There are times when the PlayStation Portable feels like a ghost town. With the exception of some older titles and last year's God of War spin-off, there's little to play on the little powerhouse, and companies are jumping ship left and right. For the most part, the only big titles in development not being published by Sony were announced before the handheld took its downward turn, which is why it was all the more confusing when Unbound Saga was announced as an exclusive. The premise is interesting enough, and the promise of a Dark Horse comic tie-in helps push the idea, but does the game itself hold up?

I'll admit it felt awkward to even see a PSP game at the convention, but it's obvious after playing the game that it wouldn't be a fit for anything else in its current form. Vogster has created a unique world here, one that takes advantage of the PSP in every possible way. The graphics are stylized and nice looking, the game sports incredible physics for the handheld, and the idea of a comic book hero trying to escape the pages couldn't feel more at home on the wide screen.

It plays like just about every other beat-em-up. Rick Ajax battles enemies in different locations before leaping onto another panel, fighting his way through whatever "The Maker" decides to scribble. Literally. From time to time, enemies are drawn on the screen, which, while incredibly meta, is hysterical. Ajax can pick up and throw parts of the environment at enemies, and flexes his muscles by punching in everything in his path.

If this becomes too monotonous, Lori Machete, a second character, follows Rick, and can be swapped to on the fly. As opposed to being a clone, she is more agile, quicker, and has access to a number of magical abilities. Vogster isn't planning on adding cooperative play to the game because of the limitations of the PSP's hardware, but if the game is a success I wouldn't be shocked to see an Xbox Live or PSN version with that feature.

The developer wouldn't go into details, but promised something special for the final boss of the game - the maker. My imagination goes wild wondering what kind of meta, over-the-top battle this might be, and I can't wait to find out. Unbound Saga is going to be a 3-4 hour long downloadable title accessed through the PlayStation Network, which certainly helps its case, and will priced accordingly. It takes a lot for me to take out my PSP, as I've said a few dozen times in this article, but when Unbound Saga comes out I doubt I'll be able to put it away.

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