With the PSP launching with a solid, if unspectacular, action-RPG in Untold Legends, it's amazing that we actually had to wait this long for Rengoku. This is an unequivocal disaster of a video game, containing nothing but bad game design, unresponsive controls, and miserable gameplay. It's not just a disappointment; it's as unplayable as you can make a video game and still call it a video game.

It doesn't take long to figure out just how wrong this game is. You're thrust into gameplay after a brief video tutorial that explains very little (and can't be paused if you're confused) and then tossed into a room after a loading period. There's nothing in this room other than your horribly designed character and a portal to the next floor. Upon entering that, it loads again. The question is, why even bother starting a player off in a room like this in the first place?

That's the type of design the entire game hinges on. Played from a third person perspective, you'll enter into a small selection of same-looking rooms, kill a few enemies, then move to the next. Once you've cleared the entire floor (which requires a ridiculous amount of backtracking), you'll need to go all the way the back to the beginning of the stage to reach the boss. It doesn't seem like such a journey in the earlier levels, when they're still small and regenerating enemies are weak. In later stages, it's an absurd nuisance.

Combat is a mess, suffering from controls that never work, a shoddy camera, and far too much reliance on quick movements, your only defense. Once locked on, you can perform your attack, but not move. You're always stuck in a sedentary position as you fire bullets or hack away. When the counterattack is made, you must begin a spastic dance that's considered defense in this game, rolling uncontrollably around the screen, as the camera fails to keep a decent eye on your opponent. Even when locked on with the trigger button that only seems to work when it wants to, you'll be lost.

All of this is controlled with the d-pad. The only thing the analog stick does is let you see a little to your sides. There's no need to look up and down; the entire game is nothing but a collection drab, flat corridors. Running requires a double tap to get going, and this either begins when you don't want it to, or it won't start when you need it.