As we all know, the PSP has been severely undersupported by developers over the last year or so, which is a shame. The handheld is great and has so much potential, yet usually all we can hope for is a watered-down version of a big console release and the occasional first-party exclusive. However, Atlus is looking to rectify that, with not one, but two upcoming games for the PSP. We gave you impressions for one of them, Hammerin’ Hero, yesterday; today, it’s time to go to school with Class of Heroes.

Class of Heroes is exactly what it says it is: literally, a school of adventurers training to be warriors, wizards, clerics, and so forth. You’ll be using parties of six to explore nearby dungeons, but will get your formal training by attending classes (cleverly disguised tutorials that actually fit well into the gameplay). You have the option to create your own character, picking a race and a “major” (class), the aforementioned job titles. You could also choose from a list of default characters, but why would you want to do that? Character creation is where it’s at.



The creation system feels very reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons, which, for a nerd like me, is familiar and comforting. Balancing your party is one of the more interesting points of Class of Heroes, and really adds a layer of strategy to the game that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t give much thought to my party or their placement the first time I rushed into a dungeon, but after a simple battle that went on way longer than it should have, I immediately went back to school to rethink my characters. I only wish that the character creation was deeper and actually allowed the player to control the look of the character, instead of just having generic avatars for each race. That would have allowed me to feel more attached to them and care more about their outcome in battle.

The fighting and dungeon crawling itself is extremely old-school style, with a first-person trek through a dark, mysterious location. There’s no map, and you can’t see very much around you; all you can do is explore and hope to find treasure and gain experience. The front row can attack physically, the back row defends, and anyone can use magic (provided that it’s part of his or her major). It’s simple, but fun and addictive, especially if you have designed a good party of heroes. However, it also feels a bit outdated; I’m fairly early in the game, though, so perhaps the fighting will get deeper later.



Overall, I’m looking forward to tinkering with my groups and crawling through some dungeons; I only hope that there’s enough content in the game to keep it from getting repetitive. Class of Heroes will be out on April 7, so expect a full review in the coming weeks.

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