My all-time favorite console RPG is Lunar: The Silver Star. It's not a perfect example of what an RPG, or a game, should be but it has a certain endearing charm. Though it doesn't quite rank as high as Lunar, Hexyz Force comes as close as any game has.

It doesn't stretch the PSP's abilities as far as other games, but Hexyz Force earns lots of points for artistry. The overall look is reminiscent of Jean D'Arc. It takes the anime route, but characters never seem as over-the-top. They're all likeable and engaging, but never to the point of obnoxiousness. You're sure to find one or two annoying characters along the way, but that's how it usually goes.

In an effort to speed gameplay along, major voicework only appears during cutscenes. These only happen during major plot points and never last longer than a few minutes. Music is typical for the genre. It helps set the mood within the game, but nothing is particularly memorable.

A guiding principal behind Hexyz Force's design, aside from providing a fun RPG, is speed. Story sequences rarely last more that a minute or so and if that's too long, there's a fast forward option. Emphasis is placed on getting you into gameplay as quickly and as seamlessly as possible. It starts with an install option, which cuts down on load times significantly, and ends with the quick pacing. Nothing is ever more than a button click or two away. The only blemish is the lack of a "Quick Save" option. Save points aren't rare, but spread far enough apart to never be where you need them, when you need them.

Hexyz Force's narrative is split into two stories. One follows Cecelia, a cleric from a world bathed in light, and Levant, a knight from a world shrouded in darkness. Each character is unaware of the other world, though their quests will bring them into contact with each other. Although the two stories share some overlap, each is its own complete 30+ hour tale. It essentially means you're getting two games for the price of one.

Gameplay is as straightforward as it can get. Dungeons are long enough to provide lots to do, but short enough so they never feel drawn out. Enemies are visible on the dungeon map, offering the opportunity to attack them head-on, sneak up on them for a surprise attack or avoid combat. Sneak attacks are the way to go and easier to pull off once you figure out how enemy movement works. They'll give chase, but only within a certain range. It's possible to bait enemies into chasing you to the edge of their territory. Once they turn back, charge and attack. You won't always get the jump on an enemy, but the trick works most of the time.

Outside dungeons you can create new artifacts and items, which replace the idea of shops. The system is regulated by components earned by fighting enemies, adding incentive to pick fights rather than avoid them. The item list isn't impressively long, but there are enough upgrades to keep you motivated.

Characters level up through combat, but also earn Force Points. These are incredibly important since they allow you to heal outside of combat as well as charge your weapons, unlocking new abilities. It's a simple system, but like nearly everything in the game, there's a hidden depth of choices involved. It's engaging, but never overwhelming.

Unless you want a real challenge, I recommend tackling Levant's side of the story before jumping into Cecilia's. The underlying mechanics and general difficulty curve are about the same, but Cecilia doesn't get a formidable third party member until much later in the game. While Levant gets a powerful group of fighters early on, with Cecilia you've got a warrior and priest. The duo can handle themselves in a fight, but not as well as Levant's crew.

When the opportunity to save presents itself, do it. Hexyz Force is targeted as a simpler approach to RPGs, but it's no pushover. You can, and will, die in battle if you're not careful. Party members are hearty and can take a beating, but enemies will team-up on weaker members. When possible, it's best to try and sneak up behind enemies on the play field and gain a Preemptive Strike. The added turns really help in later chapters.

One neat feature is the Logbook. If you're ever lost, you can check the Logbook for a summary of what happened and what you need to do. There's even an option to review character dialogue if you're still not sure what's going on. This is a feature every RPG should have.

Combat is incredibly simple, but with an added layer of complexity. Every attack has a base stat, but is augmented based on combat conditions. All attacks are aligned to Crimson, Pearl or Cerulean. The three colors share a paper-rock-scissors relationship; Pearl is weak against Crimson, but powerful against Cerulean. The system works for both you and enemies, so the trick is to find a way to make a color chain work for you and not your enemies. It's a neat system, though for whatever reason, I had a hard time keeping it in mind while fighting. On the plus side, nearly every puzzle in the game reinforces the concept, so it is always fresh in your mind.

Crafted weapons offer more combat options, but are limited in use, introducing a sly risk-reward system. Do you want to toss all of your crafting resources into a weapon you can use once or twice, or build some piece of armor that will last longer? Do you want to strike with a powerful crafted ability and lose a charge, or use a slightly weaker ability from your main weapon? Again, the system is incredible simple, but still offers a lot of choice.

The Destruction/ Creation system is another cool mechanic. Nearly every choice you make contributes to an overall balance that affects how your quest ends. This includes taking on certain quests, your response to questions or even how many times you run from a fight. The neat part is how well the system is integrated into gameplay. Points are tallied up at the end of each chapter and there's no obvious "right" or "wrong" answer. What happens is solely based on how you play. I would love to know the mechanics behind the system, but enjoyed the opaque nature of the system. Rather than worrying about how my actions affected my standing, I just played.

Hexyz Force is as straightforward as an RPG can get, but don't dismiss it based on its lack of bells and whistles. Thought it doesn't do anything exceedingly new in gameplay, it's a fantastic example of not just a portable RPG, but of what portable gaming should be.