3D Dot Game Heroes - PS3

3D Dot Game Heroes, an action-adventure outing from Silicon Studio and FromSoftware in Japan, harks back to the days of 2D gaming but uses the PS3's 3D current-gen graphics to immerse the gamer.

The task in hand is to free the Dotnia Kingdom from the evil endeavours of the Dark Bishop Fuelle. The Bishop has retrieved six orbs of a magical variety, thus bringing doom, gloom and various shades of unpleasantness to the population. The orbs were initially stolen by Dark King Onyx, by the way, before he was condemned to imprisonment. The gamer plays the role of the hero.

This isn't a simple case of a one-dimensional character choice however, as there are several heroic options to choose from. These include 'the Wandering Scholar', 'The Royal Heir to the Dottano Kingdom', 'The Descendent of the Legendary Hero' and 'The Legendary Hero' himself. As you'd expect, each character provides a different set of skills with which to pursue the quest.

Bearing in mind that developer, FromSoftware, is also the creative force behind the incredibly difficult but rewarding Demon's Souls, gamers have a two difficulty levels to play through. These are: the easiest ('Spelunker') settings for the beginner, and the hardcore 'From Mode'. In this latter mode there are a variety of bonuses to be achieved.

Everything is played out through fast action, with a quirkily original graphical environment that reflects the 2D kingdom's decision to 'go 3D' by edict of its king. Humour abounds both in the main game and also in the mini-games that provide a break from the constant action. more