ESP Rizer

ESP Rizer, known in Japan as PSI Rizer (サイライザー), is a platforming video game produced by Burst Arts Inc. and published by Namco. A new addition to the Rizer series, it takes place in another setting in the future. It was released in May 30, 2002 in Japan and June 25, 2002 overseas. It is only available for the PlayStation 2.

## Story

The entire setting of ESP Rizer takes place in the year 2071. The threat of Porter Tech has all been but a thing in the past, but from their ashes rise a new force; the Wyvern Syndicate. Led by Wyleigh Quarterman, they have been attacking various cities in search of creatures known as Espers. However, they are unaware that eight espers are now under the guise of human hosts. They are each sent to them in the form of swords to strengthen their potential and fight against the Wyvern Syndicate.

## Cast

Woodrow Graves: A young teenager who is the Psionic Esper. He survived an accident which took the lives of his parents, leading him to be found by Leaf, whose father runs a dojo, where he is then raised. Years later, he finds an Esper Sword wedged inside of his heart, thus awakening the Esper it belonged to, but this led to the arrival of the Wyvern Syndicate. He tried to fend them off himself, but collapsed due to over-usage of his newfound Esper abilities. Now running away from his caretakers due to the discovery of him being an Esper now, Woodrow now seeks to fight the Syndicate himself.

Lin Toko: A princess who is the Flame Esper. She was ordered by her father to rule Yang City in his place, which has left her with being protected by her guards at all times. Annoyed by this, she decides to leave her palace, only to come into contact with an Esper Sword. She knew what this meant once she became an Esper, so she secretly trained herself to fight the Wyver Syndicate and their leader.

Jackie Skylin: A childish girl who is the Gust Esper. Raised by her grandmother, she often roams around in her barn. However, her entire life has yet to change as she gets caught in a harsh wind and came into contact with an Esper Sword. When her grandmother noticed that her granddaughter ended up becoming an Esper as a result, she warned her about the dangers that may come and attack her. This does not faze Jackie, luckily, as she began his journey to take down the Wyvern Syndicate.

Slate North: A stoic man who is the Frozen Esper. After the disappearance of his lover, he visited the Northern Glaciers in order to find her. What he found instead was a sword-shaped iceberg hanging near the top of the glaciers. It fell on him and he later became an Esper. Thinking that this may avenge the loss of his girlfriend, Slate sets off on his own adventure to become stronger to fight the Wyvern Syndicate.

Stanley Bales: An introverted teen who is the Aqua Esper. Ever since the loss of his mother, he has distanced himself from the outside world, only leaving to visit the beach near Neo City. One day during his occasional visit to the beach, he noticed a giant wave about to approach the beachgoers. Feeling he had to do something, he ordered everyone to evacuate from the beach, but the wave caught him. But instead of drowning, he found himself turned into an Esper and after a fight against incoming Wyvern Syndicate fighters, Stanley is now determined to defeat Wyleigh.

Ivy Violet: A shy woman who is the Venom Esper. She was inflicted with a sickness that led her to being tested in the hospital for months. While she was taking her tenth test, a small army of Wyvern Syndicate fighters invaded the hospital, taking the lives of several patients. Ivy felt that she had to do something, but in the condition she is in, is useless against them. She then discovered an Esper Sword from a puddle of broken vials of toxins. She transformer herself into the Venom Esper to defeat the Wyvern Syndicate in the hospital. With this, Ivy decides to defeat Wyleigh.

Giorno "Gear" Knacks: A hard-working father who is the Steel Esper. He benefits his family by working as a blacksmith. While he was working as usual, he found himself crafting a peculiar sword; one which he has never seen before, but has heard legends about it. Little did he know that he had discovered an Esper Sword, which would later transform him into the Steel Esper. When he witnessed the Wyvern Syndicate attack his family, Gear was quick enough to save them and defeat the fighters. He then swore that he will fight Wyleigh.

Tulio Devin Jones: A rambunctious young man who is the Tremor Esper. Between his heartless mother and his innocent little sister, he finds inner conflict on what fate has in store for him. At some point, he finds the answer to this conflicting question; he saw the other Espers fighting the Wyvern Syndicate. He wanted to fight as well, but he does not have the key requirements to do that. Suddenly, an earthquake occurs, caving him and him alone in. But Tulio was able to become an Esper to free himself and save the others. He then goes on to fulfill his own destiny.

Susan Richardson: A young girl who is sometimes known as "Sorrow." This is because she carries within her a dark aura that often possesses her body and soul. Leaving her abusive parents, she went to fight the Wyvern Syndicate on her own. She also saw this journey as one of self-determination, motivating her to fight the darkness trying to consume her entire being. Eventually, Susan fights the Sorrow that rests inside her, freeing her from her waning darkness.

Wyleigh Quarterman: The main antagonist of the game. She is the ruler of the Wyvern Syndicate, an advanced civilization dedicated to taking down any Espers that come to Earth. It is unknown how this organization started, nor how they know about the existence of otherworldly beings. Wyleigh yearned for the deaths of the Espers in order to create the Planet Orb, an orb that is said to have more power than the Great Orb and requires the life force of Espers to power it.

Hope Argyle: A teenage girl who works for Wyleigh Quarterman, whom she sees as her mother figure. She is often seen as a bystander for the majority of her master. However, when it was revealed that Wyleigh is using the Planet Orb to drain the Espers of their life force, she knew she had to do something about it. So she went out of her way to rescue those harmed by Wyleigh's Planet Orb, as well as the Espers. This selfless act caused her to reveal herself as the Life Esper, which she used to save everyone and destroy the Planet Orb, thus foiling the plans of Wyleigh.