The Tales series from Namco Bandai is well over ten years old now, having appeared on a variety of platforms in 20+ plus games and spinoffs. It's been a huge success in Japan and has done okay in the U.S., where it's often overshadowed by whatever new game Square-Enix has released. Those brave enough to try the franchise have discovered a typically cutesy world wrapped up in a battle system known as the Flex Range Linear Motion Battle System, which is a convoluted way of saying combat is real-time and action-based.

Besides the Flex system, the Tales series has been known for its non-linear gameplay, frequent stabs at humor and strange characters that populate the world. While Radiant Mythology, the latest Tales game for the PSP, retains most of its roots, it deviates in some key areas that may rub long-time fans the wrong way. On the plus side, it's great that players can now create their own character from scratch instead of being forced to play a canned avatar. Customization isn't the deepest thing I've ever seen, but it at least covers the basics, including hair color, skin tone, voice, class and gender.

Once you've created your character, a brief introduction sets the stage for the adventure to come, a typically strange Japanese tale involving a hungry organism known as The Devourer who takes great pride in eating little things like planets. Not surprisingly, it's your mission to bring an ultimate end to The Devourer by heading out on quests and joining forces with a long list of NPCs. Not only do you gain experience points, but you also receive Fame Points after completing quests, which proves to be critical in luring ever more powerful characters to your cause.

The heart of the game rests in the battle system, which is entirely real-time and set in a 3D battlefield that gives you free reign to run around and coordinate attacks with your companions. There is an exhaustive interface for influencing the behavior of your companions, and while you can leave well enough alone and get through most challenges without too much problem, those of you willing to micromanage specific settings will be rewarded by with enhanced combat techniques that can ultimately lead to an increase in experience points. I found this system to be relatively intuitive and engaging, far more engrossing than the usual turn-based atmosphere of most Japanese RPGs and those of your who like a dose of action in your games will be happy.

Unfortunately, Radiant Mythology stumbles in the key area of questing. There's very little variety in the tasks you are assigned, usually in the form of “go there, kill 10 whatevers and return” or “go there, gather X amount of resources and return”. This repeats over and over and over and quickly wears out its welcome as you find yourself trudging through familiar territory countless times.

On the plus side, the graphics are quite nice on the PSP, the environments suitably atmospheric and the interface is a real joy, allowing for easy access to everything from quest info to crafting recipes. Crafting? Indeed. There are several categories from which you can manufacture items, each of which levels up independently. Crafting allows you to create everything from food to tools to weapon and armor upgrades. Periodic cut-scenes are frequent and surprisingly humorous at times, fleshing out the game world with a story that draws you in, presented via characters you actually like.

Though it's not perfect, Radiant Mythology still stands tall as one of the better RPGs available on the PSP. There is a lot here to like if you're willing to look past the redundant quests and better yet, Radiant Mythology is a good entry point for newcomers to the series.