Video game review: 'Rogue Galaxy' PlayStation 2

Game Title: "Rogue Galaxy"

Platform: PlayStation 2

Studio: Sony Computer Entertainment

Rating: T-for Teen

Score: 8.5 out of 10

THE REVIEW

GAMEPLAY: Long, long ago. In a galaxy far, far away there lived a young man on a desert planet named Jaster. Um, wait. Is that right?

While the parallels between "Rogue Galaxy" and a certain popular space film series can't be helped, this game does have some entertaining qualities.

At a time when the Playstation 3 has upstaged its predecessor, games like "Rogue Galaxy" show that fresh and new games for the Playstation 2 are still possible.

While this sci-fi/fantasy role-player doesn't break any new ground, it still proves to be a fun game with a semi-quirky story line.

As with most role-playing games, you start out as a young, ambitious lad stuck on a back-water planet dreaming of the day adventure will sweep him off his feet. In a case of mistaken identity, Jaster gets plucked from his home planet by a rogue group of space pirates. Heck, even their ship is built like a sail boat. Through his adventures, Jaster learns the value of friendship and becomes a man — standard stuff.

Where this game stands out is its battle system. While some role-playing games have turn-based battles, this game opts for a real-time battle system that still allows for a bit of strategy. A time meter prevents you from being able to just dive into the fray, hacking and slashing, and forces you to think and plan your moves.

There were a few camera-angle glitches, especially with the larger enemies. At times I wound up facing the camera while the big baddie was behind it so I couldn't see the creature. The game comes with an auto-targeting system that does make it easier to focus on a given enemy among a pack of bad guys.

Souping up your characters is also fun. The system involves a map of various items, which are picked up on various planets. If you plug in enough items you are rewarded with a new ability. This feature kind of gives the game a scavenger hunt feel.

But while collecting items can be fun, the sheer amount of junk that adds up can become a little overwhelming and the game's item management system is not terribly efficient.