1UP writes: "At some point in the evolution of the MMORPG genre between EverQuest and World of WarCraft, developers learned an important lesson in carrot-on-a-stick psychology: Gamers are much more willing to spend hours grinding away in a virtual world if they have quests pushing them along, even of the most bare-bones variety. Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts for the PSP is a (mostly) single-player RPG that incorporates this quest-based structure in a well-designed, addictive way, transforming what could've been a bland hack-n-slasher (see the DS version) into a fun, portable, level-up marathon.
While the actual plot of Dungeon Explorer is unrepentantly linear and unbelievably clichéd, the developers at least did players the considerable favor of keeping cut-scenes very brief. Most of the story sequences take place before and after "special quests" that are available only after clearing out a set number of regular quests, which can be performed in any order. Running to the guild in between missions to grab some new objectives, change jobs, and load up on party members lends the feeling of being a true free-roaming adventure, even if the area you're walking around is still fairly concentrated".
