Based on the contemporary "3.5" rule set of the seminal role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics brings swords-and-sorcery combat to Sony's portable. As in classics of the strategy RPG console game style, such as Final Fantasy Tactics or games in the Ogre Battle series, adversarial encounters play out in defined areas broken down by grids, but D&D: Tactics' organic, 3D environments make the battlefields seem less abstract. Characters take turns using their weapons and powers against the enemy until one side has been eliminated.
While the focus of the game is on combat, the single-player storyline offers opportunity for real role-playing. Ethical choices affect character alignment, which influences the story's branching plot development. Both cooperative and competitive multiplayer options are supported, and player characters can be traded wirelessly as well. The number of characters a player can keep is limited only by memory stick storage space, but developing a first-level character into a truly laudable hero will take time and dedication.