Time is one of the omnipresent aspects of video gaming that has been around since the glory days of the NES, but very few games have worked it in as a malleable aspect of the gameplay. Characters die when the developer-designated countdown timer runs out, and other games offer different rewards for finishing in as little time as possible. However, until Aksys Games' latest PSP release, "Jikandia: The Timeless Land," no game has tried to bridge that gap by allowing the player the tools to decide whether they want to beat the game quickly or easily.

THE BASICS

"The Timeless Land" opens as an average day for nine students on their way to school. Unfortunately, something happens and they're all transported to the mysterious land of Jikandia. Once a home of peace and harmony, Jikandia was devoid of any concept of time. That balance was upset when evil creatures appeared, bringing time with them. The land's only hope are the nine outsiders who must try to help the locals while attempting to find their way home.

The game plays out over a series of 2D platforming levels, the length of which is determined by you. You don't have to go at the game alone, either. There's also a multiplayer component where you can clear out rooms and collect treasure with up to three other players.

THE HIGHS

You Decide How Long You Want To Play For

Every game needs a gimmick, and the one in "Jikandia" is both novel, and its biggest selling point: the player controls the length of time spent in each dungeon. Each level offers the choice to spend anywhere from three to 30 minutes battling monsters, collecting treasure, and completing different scenarios. However, it's next to impossible to beat the game by only playing each level for three minutes, because the longer that you set your play time, the more treasure you can collect. Additionally, the higher you set your playtime, the more likely you are to get rare item treasure chests throughout the level. In other words, it's in your best interest to put as much time as possible into finishing each level.

Plays Like Games From A Time Gone By

A unique blend of old and new, "Jikandia" steps away from the traditional action-RPG format, and offers up 2D platforming levels as the center of its gameplay. Aside from being a nice homage to games gone by, it works well for this title since each of the screens within in each dungeon offer their own challenges and rewards. Throughout the game, there's also some areas that are heavily inspired by some of Mega Man's classic levels, so retro fans should feel right at home navigating the wilds of Jikandia.

May The Quartz Be With You

"Jikandia" includes a simple and fluid upgrade system that any player should be able to easily wrap their heads around. As you play through each level you collect magic quartz crystals that you can allot to your character to boost certain attributes like strength and health. It's very straight-forward and easy to hop into.

THE LOWS

Reading One Line At A Time

There's a relatively good story that strings "Jikandia" together, but it's a shame that you'll have to strain to read it. Both the story and the dialog for the entire game appear one line at a time at the very bottom of the PSP's screen, making it a chore to follow along with anything that's going on. The absolute worst execution of this is during the actual levels when other characters are talking to you while you're trying to complete each screens' objectives, and not trying to die. It's a really bad experience and poor use of the PSP's large screen.

How Do I Get Out Of Here?

"The Timeless Land" is a moderately deep experience, offing a variety of customization options, upgrades, and choices to make throughout the game. Unfortunately, you'll be on your own trying to figure most of it out. While games that offer excessive tutorials can be overbearing, "Jikandia" skimps on some of the basic mechanics of the game, leaving the player to learn through trial and error. Alternatively, attempting to explain every facet of an action-RPG, even a retro-inspired one like this, can be tedious, a bit more of a walkthrough of the game's options would have been appreciated.

THE VERDICT

You have to hand it to the game's developer, Opus. They certainly know how to take traditional games and introduce entirely new concepts into them. Just look at their last game, the genre-bending "Half-Minute Hero." Messing with player's sense of time is something that generally falls slightly outside the mainstream, since it can throw off your more casual gamers, and that's exactly where "Jikandia" ends up. Much like its time-warping predecessor, "The Timeless Land" challenges players' concepts of RPGs beautifully. Unfortunately, that means it might also cross some traditionalists and involve too much thinking for the truly casual types. If you're a retro-gaming or RPG fan that's looking for something that blends new ideas with old school gameplay on your PSP, then you should absolutely give "Jikandia" a second look.