Brave Fencer Musashi

"Square, you did good!"

Brave Fencer Musashi stars the cartoon-deformed version of the legendary Japanese swordsman, Musashi. He was made famous for his two sword fencing technique, which is carried over into this game, and because he was never defeated in a duel. This game, however, takes a more whimsical approach to the Japanese hero by dropping the pint-sized version in the middle of a serious, yet silly, quest to save a kingdom on the brink of destruction.

BFM is an adventure/RPG which has you exploring a small, Zelda-like kingdom. You'll explore dungeons, fight bosses, gain items and techniques, and talk to various people in your quest to rescue abducted people. There are some platforming sections and the game does include some minor puzzles which mainly involve Musashi's ability to acquire his enemies's powers and use them as his own. It temporary though, and the abilities are more designed for progress though certain regions than they are practical and useful.

A nice feature to BFM is its minigames which are not separate games you can play but are built into the main game itself. For example, there is one part where you have to navigate down a river in order to get to a new location. Upon boarding the raft, the game shifts perspective and you control Musashi while cruising down the rapids avoiding enemies, logs, and rocks. Its a nice change of pace. Even better, these minor diversions, though they can be challenging, are often fun and never frustrating. This is because the game gives you the handy ability of restarting from that particular event rather than starting from the last save point.

Another great part of BFM are the graphics. Before going further, I have to say that they are really blocky and ugly. However, the game makes due with what it has and uses the camera most efficiently. It is BFM's camera that is perhaps its graphical saving grace. The camera never gets in the way and never causes viewing problems. As a matter of fact, it is perfectly positioned at each section to give the desired cinematic feel and experience. Moreover, although the graphics may not be pretty, the game does support some nice lighting effects and technical flare.

The sound, too, goes that extra mile and makes this one great experience. I loved how the sound changed between day and night cycles and how it could shift from fast pace to sleepy slow without being obvious or irritating. Additionally, the game sports voice acting, and pretty extensive voice acting at that. Although many people complain that the voices are bad or too childish, I'm am thankful that they are even in there to begin with. Remember, this is a PSone game. Seriously, the year is 2003 and we still have to read printed dialogue bubbles!

Beyond these things, BFM is a good RPG. The town people, thanks to the voice acting, are more ''real'' and you'll be interested in the things they have to say (many things being of importance). Gaining experience is well done, as well, since you gain it through your swords. Therefore, the more you use one sword over the other, the stronger that sword will become. Neglecting one sword is bad, though, since both are usually needed to truly master the game's combo system and advanced techniques. Also, you'll come to love Musashi's little world which is very colorful and exciting. There are many places to go and tons of things to do. Sidequests, exploring, adventuring; its all here.

Other features about this game that have to be mentioned are its great boss battles with its towering, menacing, bosses and its unique sidequests. In terms of the sidequests, one of them has you collecting action figures of characters in the game itself. You can look at these figures in full 3D and ''play'' with them when your not out saving the world.

I've done a lot of rambling, but I think that is more because of the game. You see, BFM is a bundle of cool features and great ideas that all work harmoniously together. Its a fun adventure that will keep you on your toes with its great music, interesting look, and various gameplay mechanics.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/03/03, Updated 07/03/03