This was one of the few games I owned back when I had a PSP. Unfortunately, my PSP did break, and my few games have long since disappeared or have been collecting dust, which this one has. However, it was one of the few games that I had trouble with at times, but still loved it. It is pretty intense, especially towards the end, so caution is advised when playing.

Graphics: 9/10

Graphics are excellent. The sprites are indeed small; all of them are. This being said, the graphics may not be too specific. However, many times, the character art is portrayed in certain parts of a story, and there is easy clarification as to what is going on...each character has their own distinct dressing style, so there will never be any confusion among the characters. Graphics should not be an issue in the game, and being the fact that they are mini sort of fits in the game properly...it is a war-based game, with you commanding troops, and big over-bearing sprites may cause the player frustration and confusion. Small sprites allow for easy manipulation and strategy...ease of access really. 

Sound: 8/10

The sound track in this game is VERY repetitive. For the most part, you will be hearing the same piece of music throughout a rather long game play...it may get annoying. However, one thing that is really great is that the music is playing softly in the back round...it does not become over-bearing to the player...it's almost like elevator music, but with much more urgency in it (it's a war game, so it will be dramatic and urgent). There will be a few instances where the sound track may change...usually when you are facing a boss or major rival in the story. That is usually to be expected in most, if not all games. These characters are important, and should not be treated as a regular enemy. One other thing that really pushes away the repetitiveness of the music is the action. The game is very intense, from start to end, and for the most part, you will be engaged in the game to notice such repetitiveness. There are many times where you can take a break and plan out your strategy for the level, and in that case, the music may be a fly buzzing in your the ear, constantly there, and may annoy you a bit. The FX sounds are not at all annoying, and are just very simple. Again, the action of the game may drive you away from such insignificances such as FX sounds, but again, it may as well be a fly buzzing in your ear, especially towards the end of the game.

Addictiveness: 9/10

As for any game, many of the time, you strive for excellence. You try to be the best, and that is most definitely the case here. As you progress throughout the story, you strive to get better troops for your heroes, and you really strive to find the best enemies and rivals to use on your team as well. That really brings the player in, especially since for the most part, the whole story will not be a piece of cake. You will be constantly trying to fight your way through each levels, literally, since many times, the enemies may be overwhelming. In that case, you train as much as you can to pass the level. It's as if you were playing Pokemon, but every gym leader was one step ahead of you. In that case, you train your Pokemon harder, make it learn better moves. That is exactly what you need to be doing in this game...not every level will be so tough, but it certainly motivates you to keep getting better. There is also the factor of getting new heroes to fight on your side. Usually every new level will you encounter new challenges and new rivals that you must overcome. As you keep going through the story, the more rivals you defeat, the more heroes you gain for your team, each with unique battle stylings, attacks, troops, etc. Gaining new assets certainly provides some good entertainment and satisfaction as well. 

Story: 10/10

The story is probably the biggest part of this game, even bigger than the depth. The story is so eloquently balanced and intertwined between the three worlds, upper, mid, and lower. Each world has their own set of three main heroes...depending on which world you choose, the other worlds' heroes will be considered your rivals. Say you chose the middle world. The upper and lower world heroes shall be your rivals, and as you defeat them, they may or may not join your team. Each world has a different path to follow that will eventually lead to the end (obviously), where all three paths will meet. There are many obstacles, challenges, and very unexpected twists and turns in the story that will really grab your attention and make you really think about what is going on. Each story has their own "secretive" parts of the whole story, and in order to fully grasp the WHOLE story, one would probably try and play all three worlds. This is also what is cool about the story, playing all three worlds isn't repetitive! Each world has their own specific challenges, and sometimes, you may even encounter same levels for one or two worlds. Maybe the upper world has a certain level that the middle world may do, but both with very different perspectives. The intertwining of all three worlds makes this game very intriguing, mysterious, and VERY dramatic and intense. Much of the time, you might think you'd know what would come next, but then comes a surprise you would have never accounted for, and that changes the whole outcome of the story. In the end, the story is very amazing, and you'll be hooked for hours on end. 

Depth: 10/10

The game is very much complex to start off with...as you keep playing on, it will become very easy for you, but the challenges will certainly be very hard. The certain aspects of the game, such as hero styling, battle troops, hero placement, etc, make for a complex system, but it is really all strategy. You are given a base, sometimes two, and you have certain heroes in one (and the other, if two). There will be enemy bases, and you are given the tasks of conquering their bases. You will send your heroes out, like a board game, and each time your hero comes into contact with an enemy, they fight. Your success depends on your placement of troops...do you open a gap for the enemy to sneak into your base, or do you set a strong defensive wall...and also on the battle troops equipped to your hero. Each hero can't fight alone, or they'll die. There are certain classes in the game, which constitute to different troops able to be equipped on heroes. One may have Titans, the other may have Clerics, another may have Secret Service, another may have Wyverns...success in battle depends on how well your troops can easily attack and counter the enemy. It sounds very complex, and it kind of is, which really constitutes to how much strategy is needed to play this game. It also constitutes to how much work the game makers have put into this, and if you do play this, it really requires a lot of strategical thinking and time. 

Difficulty: 9/10

As I have stated above, in depth, this game is very complex (to begin with). As you progress, you will start to learn the tips and tricks of the trade, which will help you out a lot towards the end of the game. As well with the complexity, there are also the enemies to account for (obviously). To begin the game, the enemies are fairly easy...they are meant to serve as part of the tutorial, and will be no trouble at all. However, as you yourself begin to advance your skills and troops and such, the enemies will not gradually become harder, but rather just seemingly boost up, maybe like from a two out of ten to a seven out of ten, right out of the blue. Many times, one may fail a level, really due to to overwhelming enemies and really no preparations. You can restart levels, which may help, but levels usually take pretty long, and will usually be annoying. A LOT of the time, you will have to account for luck. The enemies usually don't always follow the same route as they might have when you first played the level. If they do, it's usually during the first few levels of playing. But many times, the enemies will actually change their moves up a bit, making you adapt, which is extremely important! One time, you may leave a walk through straight to your base, and the enemy won't take advantage of that. Next time you do that, even by mistake, the enemy may pounce at the chance and certainly dive right into your base, ending the level. Adaptability is very important, and luck may even drop in once in a while to help you out. But in the end, you will have to really fight your way through each level...it will be tough work. 

Overall, this game was very intense, and sometimes I had to even take frequent breaks...it was like climbing a mountain...my breathing became rapid, heart was beating faster...but that is to be expected. This game is full of drama, twists and turns, and really get your pulse racing. At times, it will become graphic, especially the final boss, so be careful about that. This is a military-like game, and requires a lot of thinking. It easily took a LOT of my time, especially to finish one world. Each world has their own pros and cons, but have checks and balances between all three worlds, so there is no wrong choice in choosing. 

Hope you have as much fun as I did when playing this. Cheers.

I'm glad other users on vizzed played this game too. I used to love this when I was a kid and still play it on my iPod sometimes.
I think your difficulty rating might have been a little too high, but I guess this game isn't easy for everyone. I remember I rarely lost levels or soldiers.
Keep up the good work on future reviews!