If you’ve read my handheld reviews for any length of time, you already know that I am skeptical about portable RPGs, at least when it comes to the PSP. While the GBA has shown that the genre can be successful on a handheld, this hasn’t held true for the PSP. It is a wonder then why developers would attempt to bring a Strategy RPG (SRGP) onto the market. Spectral Souls is NIS’s second attempt at bringing the genre to the PSP and, much like Generation of Chaos, it leaves much to be desired.

SRPGs aren’t known for their eye-popping visuals. A few have managed to stand out, though this is usually attributed to art style rather than technical accomplishment. On the technical side, characters look blurry and short on animations. Backgrounds, however, are sharp and look good. Artistically, the game has a defined style, though it doesn’t really help to build the game’s personality either – a must if you want to keep players interested in a genre that requires a major time commitment.

Soundtrack is one of the game’s better aspects. Some of the songs feel out of place for the situation, but overall it is enjoyable. The rest of the audio doesn’t match up to the music, making for an above average package.

Spectral Souls is a cliché filled adventure through the world of Neverland. Humans and demons share an uneasy peace that is soon shattered and splinters the world’s various kingdoms. Depending on your actions while playing as each kingdom, the story will change to fit the unfolding situation. This actually presents an engrossing experience for intrepid gamers who can work through the game’s absurd load times. Characters can be customized to your liking and there is enough flexibility that you can build armies with specific strategies in mind. Still, Spectral Souls lacks personality or charm. While I can stand a few over-used clichés or ideas, Spectral Souls is so lacking in personality that you’ll probably find yourself skipping through the dialog boxes as quickly as possible.

Of course, quickly is a relative term since the game suffers from what are perhaps the longest and most obtrusive load times found on the system. From title screen to the first move in battle, there is at least 2 – 3 minutes of load time. Nearly everything that goes on in the game is accompanied by a load time. Load up a map -- load time. Place characters on the map -- load time. Start a box of dialog -- load time. Even some of the more mundane attacks are accompanied by a load time. How long each lasts depends on the action, but some can last as long as 30 seconds. Taken alone, it may not sound like much, but the time adds up quickly.

By their very nature SRPGs aren’t the most exciting of games, but to have load times at every turn absolutely kills it. Were Spectral Souls on a console, I would be a little more forgiving, but on a handheld it just isn’t acceptable.

I’ve played my fair share of SRPGs, so I personally didn’t find Spectral Souls all that intimidating – so veterans shouldn’t have too rough of a time getting into the swing of things. Newcomers to the genre will probably have a rougher time and should probably avoid making Spectral Souls their first jump into the genre. The pacing is already slow and the load times drag it down even further.

Spectral Souls sticks to many of the same conventions found in other SRPGs. You guide characters around a grid-based battlefield. After deploying your troops, you guide them into strategic positions and attack. For the most part, Spectral Souls is as common as they come – at least until some subtle differences begin to come into play.

Similar to the attack gauge found in Final Fantasy X, turns are displayed on a graph at the top of the screen. Each character gets a turn based on their speed, allowing you to think a move or two ahead. You can also employ special tactics attacks that allow you to either create your own combat combos or build up team attacks from certain soldiers. When coupled with the turn gauge, you can come up with some slick strategies. Unfortunately, the load times are so obtrusive and, well… annoying that it is unlikely you’ll want to stick around long.

Had the load times been more manageable, Spectral Souls could have been a hit. It may not have been the game to bring the genre to the PSP, but it certainly would have gone a long way towards making it viable on the handheld. The story and events may be cliché, but the combat system and customization options are different enough that it could have nabbed some attention. Even if you’re an SRPG fan, Spectral Souls is best skipped.