difference in those monsters are the color of their fur/skin/scales. Monsters can evolve, just like in Pokemon, and their evolved forms aren't too impressive. Usually they are just a little bigger, with all the same moves. Just seems like MK ran out of ideas for monster design, but the ones they did come up with are good enough to get you through the game without feeling jipped.
When you start out this game, be ready for hours of conversation between the characters. The best thing about this game is the very good design of the characters and the excellent voice acting, and Altus had to have known this because there is an over-abundance of conversations. If you can get through the first 3-5 hours of the game's dialog then you can get through most of it. Honestly though, most of the conversations are needed, to show the character development and to advance the storyline (obviously). There are times when you will get sick of a little princess of a character and a hot-headed street-punk, but the unique storyline is worth sticking it through. About the storyline? Well, it deals a lot with the power source of the planet, monster jewels are being used for energy. The Academy is against it because the jewels contain living monsters, and the way they are using the jewels kills the monsters inside. So, they are fighting against the government-type group in the game to free the jewels and save the planet from abominations (really big monsters-greatly animated) that are formed from the planet. It sounds a lot like Final Fantasy 7 doesn't it? (Mako=Monster Jewels, Weapons=Abominations) The main character is enough to build a good back story behind, and enough for gamers to enjoy play as. I will let you make an expert opinion about Vice though, and I will let you find out his back story.
The graphics are pretty good, mostly just pretty basic environments that you can't really explore too much compared to other RPG games. There are a few areas here and there where you will get lost, but just use your field abilities you gain throughout the game and you should be able to get through it well enough. Field abilities? Yeah, abilities you gain as you progress that allow you float across breaks in the path, make blocks disappear, and even set traps to catch monsters. The field abilities are another great addition to this game, pretty unique in this format. You will not be able to explore big cities though, which is a downfall of the game. When you enter a city, a map comes up with different dots on it you can click on, which are shops, houses and inns. When you click on the dots it just takes you right into a conversation, usually, in the destination you clicked. This makes the game play move quicker, but it also takes the fun out of exploring a bit.
The fight controls are pretty basic. Vice, the main character, and two other comrades will roll into a fight with their first monster out (each character can have up to 3 monsters, the other monsters are in a "monster bank"). The battle menu is simple, you have 4 (maybe 5) options of attack which each monster, and you just pick the attack you wish to do. Also, there is an items option, a summon different monster option, and escape options in the battle menu. It is a turned base system during the fight, and it works a lot like Final Fantasy 10, to where you can see which character will be coming up next by a group of different icons at the bottom of the screen. Each icon is a different character, and the one closest to the left is the character that is attacking currently. Confusing when you are reading this, but if you have played FF10 then you probably know what I'm talking about. There are 6 basic elements on each monster, and with each element comes a weakness, fire melts ice, ice puts out a fire, wind erodes earth, etc. Also, there are holy elements and dark elements, which negate each other entirely. Each of the 6 basic elements falls under either holy or dark magic. Either way, it works a lot like other RPGs with magic systems in the fashion of magical weaknesses.
In conclusion, Monster Kingdom is a very good buy for your PSP, especially if you like character development and you have a PSP without a good RPG. Again, there is a great amount of dialog, but the voice acting and beautiful anime style character design makes it worth sitting through it. The story is may not be the most unique, but it mimics that of FF7, which is an incredible story. The battle system is simple enough to get the hang of within the first few times you use it, and Vice is a great front man to the game. If you liked Pokemon when you were younger, chances are you will like the more mature, older brother Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner. It is worth the money in my book.
Scores:
Graphics: 80
Audio: 95
Gameplay: 70
Replay: 70
Overall: 79
Graphics: 80
Audio: 95
Gameplay: 70
Replay: 70
Overall: 79
