Kingdom of Paradise Game Sample - PSP
Note: This version is the upscaled stealth port released for PS4/PS5 in 2022.
"Kingdom of Paradise" (aka "Key of Heaven" and "Tenchi no Mon") was one of the early titles released for the PSP back in 2005 and was one of the more unique offerings for the system. Developed by Climax Entertainment (the same Japanese branch that produced "Shining in the Darkness", "Landstalker", "Lady Stalker: Kako kara no Chousen", "Dark Savior", etc.), the game was an ARPG with heavy Chinese / Wuxia themes and some dashes of fantasy that had its fair share of flaws but did a lot of things right and still stands as one of the few games released outside of Japan or China with strong Wuxia elements. It was followed a year later by an obscure prequel, "Tenchi no Mon 2: Busouden", which fixed most of the inherent flaws of the first game but did not see an International release. Sadly, as CE went bankrupt around 2015, a proper follow-up to the game in this day and age is highly unlikely.
The story of this game takes place in an almost feudal China, which is simulated through the fictitious world of Ouka. The continent of Ouka is separated into five divisions: Northern (Genbu), Eastern (Seiryu), Southern (Suzaku), Western (Byakko) and Central (Kirin). Each of the five divisions has a Clan Lord, clan disciples, a particular style of Chi, sword fighting and a sacred sword. The game centers around Shinbu, one of the last surviving members of the Seima clan who are disciples of Seiryu, as he inherits his father's sword and goes on a journey of enlightenment, discovery and revenge while becoming the next fabled "San'yuan Warrior". As fate would have it, he runs into another surviving member of his clan, a young woman named Sui Lin, and they travel together as he helps her become the new clan lord of Seiryu and she helps him find his true calling. He inadvertently gets wrapped up in a conflict with Central Kirin and ultimately saves the land of Ouka from evil.
The game's plot is more than a little cheesy with a questionable dub, but the game filled a particular niche that (besides the superb "Jade Empire" and interesting "Perfect World") wouldn't be filled in the West proper for a long time (until we started getting more Wuxia-themed games on Steam as well as localizations of "Chinese Paladin: Sword & Fairy" and such, "Super Chinese" and the like predated KoP). KoP visually and aurally was above average for its time of release; while the character models are pretty basic outside of the upgraded ones in story segments, the environments are often lush and interesting with a surprising amount of scope and detail for a PSP title. For better or worse, the game's world is also fairly large and interconnected with open spaces versus clickable landmarks, meaning you will be travelling around a lot on foot and backtracking sometimes requires a significant investment of the player's time until you can board ships later. You can't take in the full splendor of your surroundings due to a fixed (and sometimes intrusive) camera, but the game's mini-map does pretty well in keeping you orientated.
Besides the visuals and sound, it's fairly safe to say that KoP as a whole is a game that does at least two things right for every one thing it does wrong, but this is most accurate for the gameplay. KoP has a basic leveling system with a few caveats, a simple equipment / inventory system (with caveats), an interesting and fun combo / magic system (with, you guessed it, major caveats), Ad Hoc features (caveat) and the ability to save almost anywhere for added convenience (no caveat). The basic combat structure involves "Bugei Scrolls", "Kenpu Forms" and "Chi Arts" (magic). Think of the scrolls as slotted gear with Kenpu acting as "Materia" -- They come in the five different elements and the order and type of scroll is important as it influences resistance and damage dealt but also the utility of your attacks. Some act as launchers, downers, AoE and more, and getting "Freestyle Scrolls" is when the fun truly begins as you can combine attacks from any of the 5 elements. Freestyle Scrolls and Chi Arts grow the more you use them, and Chi Arts can be used freely but require items or a manual charge between uses. Leveling your stats is random and based on how much you use melee attacks, magic, and how much damage you sustain prior. Items and Bugei can be quick-assigned to L1 or R1 and items can also be consolidated (or stored in an upgradeable storehouse). Only the Ginmei Sword (which can be upgraded) can use Chi Arts and Chi Arts are extremely powerful and broken, making most of the game a cakewalk if abused. This is compounded by a poor block/parry system that further discourages melee combat (you have to hold circle but eat a few hits before it even kicks in). Most items and upgrades are expensive.
You can read up more on the Ad Hoc features, but as a whole, they are a nice (but under-utilized) feature. KoP is a nice 15hr+ adventure that I softly recommend.