Recently I had the joy of playing Persona 3, an RPG with a very strong Japanese styling and hints of Western efficiency, which produced a truly superb experience that unfortunately appeared at the end of the PS2 cycle. Funnily enough, I experienced that same feeling from first playing Persona 3 as I began to get to grips with Soul Nomad & The World Eaters, another RPG that was never intended to push the boundaries of cinematic masterpieces like Metal Gear Solid 4 or indeed be comparable to the engrossing graphics of a big hitter like Assassin's Creed. Instead, it is a unique take on a well-established genre, backed up by what has been the main backbone of Nippon Ichi Software for many years now - involving and unusual gameplay and mechanics.

Soul Nomad begins with a very retro side scrolling breakdown on how the continent of Prodesto became such an uninhabitable place. Prodesto was unified by Lord Median, which meant that it was a happy place for his people. However, this time of peace didn't last long, as both Lord Median and his son passed away. War reared its ugly head once more until Lord Median's daughter, Layna, managed to lead her people to safety. Unfortunately, evil appeared yet again via the guise of an entity called Gig and three enormous, golem-like creatures. Luckily Layna was able to defeat them, but she lost her life in the process.

This is where the story turns to you and, just like almost every RPG before it, only you can save the world (or is it really you?) Admittedly the story doesn't start off spectacularly, but at least it allows you to take in the nature of the grand task that lies ahead. It's an RPG of the turn-based mould when it comes to battle, usually set across an almost isometric 2D landscape. The idea is to move your character across the battlefield, picking fights with whatever evil minions litter the land. When you meet a combatant a series of options appears and you choose how you wish to fight, whether to use your regular attack, maybe a defensive stroke, a special attack, a soul destroying but destructive strike and so on.

The graphics are not pretty; in fact, many of the battle arenas are quite barren whilst the actual battles are usually very quick, so you don't get the chance to admire any character design, although you could argue that it looks edgy and rough. Often conversations show the characters as cardboard cutouts in an anime style that actually isn't too off-putting and fits in with general scheme of things. The characters themselves are bright and bold but lacking a certain cohesiveness and quality; they wouldn't look out of place in a very early PS2 title but Soul Nomad never claims to offer graphical splendour. The attack combinations are explosive and varied, which stops any repetitiveness setting in, a must for an RPG to be successful.

One of the most interesting parts of the game is setting up your team beforehand, as you reveal and purchase rooms that can be populated by a series of 'manikins' whose names and classes we have seen before, such as clerics and warriors, which are also helped by yourself and other leaders. The group disbands if the leader dies, so you'd better look after yourself! Each room and manikin has its own advantages, improving attack strength for example. You can summon these groups that you've brought together once in the battle arena to increase your attack potency. It's a fairly intuitive system and you can manipulate it at will, customising your small army to your heart's content. The AI is not groundbreaking, usually awaiting your attack instead of grouping together and attacking you, which causes some of the battles to finish before you've had the chance to use some of the items you equipped in preparation.

As engrossing and strategic as this sounds, you may say that you've seen it all before, and this is where the ace in the deck turns up - the fact that you can lose your soul as you progress. As mentioned earlier, the evil Gig was defeated but he has been brought back to help you, but he'll only grant you godlike powers on the condition that he can become "one" with you. The more you use his devastating skills, the less you can control yourself and the more likely he will appear once more to destroy your world. Soul Nomad & The World Eaters can be played through without the need of Gig at all, but the mere possibility of using him is so enticing. You could be battling a particularly hard foe where utilising Gig will give you an easy win. The story has enough flexibility within it to try some "what ifs", saving regularly to allow you to follow a particular story arc to the end, ensuring that you see the full story. The imaginative design employed in the storyline is breathtakingly non-linear, making the replay value of this game huge. Completing Soul Nomad also opens up a sort of second take on the game, which in my opinion is much more fun than the original story but wouldn't have been as enjoyable had you not played it through the first time, so either way it's a winner.

The characters are likeable, and there are a few you'll never see but have many in depth conversations with; they are a little too extrovert for my liking but work well within the plot. The dialogue itself is quite witty and Gig is a very funny man indeed; you'll enjoy his many views on life! There are a fair few sexual innuendos and swear words on view here, but within context they don't cross the line. The voices are of an excellent standard; not many lines lack the emotion intended and this immerses you deeper into the story. Some of the characters don't last too long, which is a shame, but the plot more than makes up for that. The ambience is standard RPG fare and reminds you that it is essentially a role playing game of Japanese origin but that shouldn't be held against it if you haven't been a fan in the past. The story and characters are more involving than they sound, as you never sense any real fear considering that the World Eaters are slowing killing your land.

Soul Nomad & The World Eaters is an excellent game that I would have rated higher had I played it a year ago. Nonetheless, if you're an RPG fan then play it and enjoy it, if you're not then play it and enjoy it! Soul Nomad combines an involving strategy game with an engrossing plot and some ingenious design ideas to generate a very clever RPG. I thoroughly recommend this game and look forward to whatever pleasures the developers may bring to the PS3.

Reviewed by Christopher McNally for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).