Brave Story: New Traveler is easily one of the prettiest games on the PSP. That alone would be reason to take a chance on it, but it also happens to be a well thought out take on the fantasy RPG cliche. Interesting characters, smooth battle sequences and a rich story make it one of the PSP’s most-own RPGs.

The star is Tatsuya, an 11 year old boy from our world. One day his best friend and him were out, and she passed out. She was quickly admitted to the hospital, where the protagonist and her family were informed that she was dying.

There’s one way for her life to be saved – a mysterious frog appears before Tatsuya when he is visiting and says that there is a goddess that grants wishes in the parallel world of Vision. If he enters that world as a Traveller and meets the Goddess of Fortune, he can wish for his friend’s health.

Tatsuya’s choice is clear, and he quickly heads to the world of Vision, where he meets strange personalities and helps individuals of that world.

The story in Brave Story: New Traveler is simple on the surface, but still engaging enough to keep you playing. With the help of characters like cat-girl Yuno and aligator-man Sogreth, Tatsuya travels the world. Story sequences tend to focus in on the characters (with decent English voice acting) and show off the rich designs. The combat as well features great character models.

The battles also offer standard RPG practices. There are union attacks with other characters, where two or three characters can execute an attack together on an opponent. There are also special attacks (activated with brave points) for each character, but sadly the main character doesn’t receive any until he’s reached the game’s third town.

The standards are accompanied by two elements which keep gameplay fresh – extra attacks and brave point regeneration. If a character deals the KO hit to an enemy, then he or she may get to attack again. Also, brave points regenerate with every standard attack.

Like all RPGs, there is a some-what gimmicky mini-game involving birds. Players can catch birds in special forests, and then use them in battles or to barter for items. It is Brave Story: New Traveler’s only failing. Birdcatching and collecting is fun for perhaps a few hours, but fails to entertain in the long run.

There is one catch – veteran RPG fans may find themselves bored with the game. While it looks great and does have a few twists, it offers little in the way of challenges or unexpected twists and turns. You won’t find any shocking revelations, here. Brave Story: New Traveler is more of a casual RPG. Despite the urgent tone imparted by the need to find the Goddess of Fortune before Tatsuya’s friend dies, the game seems to maintain a leisurely tone.

Since the PSP is basically a handheld for RPG fans, Brave Story: New Traveller is a wonderful addition to the system. The fresh storyline and beautiful visuals combine to create an adventure that players of any skill level can enjoy.

Also – if you enjoy the game, you may want to check out the novel. Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe, the inspiration for Brave Story: New Traveller, has been translated to English and is available in most major bookstores. In fact, Wataru, the star of Brave Story, appears in Brave Story: New Traveller.

What does this score mean? Check out our review scoring breakdown.