Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions - PSP

There has been endless hype over this game which at launch shot to the top of the PSP charts before anyone had even read the back of the box. And I have to say, it's not entirely undeserved.

The reason it did so well from the outset of course is a result of the Final Fantasy nostalgia to which I am no more immune than others. Imagine if you will, those who have hung-up their sweaty teenage keypads to get "sensible jobs" in "the real world" - those of us not lucky enough to get jobs working for Nintendo - who have been secretly stashing a PSP in their glove box for the day that Final Fantasy came back to stay.

The game initially, as is inevitable given the hype, disappoints. It would be daft to let nostalgia overrule the fact that the game play animation is boxy and not what today's PS3/xbox/Wii gamers expect - though the movie-style cut throughs are pretty cool.

The thing about this game is just to keep going. Yes it is difficult and you'll begin the game eiether losing several characters in every battle or just quitting over and over and going back to the beginning to get through the first few levels in tact. My favourite quote on the web (from Portable Video Gamer) is that "they keep the gamers picking their PSPs out of the fresh dent in the wall and back into their easy chairs for another go". Bucket of plaster, anyone?.

However, once you get through this tedious initial phase - once the faithless have been culled from the gaming herd, with a bit of patience and a little tedious level grinding you will reap the rewards. I promise.