Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion review

We're not always asking for triple-A excitement in portable games. Sometimes, something to blissfully slaughter a few hours of our time is just what the doctor ordered. Legend of Heroes isn't going to win any awards or start any revolutions, but it's arguably the best traditional RPG on PlayStation Portable so far.

In almost every respect, Legend of Heroes goes a step above the norm to separate itself from mediocrity. Its story features several points on the RPG plot checklist -- orphaned kids with secret abilities, powerful cults after them, etc. -- but flows at a nice pace. Avin searches for his lost sister, making plenty of both friends and enemies along his quest. He's a likeable main character, and each of his allies adds something new to the mix.

Legend of Heroes' combat alludes to the old Lunar games, in that characters move around a battlefield while taking shots at one another. You have a good deal of choices during fights: use your default attack, cast any number of spells or execute special skills, or just slink into the corner to avoid conflict. Each successful strike builds a power meter, which when full can unleash a deadly attack. Overall, combat in Legend of Heroes is satisfying enough to hold your attention, and is a nice complement to the decent storytelling.