Who says the PSP is dead? Oh, everyone? Including Sony? Right, right, because the PSP is dead and has been for like five years now. BUT HEY, that won't stop the folks at publisher XSEED Games from releasing a new PSP game next week anyway.
Above: the trailer for Brandish: The Dark Revenant, an action-RPG that will be out Tuesday as a $20 digital release for PSP. Why release a PSP game in 2015, you might ask? Well, for one, it's compatible with the more modern Vita and PlayStation TV systems, which is likely where most people will play it. Also, apparently it's pretty good.
Here's XSEED with some details:
Brandish: The Dark Revenant is an action-oriented reimagining of a cult classic from the annals of Nihon Falcom, the storied developers of the highly-acclaimed Ys and The Legend of Heroes RPG franchises. Players take on the role of swordsman Ares Toraernos as he climbs his way through over 40 sprawling floors of monsters, traps and puzzles in an attempt to escape a long-forgotten underground labyrinth. Along the way he repeatedly encounters his arch-rival, the voluptuous sorceress Dela Delon, who's just as interested in claiming the bounty on his head as she is in escaping the maze herself. With each floor boasting unrelenting enemies fought in real time, elaborate booby traps, ancient treasures and thousand-year-old mysteries to solve, Brandish promises to keep players fighting for survival till the bitter end.
This venerable '90s classic returns with a highly polished recreation of its ominous maps, cunning puzzles and sinister traps, but adds smoother gameplay, revamped boss battles, enhanced graphics, newly arranged music and more. Unrelenting monsters lurk in ancient ruins, cursed caverns and otherworldly planes alike, and every step taken can result in death as false floors, false walls, spikes, poison traps, boulders, teleporters and other deadly surprises position themselves between Ares and his freedom. Those seeking a moment of respite can play the slots or challenge NPCs to an original card game called "Blade," but that's only if they can find one of the game's well-hidden casinos.
Completing the adventure as Ares unlocks the expert-level "Dela Mode," in which players take on the role of sorceress Dela Delon and challenge over 10 never-before-seen additional floors. Harder enemies, crueler traps and even more maddening mazes must be conquered as players experience a new perspective on the story and a new magic-centric approach to combat.
...this actually sounds pretty rad and I kinda want to buy it now. Long live the PSP.
You can reach the author of this post at jason@kotaku.com or on Twitter at @jasonschreier.