Japanese game developer Experience's popular dungeon crawler, Ray Gigant, is finally seeing an English release, with the PS Vita title being available for download in the PlayStation Store for $29.99 in North America and Europe.

While the game has earned a pretty solid following due to its innovative gameplay, critics have emerged which centered on the game's rather thin narrative. After all, Ray Gigant is unashamedly rife with practically every shounen anime trope out there.

Regardless of this, however, this game is still one that must not be missed, especially among fans of anime and RPGs.

Ray Gigant plays a lot like an anime, from each of the featured character's opening sequences and its battles. Plot-wise, the universe of Ray Gigant revolves around a post-apocalyptic Japan, where the nation has been invaded by giant malevolent creatures known as the titular Gigants. The hope of the world lies in the hands of a number of young, powerful teenagers who wield a mysterious power which could defeat the Gigans.

So, yes, the plot has been done before. Indeed, the plot has been done so many times, the elements of the story have become anime tropes. Countless anime have featured the same themes, after all.

Nevertheless, Ray Gigant, for all its conventional elements, still manages to create a narrative that remains compelling and exciting. Part of this, of course, lies in the fact that the game plays very much like an anime series.

The art style, for one, never loses its anime appeal, and though there are times when the backgrounds could be static at times, each scene in the game feels a lot like players are controlling an actual anime series. Apart from this, the music is also very akin to actual anime shows, with a soundtrack which features songs from notable artists such as T.M. Revolution.

If there is one Achilles Heel that Ray Gigant really has, however, it is probably the game's difficulty. The game does allow players to increase the difficulty, but only after finishing the game first. Thus, a significant number of critics and players have pointed out the game was initially too easy.

Regardless of its flaws, however, Ray Gigant is one PS Vita title that would stand proudly in any gamer's lineup. 

Tags: Ray Gigant video games