Developer: Mistwalker and Feel PlusPlatform: Xbox 360 (click to purchase)
Release date: 2/12/08
Grade: A
Honestly, the
souls of most RPG’s are void. Many of us hearken back to the SNES era and think
about how well the games, RPG’s in particular, simply felt.
You got attached
to the characters; you loved learning the little niches of the game; and the
story was captivating enough for you to play for hours on end just to find out
what happens next.
Yes, there have
been a few exceptions to that such as Grandia
II, Final Fantasy VII and Skies of Arcadia. But for the most part,
it feels as if the RPG genre, the JRPG genre in particular, has been flowing
through the motions.
This is why Lost Odyssey is such a breath of fresh
air. While it isn’t brand new in terms of concepts, the game happens to have
the one thing most RPG’s lack today….soul.
The story begins
as you follow Kaim Argonar, a man who seems immortal, but has no past. Of
course, through this adventure, you will gather his memories and fix
the mess he has had a hand in creating. You spend this time coming across other
characters that are quite endearing – three other immortals and four mortals –
and as the story continues you discover that their paths are interwoven.
You are also
given insight into the lives of Kaim and the other immortals by the way of
short stories, whose tales are intricately woven with beautiful music and
powerful prose.
The ambiance
within those short stories extends out into the game play as well. The game is
beautiful when creating the world to which it extends. This also goes for the
battles, where every accessory and weapon is represented on the characters.
The music is
also done extremely well, as each score carries itself majestically into the
scene in which it is presented. The sound effects, however, can only be done so
much, as many of them are repeated throughout the game. There isn’t much they
could change considering the fact that it’s an RPG, but it would have been nice
if they could do a bit more to add variety.
The same could
be said about the battle system. The old school appeal extends into the battle
system, but as such, there isn’t much new. The Judgment ring system adds a bit
of action to the standard battle screen, and the way that the immortals gain
skills makes for a bit of varied character development, but that is where the
buck stops. It doesn’t harm the game as much as one would think, because of the
ambiance and feeling that this title has – but there could have been more.
Saving can be a
little slow as well, considering that it goes to the screen twice. It is nice
at first, but it soon becomes annoying.
These small
tiffs aside, this can honestly be called the first great JRPG of this
generation. The emotions, voice acting, and beauty within the characters
doesn’t leave much to the imagination; and the gravity of the drama in the
short stories allows the mind to truly wander within its own zone.
Do yourself a
favor; pick this one up for the first truly epic experience of this year.
You can find Adam Thomas at the Gamer Studio, and at