Lost Odyssey Reviews

• Getting Lost in an Odyssey

  
  By A268EEWUXYCA8Q on 2008-02-19
  One prominent feature of JRPGs is the emo male protagonist. Only a handful of games break this mold. One such game would be Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue. While Lunar held to the same themes as most JRPGs by discussing the importance of friendship, the battle of Good versus Evil, it maintained a general sense of joviality. Even when things inevitably went dark, the characters kept their happy-go-lucky attitude.
  
  Lost Odyssey is the antithesis of Lunar.
  
  Kaim is your typical tortured soul protagonist, except that, unlike most others who write bad poetry while metaphorically slitting their wrists and bemoaning their wretched life, he actually has a reason to be. He's an immortal, apparently cursed to live forever and has already lived 1,000 years. So, when the game begins with a climactic battle involving a meteor, he's had many lifetimes of sorrow, guilt, death and tragedy that would obviously make anyone's existence incredibly dour. If you're a sucker for sad stories, Kaim's tale will undoubtably tug at your heart strings.
  
  Basically, two stories are going on at once in Lost Odyssey. There's the current story that I'll get to in a bit. There's also the back story that comes flitting through in written form every once in awhile. You see, Kaim suffers from another JRPG staple: the amnesiac hero. He, and other immortals like him, don't remember much about their past for some reason. And so, as Kaim continues his quest, events will trigger memories and you have the option of reading them. These little vignettes are written by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, an award-winning Japanese novelist, and it shows.
  
  These 34 stories, in fact, often overshadow the main story line. The main quest involves discovering why Kaim and the other immortals are amnesiac and they quickly become embroiled in a political landscape more polarizing than the current times we live in. A few different countries eye each other ominously and one of the main points of contention comes down to technology and magic. Add in some political backstabbing and enough emotional baggage to sink the Titanic and you basically have the very interesting and mature story in a nutshell.
  
  The combat is typical JRPG; turn-based and random. Eschewing their previous game's encounter system (Blue Dragon), Lost Odyssey has plenty of random encounters. Fortunately, with the exception of a few areas, the encounters aren't as frequent as they have been in some games. A couple additions to the combat and leveling system add to the thrill. For instance, taking a cue from Shadow Hearts, you can equip various "Rings" on characters which will add various abilities to their attacks. The twist is that you have to trigger these additions by holding the right trigger and releasing it as a big circle perfectly shrinks to match a smaller circle. This little homage to Shadow Hearts should be expected since Feel Plus, a studio working with Mistwalker on this title, is comprised of some ex-Sacnoth employees who had created the Shadow Hearts series.
  
  The leveling system is also pretty interesting as you have Immortals who don't learn skills when they level and Mortals who do. Consequently, you can "skill link" an Immortal to a specific Mortal Skill and learn it eventually. This creates an interesting dynamic where you want to have Mortals and Immortals in your party to gain their knowledge and also to have them level up. The one complaint I have is that members not in your party don't automatically gain experience. And due to the fact that you'll want your mortals to level so you can learn more skills, you'll constantly be flipping your formation around (you can have five members in your party at a time).
  
  From a sound perspective, Lost Odyssey surprised me. The score from Final Fantasy mainstay Nobuo Uematsu is familiar and different, bringing to mind some of his excellent compositions from Final Fantasy. Meanwhile, this is one of the few JRPGs to offer a Japanese vocal track if you'd like to listen to that...and it's one of the only games where I don't want it. The English vocal staff is excellent for the most part. I really, really like it and the dialogue is (mostly) written well.
  
  So there's obviously a big elephant in the room. Lost Odyssey is very reminiscient of Final Fantasy which is to be expected since you have Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of the entire Final Fantasy series, and his cohort in musical crime onboard. Then you add in the fact that Feel Plus is made of ex-Sacnoth employees who were, in turn, former Square employees...and you have the recipe for a game that's pretty close to Square's long-winded series.
  
  Along with the aforementioned party-swapping to level, a few other complaints bring the score down. For one, there's a lot of load times. And load times during cut scenes which is a huge no-no in my book. The frame rate does take a few dips every so often and while it's not a deal-breaker, it is noticeable. And the beautiful graphics are often marred with aliasing issues, resulting in what's called "jaggies." Combat also takes awhile to load into, as the game shows you various images, then the main characters are introduced before finally showing the enemies and the battle starts. All of this is to hide the load times, I'm sure, but it slows combat down a lot.
  
  Ultimately, though, the complaints are minor nuisances in what is a great addition to the JRPG line. It's fun, mature, dark and sad, sometimes all at once. Unfortunately, Lost Odyssey seems to be taking a beating in the mainstream gaming press who have said it's "soooo old fashioned," a claim that probably wouldn't be made if you switch the words "Lost" and "Odyssey" with "Final" and "Fantasy" with some roman numeral...maybe with a dash and a number.
  
  

• Surprise!

  
  By AD9ASBL5VJSBV on 2008-02-15
  I got my copy of the game and I have to say I am shocked. The game consists of four discs. I'm on the fourth disc of the game at the moment, and the story is amazing. The graphics are a lot better than what I would expect from a JRPG and the cinematic scenes are even better (I am not playing the game in HD, so its hard to give a comparison, but I would say the graphics are on par with Gears of War) . It looks like the character designers spent a WHOLE lot of time doing each and every character ( I also like how every character has his/her own name, like Quest 64 lol) The battle system is a normal turn based battle system with some "press the buttons with good timing" feature that makes it not as boring as most turn based battle systems, the battles in the game are like candy for your eyes (the kind of candy that will give you a mind orgasm every once and a while). The farther I get into the game the deeper and more complex the story gets. I didn't know about this game until a few days before it released. I am so happy that I pre-ordered it. If you own an Xbox 360 and like RPGs, then I highly recommend purchasing this game. It feels a lot like a Final Fantasy game, but the story is unique and complex. The memories and the story combined will have you riding on an emotional roller-coaster. I have already been sucked into the game and I don't think I will be able to play many other video games until I finish this one. The sound and music in the game is also excellent; it adds more suspense to the battles and cinematic action scenes in the game and makes the whole game feel like a good "epic" movie. Some of the boss battles that I've experienced are pretty challenging, and you really have to strategize to beat them (A lot like Final Fantasy). Its not too hard either though, it feels just about right and overcoming some of the more challenging parts of the game feel very rewarding. Also, the voice acting is very good for a JRPG and some of the dialogue will make you laugh out loud. I am not going to give any spoilers about the story, so if this review has you interested in the game then I recommend that you ATLEAST rent it. Purchasing it will probably be worth it though (Each disc is around fifteen hours long, maybe longer if you take your time leveling up.) A basic reading ability is needed to fully enjoy this game (The memories are in a storybook style and very enjoyable to read).
  
  

• One of the best RPGs in years.

  
  By AVXJGEXRZUE6M on 2008-02-21
  Based on the reviews of others, I was expecting Lost Odyssey to be a pretty typical RPG. I've been a JRPG fan for almost a decade now, and I think I've got some ground to say that this is one of the best RPGs I've played in years, as far as story & characters go.
  
  There's only a few RPGs that have managed to "move" me as much as Lost Odyssey. They are: Final Fantasy VII & VIII, Xenogears, Xenosaga I & III, Grandia II, and Chrono Trigger.
  
  This one is a winner. Maybe I'm just getting old and soft, who knows. I'm a sucker for a damn good story. I can overlook the lack of innovation as far as the battle system & random encounters go, because the story makes it more than worth it. Pick it up if you own a 360 and you have the capacity to read & appreciate a "pearl" of a story. This one isn't for the swine.
  
  

• Excellent design, poor translation

  
  By A1CCT0CWK40OL9 on 2008-02-14
  Given the low number of RPG's available on the 360, I've been anticipating this game for quite some time now. Suffice to say, I was excited when I first popped the game in. From the art design to the seamless transition between cut scenes and player-controlled combat, the introduction was impressive. Though I didn't have access to skills or magic yet, the combat system seemed to be enjoyable.
  
  My problem with the game occurred shortly after Kaim arrives at Uhra. I was starting to get a bit worried while watching the cut scenes featuring the debating Uhra Council. The dialogue just seemed...wooden. I don't know if it was the voice actors or the writing itself that irked me. It was probably a combination of both. Come to think of it, the only voice actor I was truly impressed with was the one that played Jansen. But I tried to ignore it. After all, I've played decent RPG's that have had their share of wooden dialogue.
  
  The situation became impossible to ignore by the time Kaim had his first flashback of the past. I was initially hopeful. The brief cut scene was intense and emotional. It worked. But then the game launched into a bloated short story. The next five minutes were filled with screen after screen of text that transitioned in and out like it belonged in a PowerPoint slideshow. That wasn't really the problem. It was the writing itself that rubbed me the wrong way. Do you want melodrama? Look no further, folks. This little gem read like the premise of a Lifetime movie, except it was written by an eighth grader. I'd like to think the blame lies on the translation of the game to English. Maybe the Japanese version doesn't come across this sappy.
  
  But man, is this bad. They beat you over the head with an over-abundance of flowery adjectives and cliché metaphors, all but screaming in your ear, "This is beautiful and poetic! Feel bad for Kaim! NOW!" I am sure that some of you out there may know what I am talking about. It was the kind of writing that made me think of Christopher Paolini's Eragon novel. It read a little something like this:
  
  "The nighttime dew glittered on the delicate crimson flowers like a thousand twinkling stars in the shadowy midnight sky, untouched by the bitter harshness of the cruel world. Kaim felt his very soul cry out in eternal pain and sorrow as he glanced at her and saw the shimmering pearly tears gliding down her beautiful milky cheeks...blah blah blah."
  
  Do you get my drift? My friends and I groaned as we struggled through this tripe. We were relieved once it was finally over and the game resumed. But no more than ten minutes later, we were treated with YET ANOTHER flashback story that was even longer and more juvenile than the first one. Except this one didn't have the interesting cut scene before it. If I were in charge of this game's translation, I would have smacked the person that wrote this junk with a giant "Writing for Dummies" book. This prose needs some relentless red pen treatment. The emotion they are trying to pound into your skull would have been a hell of a lot more subtle and effective if they had cut out the melodramatic flab.
  
  From what I've seen so far, they treat Kaim like he's the emo poster boy for Immortals. I understand the game is full of these "dreams" of Kaim's past. I don't think I could personally handle that, no matter how cool the other aspects of the game are.
  
  I already know some of you may bash me for this review. You may criticize me for rating the game this low without playing it the entire way through. Save your breath. I am entitled to my opinion. I'm certainly not going to play this game the whole way through if I have to be bombarded with wishy-washy middle school creative writing projects that take me out of the story rather than immerse me.
  
  What is my final word on the game? If you can stomach this kind of stuff without being instantly turned off, go right ahead and pick it up. I'm sure the rest of the game is really cool. As for myself, if I want a dramatic RPG, I want one that doesn't try this hard. I want one that conveys emotion without making me want to puke all over my Xbox 360. Thanks for reading.
  
  

• Average old school RPG with a next-gen paint job

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-02-13
  Lost Odyssey may be a next-gen game, but its roots are definitely in the old school world of turn-based, RPG gaming. Lost Odyssey follows the story of Kaim: a brooding immortal on a mission of self-discovery. Or something. The story is kind of hard to follow, with prolonged sequences that attempt to flesh out the game's story and characters. The characters of Lost Odyssey themselves are great and interesting on their own, but they're stuck in a run of the mill story we've seen in RPG's before, and will more than likely see again. The game's turn-based combat is where the real meat and potatoes of Lost Odyssey is to be found though, with some great animations and some excellent uses of spells and skills development. What really hurts Lost Odyssey though is that the non-battle gameplay elements are just plain boring. You'll feel as if you're doing a ton of backtracking throughout the game, which is nothing new to the RPG world, but here it just seems more noticeable than anything else. Also, there are some really long loading times that populate throughout the game and detract from the gameplay experience, along with some technical issues and frame-rate problems that pop-up from time to time. Flaws aside, Lost Odyssey is a mostly gorgeous, lengthy, turn-based RPG that long time fans of the genre should get some enjoyment out of, just don't expect anything real special here.
  
  
• Great game that reviewers just didn't get
  By AHWYKM1KLLZMY on 2008-02-26
  I won't go into the detailed review of the game as others have done a much better job. However, I would like to discuss the nature of game reviewers, difficulties in games, and Lost Odyssey.
  
  I remember when Ninja Gaiden came out for the Xbox and half the reviewers hated it for its difficulty. Unfortunately, as the nature of reviewers are, they like to speed through a game as fast as possible so they can finish their review and move on to the next. Most games today require not much more than button mashing to beat. In the same vein, certain RPGs, such as Final Fantasy only require the simple attack, attack, heal, heal strategy to beat. These reviewers EXPECT this kind of game play. But when they don't see that, rather than use strategy, they reverted to grinding levels. Which is why they got angry at the game, giving it 7.5 - 8.5 ratings.
  
  What people need to know is that this game DISCOURAGES grinding, hence the 1 exp per battle once you hit your optimal level. Boss fights require tactics and strategy, which is refreshing for an RPG. One of the biggest problem with Mass Effect was that the game was too easy once your character levels up. The biggest problem with Bioshock is that there is virtually no fear of dying. The payoff and satisfaction most gamers get is when they overcome an obstacle that appears difficult and impossible at first. This is the same satisfaction you get when you beat Ninja Gaiden.
  
  Reviewers are a jaded bunch. They no longer play games for the fun of it but rather to meet a deadline to post a review. Do yourself a favor and play this game for yourself and see why it's one of the best RPG released for the Xbox 360 or any system.
  
  
• Brilliant Game!
  By AO14F0I71HWS1 on 2008-02-20
  This is such a wonderful game. Yes, it really does nothing to improve upon the genre, but this is part of its strength, in my opinion. Lost Odyssey has returned the RPG's focus to the most important aspect of role-playing: a compelling story. It doesn't hurt that the visuals are nothing short of stunning. As others have said, if you loved FF VII and FF X, you'll like this game.
  
  
• Final Fantasy XIV
  By AHJROFU034QT9 on 2008-02-15
  this game is absolutely amazing. first of all, this is basically a final fantasy game. it was made by the guy who made final fantasy what it is today, the music is done by Nobuo Uematsu, the legendary composer behind final fantasy and the Black Mages, it plays like final fantasy, and the story line is just like something I would expect to come from the makers of the FF series.
  This is the only game i have ever played that has actually reduced me to tears. I am an 18 year old male, and this game has made me cry once and tear up 3-4 times already, and i have only been playing for 4 hours. the memories are where the story really gets to me, but the regular game storyline is just as good.
  if you have ever played an arpeegee or want to see what arpeegees are like, this is the first game you should try. on second thought, this is the last game you should try because it will make every other RPG pale in comparison.
  the fighting is quick, and requires skill, not just lucky button mashing, but it is still easy to get used to quickly.
  the cinematics are great. so great, in fact, that when the first cinematic ended and went into a battle, i didnt notice until new things stopped happening on the screen. when the battle was over, the cinematic just kept on going. seamlessly.
  one of my pet peeves in games is the poor voice actors for otherwise great games. the few exceptions are the metal gear solid series, the latest final fantasy games (IX, XII), and Lost Odyssey. sometimes the facial expressions seem lacking, but then characters burst out with hilariouls accurate looks that you would expect to come from a motion actor. the dialog goes along with what people in real life might say, but the story still maintains its fantastical charm.
  it has been a long time since i have played a 4 disc game (FF IX), so this is a nice nostalgic throwback to when games were like interactive books. it really is worth the 60 bucks I paid for it. don't worry about the case fitting all 4 discs, because i am sure people will try to bash that in later reviews. they all fit fine in the case, and as long as you dont throw it out of a moving car or play frisbee with it, your precious discs will be FINE.
  now go buy Lost Odyssey. you won't regret it.
  
  
• Best Next Generation RPG to Date
  By ANT57Y2XZ2FJ4 on 2008-02-19
  It's been a while since we got a true RPG on the next generation era something old days gamers who grew on Square Soft RPGS on the NES, Snes and PS1 days not action games with RPG elements. Something that Square Enix got out of tangent with its new games, FFXII was good game but not as good as FFVII-FFX, all greatest RPGs through the History of games were turn-based style rather than real time action type.
  
  Graphics: 9
  For graphics I'll give it 9, it's a beauty for an RPG, moving from cut scene to battle scenario in real time is impressive.
  
  Sound: 9
  
  Excellent med evil music and keep the Japanese voice it top don't switch to the English you will ruin the game, they should have dubbed it in British Accent rather than American cow boy style it just don't fit in the game theme.
  
  Gamepaly : 9.5
  
  What can I say finally turn-based :)
  
  Story: 8.5
  
  Not Bad but if they put more darkness on it, it will be better.
  
  Conclusion:
  Excellent game all over, the negative thing is the loading and the 4 Disc thing, this suite more the PS3, I'm not a Fan Boy but Microsoft went wrong with Normal DVD and not HD/Blueray format, I own all next generation and PS3 is the Best in terms of Quality built and future proof of all consoles.
  
  
  
• Best RPG In Years
  By AX2B54SXI0IPM on 2008-02-20
  Finally, a next gen RPG that has all of the best parts of the classics of old (great story, intuitive contols, amazing character development, intriguing battle system - aka not just spamming buttons) combined with stunning next gen graphics, great voice acting and more of an adult feel to it.
  
  This game is not trying to break new ground on gameplay or unique features, but if you are a fan of older Japanese RPG games (Final Fantasy series etc.) and looking for a great next gen title, this is the best of the bunch to this point.
  
  Instant classic, and likely to make the list of all time favorites for many RPG fans.
  
  
• THE OPPOSITE OF FINAL FANTASY 12
  By A3S1YIQQW7AZO on 2008-04-27
  When I reviewed FINAL FANTASY 12, I praised its refreshing battle system and frowned on its poor characters, music and storyline. LOST ODYSSEY as we will see, is the complete opposite--but does that mean that one is better than the other?
  
  BATTLE SYSTEM: 4/5 -- Unlike FF12, this game uses the turn-based combat system found on many an RPG. However, extra damage can be dealt by timing the overlapping of two "Rings". Very repetitive, but much more sensible than the mindless button-mashing of FINAL FANTASY 8. Immortal characters can only learn new skills by "Linking" with mortal characters, which I thought was a good idea as it forces you to rotate your formation and try new strategies. Finally, there are "Walls" based on the strength of your front row of characters, that help defend your weaker characters.
  
  TRANSPORTATION: 4/5 -- Anyone who has played the earlier FINAL FANTASY games knows that the AIRSHIP was the ultimate, most fun way to get around the world and it often featured the best "theme music". Sadly, from FINAL FANTASY 10 on, the airship failed to make an appearance as a controllable vehicle. THANKFULLY, in this game, you get to control a Speed Boat, a huge Cruise Ship, and a Ship that can operate on the water, under the seas, and flying in the air! Not as fun as the previous airships, but still very enjoyable. The "theme" song is not too bad, either.
  
  STORYLINE: 4/5 -- Playing LO makes me realize how much they skimped on the storyline in FF12. Any good RPG should feel like you're interacting with a 1,000 page fantasy/SF novel and LO does this extremely well. The storyline is very easy to follow while still being very complex and leaving lots that can be explored in future installments in this series (hopefully). The dream narratives range from cheesy to powerful, but for the most part are very well written.
  
  CHARACTERS: 4/5 -- The characters in LO are really unique, each with their own personalities and back-stories. Some, like Jansen, are a bit odd, but at least he's consistently so. There were countless times I cracked up at Jansen's remarks--something that I never experienced with any of the characters in FF12.
  
  SOUND: 4/5 -- Sound effects are pretty much average, but the voice acting is really good as the characters match up with their given voices. Nobuo Uematsu once again does an outstanding soundtrack that captures "The Emotion of the Moment", as I like to call it.
  
  GRAPHICS: 4/5 -- The least important to me, but very well done. If the ice looks slippery, well, that's because it IS and you can fall off it.
  
  OVERALL 4/5 -- In the end, I believe that great combat alone cannot make a great RPG, which is why I rate LO slightly higher than FF12. If storyline, characters and music are important to you, then you need to play this game. I honestly haven't had this much fun since MASS EFFECT, or for a fantasy genre reference, FINAL FANTASY 9.
  
  
• A surprising Masterpiece!
  By A3UZ4J9ND31Y8J on 2008-02-17
  I'm sort of a ps3 fan that owns a 360. I grew up playing on playstation because of all the RPG's. Well, I didn't want to like this game, but I do. In fact, I love it. It is the BEST game on the 360 to date...the best game on ANY next-gen console IMO. Blue Dragon pales in comparison to Lost Odyssey...now enough praise, here's why.
  
  1. Beautiful storyline--Starts out slow, but definitely picks up.
  2. Loading tmes are NOT 30 seconds--more like 5-10 seconds
  3. Great Graphics
  4. I love the "Dreams"
  5. Great battle system...I love it.
  6. Great art direction--creature & world design is excellent
  7. Tear shedder--the game can make you cry (in a good way)...seriously.
  
  Anyhow, I'm 100% surprised by this game. I still don't like the 360 much and think the hardware is crap...but this game is top notch and a reason to overlook the RRoD...it's a must own title. If it comes to pc, buy it then...if not, you might want to borrow/rent (maybe even buy) a 360--it's that good. This will easily be the best RPG until FFXIII comes out. Easily.
  
  
• Familiar Territory
  By A1Y5EINEZ032HU on 2008-02-21
  The turn-based RPG has been languishing for a long time, and fans of the genre will not be disappointed in Lost Odyssey. The game is an X-Box exclusive, but developed by Mistwalker and headed up by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who created the original Final Fantasy games. The result is that Lost Odyssey is extremely familiar - almost to the point of being derivative - of those golden games.
  
  Lost Odyssey follows the 1001th year of Kaim, an immortal who's fighting to regain 1000 years of lost memories. Along the way he meets other immortals in the same situation and mortals who have been caught up in the immortal lives. Early on you discover that there's a mastermind behind the immortals' missing memories, and you pursue that mastermind for answers and revenge.
  
  Lost Odyssey features 4 disks - 4! This isn't just graphics overload, there is a lot of story and content to go through in the game. The visuals are stunning, as to be expected, but you really need a high-def TV to appreciate them. I have a 32 TV, but it's not high-def, and I can barely read the menus or pick out pots and treasure chests in the landscape. All of the character designs are beautiful, apart from Kaim's, who has an annoying strand of hair in front of his face that I would love to take some scissors to. Kaim's 1000 years of history leave the doors wide open for writers, who oblige us with memorable short stories in text-only "dream" sequences. I actually found the English voice acting and script more engaging and suitable for the characters than the Japanese voice acting cast and writing. The orchestral score is top-notch, and very reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII and Radiata Stories (Nobuo Uematsu wrote music for both Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy VII).
  
  The gameplay features some new ideas. Your active party consists of 5 players arranged in a front and back row. The front row's hit points determine the "Guard Condition" of the party, or how much damage reduction is available for the back row. The enemies also have this advantage, so your tactics must be planned accordingly.
  
  Immortals can learn new skills from mortals and accessories. Mortals only gain new skills based on level. It's very addictive to build skills for your immortals this way. You accumulate new skills quickly, and there's no limit to how many skills you can learn - just how many you can equip. Theoretically, your immortals can learn every skill in the game.
  
  Parts for enhancement rings are scattered across the world. Ring crafting is the sole crafting mechanic in the game. Recipes for enhancement rings are automatically unlocked as you collect the required components. Equipping enhancement rings will give your melee characters the ability to apply status effects, increased damage types, and other effects. The ring system gives your character an additional action to time while attacking - you must hold down the right trigger as an outer ring contracts onto an inner ring, and release the trigger as both rings overlap. The better you are at this, the more effect your equipped ring will have.
  
  Though there are some unique aspects to the gameplay, there are many turn-based RPG conventions that are used in the game, including all of the annoying conventions you hoped were dead and gone forever.
  
  You only have 3 of the maximum 5 characters for most of the first disk, and the pattern-style boss fights are incredibly difficult and unbalanced when compared to the monsters you fight before each boss. I suspect that they specifically designed the game with the assumption that every player would have a game guide, and still want to make the game challenging for those players. The result is that the early boss fights are only conquered through perfect tactics and dumb luck. The game doesn't become enjoyable until you obtain at least 5 characters. No game should ever have a trial period that lasts 1/4 of the game.
  
  There are plenty of in-area annoyances, including gathering, block-moving, guard-capture and maze puzzles - most of these are in areas that include random monster encounters. At one point in the game, there's a funeral, which is completed with three minigames. How tasteless.
  
  The turn-based system and skill system leave much to be desired. You must enter all of your actions at the beginning of the turn, so they may be completely invalidated by enemy actions intermixed with your own, and there's not a lot you can do to plan for this or predict when your turn will complete relative to an enemy's. There is a big discrepancy in mana cost vs. effect for spells - you're usually better off using the lowest-ranked spells for maximum effect, since the higher-ranked spells are so expensive and only slightly more effective. The ring system is also a little ineffectual. As with most classic RPGs, status ailments still have a tiny percentage of being applied to enemies. (But enemies seem to have no problem hitting you with them all the time.)
  
  Annoyances like this are tolerated for our favorite turn-based RPGs because we're rewarded with amazing story and character development. Lost Odyssey's commercials may feature "White Rabbit," but there's not a lot that's surreal or dark about this game. The immortals initially suffer from one-dimensional personalities due to their lack of memories, and it takes quite a while for us to sympathize with them. The dream sequences are hit-or-miss: a lot of them read like drippy, mediocre fan fiction, but some of them are quite moving. The characters are mostly adults, which is refreshing - no more rites of passage or whiny teenagers with identity crises. But many of the characters often fall into the RPG character paradigms - spunky thief girl, strong silent tank man, jerky sidekick type, a naive princess on her first adventure.
  
  Apart from its flaws, Lost Odyssey is an artful, decent game. It takes a long while to get started, but you will be emotionally involved in the story and engaged with the few new gameplay mechanics. But if you're a fan of the genre, chances are you will play this game and be nostalgic for older releases that do the same thing, but better.
  
  
• Turn-Based is Not Dead!!!
  By AK4NBAU41ODBO on 2008-03-10
  I guess I'm one of the few who love turn-based RPGs, and it's quite obvious that they are becoming a rarity. FFX on PS2 was the last one I've really enjoyed (at least the last big title most people would know about), then they started going for active battle. And of course we have our mega-hit western RPG of Mass Effect, which was a great game. But where's the love for turn-based? Are people forgetting their RPG roots? Did you not love Chrono-Trigger, any of the earlier FFs, or any other(s) that you may have grown up with? After FFX I've been itching for a good turn-based with a good battle mechanic and story. Lost Odyssey delivers. Thank "God," turn-based is not dead.
  
  I'm only on the second disc (some people have to go to work, you know) so people may say my opinion of this being a five-star game is premature. However, I've played enough so far to know that this is a great game. When I first popped in the disc and watched that awesome, amazing cinematic at the beginning I knew I was in for something great. Speaking of that cinematic, I couldn't wait to get to a save-point so I could watch it again. Then I watched it again so I could show another person just how incredible this game is. Awesome, awesome stuff.
  
  The battle system is great. The use of rings keeps it so that you're not just pressing "attack," "attack," "attack..." What I really love is the difficulty and I guess you could say the AI. Every battle is an effort, you can't just use a caster or your top tank and knock out enemies in one blow, you actually have to use healing spells and items during normal, random battles-- every character gets into every fight. This is definitely a welcome change. In previous games that I've played you almost always had 99 healing herbs, they were rarely used. Your top two characters could finish off a fight in a matter of seconds and battles almost became annoying. When you visited stores you generally ignored the item store and went straight to armor and weapons. In LO I've found myself out of healing herbs and resurrection items from normal, random battles and you constantly have to restock. One thing, though, is I wish there was armor. You only equip weapons (which you can actually see during battles, you don't have the same sword appearance throughout the game, which is good), rings, and "charms." Hopefully in the next episode of LO (from what I understand this is an ongoing saga that will span a few more games) armor will be equip-able and hopefully it will show up during battles. I'm going to use FFX again as an example, but when you equipped a player with a different shield or bracelet, it showed up in battles. The designs of such items is always cool.
  
  My main gripe with the battle system is you have to set-up each characters moves to be carried out together all at once. The reason I don't like this set-up is if you knock out one enemy the next character in line that you've set up commands for will just attack the next enemy. Example, one of your tanks knocks out a fire elemental but you already set up a caster to cast water on it. Because it's been knocked out the caster casts water on the next enemy, maybe a water elemental, screwing things up. If you have individual attacks you can knock it out with the tank, then properly cast earth on the water elemental for your next turn instead of your move being pre-set. I prefer having characters attack one at a time, that way I can change up which enemy I'm attacking next, which spell, etc...
  
  The story so far is amazing. The dreams are great stories, really well written stuff that should probably be published as a compilation of short stories, they work well enough alone that they don't even necessarily have to be linked to the game. They're "Chicken Soup for the Soul" kind of stuff. My one complaint with the dreams is sometimes I'm pressed for time and can't sit and read a story for 5+ minutes, I need to get to the next save point. Sometimes I just feel like whooping some monster butt and don't want to sit and read. Thankfully you can skip them if you want and come back later to read them. The one thing though, is having them as readable stories was a good choice. A cinematic for each would have been cool, but the manner in which the author describes feelings, smells, colors, etc... is far more involving. You will definitely have some emotions stirred up by some of them, without a doubt.
  
  I really think that Lost Odyssey should be a game of the year contender. The graphics are amazing, there aren't any frame rate issues (Mass Effect, I'm looking at you), the story is great, the game play is awesome, and the music is perfect. A lot of reviewers said load times were an issue but they're about the same as Elder Scrolls. It's just really a shame turn-based JRPGs don't get the love they deserve. LO is a great game, don't miss out on it.
  
  
• This may be the best current-gen game I've yet played
  By A3QQU0665R5YYK on 2008-02-26
  I've been idly wondering if this is the best current-gen game I've played. It has incredibly awesome depth to the gameplay, but the place where it has a leg up on the Bioshocks and Devil May Cry's is in its story and characters. The only other game I've played in the past year and a half which has hooked me to its story and characters so much is Phoenix Wright 3. Everything else, with the possible exception of the Orange Box, has been simply "fun to play", but nothing that has me laughing one moment and sad the next, nothing that has me looking forward to the next cutscene just so I can see where the plot will go next, what the characters will do. I found out a few days ago that Lost Odyssey was written by a famous author, so....that explains it.
  
  ***EDIT****
  
  The above paragraph is what happens when you excitedly write a review for a game when you've only played 2 discs out of 4. I had the gameplay down, so that part of the review is fine. But the story, which was so involving in the first two discs (as apparent from my frothing love for it) completely, utterly failed to live up its early promises. From the first two discs, you think you're in for a tale full of truly adult themes (like the death of your mother or child), which is why it is so horrendous that it completely devolves into "The Bad Guy went South! We must Stop Him!" and (paraphrasing): "Sarah, the path ahead is blocked with ice. Will you be our fire rod?" in the last two discs. Unfortunately I can't change the star rating for my review, but rest assured it would have went down at least one star. It's still fun to play, but in an RPG, you get your fill of the gameplay after 40-50 hours...and when the plot is this bad, there's not much incentive to go ahead and even finish the game.
  
  Gameplaywise, it's a traditional turn-based RPG, with incredible depth. It has a fun timing-based attack system, but only if you equp a Ring to your character. Of course, you can assemble Rings on your own, determining what kind of effects it'll have on your character's attack. You can switch Rings around mid-battle, so you can change your sword from a water-based attack (complete with droplets gushing out of the sword), to a fiery blade, depending on what kind of enemy you're going to attack next.
  
  The same goes for skills and spells. You can equip Accessories (which show up on your character in cutscenes and such) that teach your character skills. Immortals can learn these skills permanently, but anyone who has the Accessory equipped can use the skill it provides. This lends the system a kind of Final Fantasy X-2 feel, with everyone capable of obtaining access to high-level magic spells...so long as you're willing to give up whatever previous Accessory you had equipped on them.
  
  To prevent the Immortals from becoming godly beings (at least early in the game), each Immortal has "skill slots", which you can equip a skill in. You can find things called Skill Seeds throughout the game, which creates a new skill slot for the Immortal you gave it to.
  
  The incredibly fun strategic gameplay, along with the awe-inspiring music (Nobou Uematsu can do no wrong), means that if you're even slightly interested in traditional turn-based RPGs, if you have any fond memories of any of the Final Fantasy games, or Chrono Trigger, or Suikoden....you owe it to yourself to try this one out. Just go in there knowing the plot falls flat on its face about halfway through the game.
  
  
• An Odyssey that should have stayed Lost
  By A54EFIHYNO4ZU on 2008-03-18
  When I first picked Lost Odyssey up, I expected to be swept up in an epic storyline involving heavy emotional and political intrigue--I was sorely disappointed. What you have instead is a watered down version of an otherwise good plot; the story itself is fine, but the presentation ruined it.
  
  Take for instance the main bad guy: Gongora. Not only is he probably the least terrifying villain in the history of RPGs (complete with cliched evil laugh) but the overall difficulty of the game makes you want to laugh at him. Lost Odyssey is absurdly easy, I'm on the fourth disc and have only ramped up 21 hours of game time: compare that to something like Final Fantasy IX (at least 40 hours) and you have one short, easy yawn fest.
  
  The rest of the cast isn't too memorable either. There is, most likely, only one line spoken that stood out--the rest faded into the background as melodramatic "imma gonna get chu!" or "imma gonna save u!" dribble. The line is spoken by Seth towards the beginning (you'll know it when you hear it). Characters are also often introduced too hastily or without reason, I can probably pick out at least 3 characters that, if removed from the cast, would not have any real impact on the story.
  
  For instance, when Kaim meets his daughter for the first time in years, the whole thing suddenly breaks down into a tear fest for the next 2 hours of gameplay or so. The whole event comes way too fast--just as players are getting used to Kaim--and so we kind of just look on and say "well, okay, what the blazes does this have to do with anything?"
  
  Humor is injected into the script at the wrong times, and often the constant jests become simply annoying and false sounding.
  
  All this culminates into the fact that when the game FINALLY gets challenging enough you'll go from aggravation to mild disinterest in a short span of time.
  
  It's not terrible, but, it just does so many things wrong.
  
  
• Impressive
  By A2IQVSSPCAHSAD on 2008-02-17
  Impressive,most impressive. I new when I first saw the trailer for this game that it was gonna be something special. This is the best RPG released on the Xbox platform so far,bar none. Gorgeous graphics an engaging story and spot on controls make this my favorite game so far for the Xbox. This is what every Xbox owning FF fan has been waiting for. The answer to our Japanese RPG craving is Lost Odyssey. What are you sitting here reading this review for when you could be playing this masterpiece?
  
  
• Final Fantasy for the 360! Finally!!
  By A3SHWEXUR0YAQR on 2008-02-17
  I've been waiting for the Xbox answer for FF since the original xbox came out. And my waiting has finally been rewarded.
  Don't listen to the doomthinkers about this game. If you liked the Turnbased (important!!) editions of FF you will without a doubt like this game. This play's and feel like a FF game, The only downside is the beginning of the game, There is a lot of watching at first (the story is great so it is only a small downside)But once it picks up your in RPG heaven. With super graphics and sound, great story and a slick turnbased actionsystem.
  The loadingtimes are really not that bad, not nearly the half a minute to a minute some reviews or people has been saying, they are about 5 to 12 secondes.
  I'm not going to stretch this review, I'm going to make this simple if you like FF (once again the turnbased editions, i can't stress this enough!!)you can absolutely do no wrong here. Like some reviews says it doesn't do anything new, but does FF even does this? Nope FF is FF it doesn't need big changes. So why should LO have too then?
  RPG lovers over the world. BUY THIS NOW!!!
  
  
• An instant classic. Do not pass this up.
  By A1GZ19Z8AR5CCT on 2008-02-18
  First off, I'd like to say that I've been a pretty big RPG fan since I was little. Chrono Trigger(Super Nintendo) was the game that got me hooked on the RPG genre. Lost Odyssey caught my interest when it was first announced, so I started reading up on it a lot, and talking to people who imported to get as much info. as I could. After a lot of research I picked it up on the day of launch. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down.
  
  To not drag this out: This game doesn't do anything new, but it does everything right you'd expect from a traditional RPG. Amazing story, great characters, a solid battle system, and a New Game+ mode. This has everything to offer for RPG thirsty fans looking for a next-gen RPG.
  
  Pros:
  + Timed hit system put in place to keep the battles from lacking interaction
  + Insane graphics, the unreal engine is nice and allows for some crazy facial expressions. The scenery is really well designed
  + The sprinting/running in this game is quick! Mistwalker did this since they knew how walking slow in some RPGs can be painful.
  + The "Ring Assembly" system is neat. Allows you to combine accessories for some pretty wicked ones. These help in battle since you can switch at will (adds some tactics to the boss battles)
  + Anti-Grind system - they scale exp so people know when it's time to move on w/o overpowering there characters. Hardcore RPGs can still grind if they want, but at least they let it be known when you're at a good level (to keep the game challenging).
  + Boss battles are no pushover. Assuming you don't spend hours and hours building your team up to insane levels, the bosses in this game will be no pushover.
  + New game plus - allows you to start your game over with some of the stuff you had in your previous file.
  + One of the best Soundtracks in awhile. The man behind much of the Final Fantasy series is on board with Mistwalker, and it's very good.
  
  Cons:
  - None. The loading time issues you read in some reviews is gone. This was only on the "Review build" of the game. The retail versions DO NOT suffer from lag like they say. Many youtube videos prove this, and were made specifically to show how the loading times are fixed. Many sites like Gamestop even admitted this recently.
  
  Go buy this game now if you like Japanese style RPGs.
  
  
• Fantastic Game
  By A29BQ6B90Y1R5F on 2008-02-19
  Pros:
  
  +Astonishing graphics
  +Even better music score
  +Well performed voice actors
  +A well told story that spans four discs
  
  Cons:
  
  -Load times are long and frequent
  -There's some slowdown to deal with
  
  Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator and producer of the Final Fantasy series, left Square-Enix and formed Mistwalker along with several of the staff members who made the Final Fantasy series. Their first effort, Blue Dragon, was, for the most part, a decent RPG but not what you'd expect from the man who brought you Final Fantasy. Lost Odyssey is a much better effort than Blue Dragon. From the creators of Final Fantasy comes another sprawling epic that's far better than Blue Dragon could ever hope to be.
  
  If there's one thing Mistwalker has solidified themselves in doing, it's the ability to make a beautiful game with some decent production values. The story of Lost Odyssey centers on Kaim. An immortal who has lost his memory. As the game progresses, you learn more about Kaim and who he was. In spite of having several overly done moments, Lost Odyssey doesn't feature a bad storyline at all. Much of it is well written, the dialog well spoken and acted by their voice cast. Even better is that there are a lot of emotional moments going on that make the game a thrill to play. While there isn't anything too stark about the story itself, the characters are likeable enough to keep you going. And they should be. This game spans four discs.
  
  Lost Odyssey doesn't do a whole lot to separate itself from a lot of JRPGs. It has a few good elements to it, but in truth, this is really just your average turned based battle system. There are a few tidbits to separate it from other JRPGs, however. Such as placing your characters in the front or back row. While Final Fantasy has already done this, Lost Odyssey puts much more emphasis on this. There's a guard gauge you must keep an eye on, and once it runs out you'll take much more damage from attacks. Learning skills is also somewhat different. Kaim, like other characters who will join you, is immortal. Immortals can, however, learn abilities from their mortal allies by battling with them in combat.
  
  There are also attack rings. When a character attacks you can hold the right trigger and then release at the right time to do extra damage. While it doesn't really add much of anything to the combat, it keeps you focused. Combat isn't too hard to learn. Neither is the rest of the game. In fact, Lost Odyssey plays pretty much like a standard RPG.
  
  Lost Odyssey looks absolutely beautiful, though. Helped along, of course, by a well told story. The characters and environments are absolutely beautiful. To compliment all this, the music score is astonishing. Done by former Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu The voice acting is also pretty good. If there was anything that might keep the game's production values down, it might be that it just doesn't run all that smoothly. Blue Dragon suffered similar problems. While the slowdown people may not mind, the frequent and somewhat long loading times might be problematic.
  
  In short, Lost Odyssey is so far the best JRPG you can get on the XBOX360 at the moment. It's deep emotional story and focus on its characters make it a more memorable RPG. While it suffers briefly in the technical department, it's certainly not a bad game by any means. JRPG fans should definitely pick up.
  
  
• My 1st and unbiased review on Amazon.com
  By A2SD9R03NKVHGG on 2008-02-21
  Lets cut right to the chase. I love the game. The graphics are amazing, the story is gripping, and the gameplay is what it is-old school turn based JRPG. If you're into that as I am, you'll be hooked. The only gripe I have with the game is there are a few long stretches in the game where you CAN'T SAVE. A part in particular involved the death and funeral of a certain character. That part goes on for over an hour with no chance to save. Theres a few long story sequences and some mini games that happen during this stretch. Its important to the story, but when I should've been focused on that I was only thinking "I'm tired, when the heck am I going to be able to save and quit!?" This might be a minor nitpick, but I felt it was big enough to warrant writing my first review on here. Other than that Lost Odyssey is an amazing RPG that shouldn't be missed.
  
  
• by now you should know
  By A2JGYQ3W4WG8ZA on 2008-02-23
  This is a standard Japanese RPG if you havent played one before chances are you wont like it. But for RPG addicts like myself its a must buy.
  Its just that simple.
  
  
• Thought I was going to love this game, but it wasn't meant to be.
  By A36QNRQGBFKC5Q on 2008-05-13
  This is a game I was very much looking forward to and was practically certain I would love based on the information and user reviews. I'm all about the story and the dream sequences sounded awesome, and the plot got great reviews from many people and sounded interesting. Also, I'm a fan of old school rpg's and even looked forward to the random battles and turn based combat. Unfortunately, this game just didn't do it for me and I have pretty much lost all interest in it.
  
  By far the biggest disappointment for me is in the story. At first it really grabbed me and seemed intriguing, but unfortunately it lost most of it's mystery and intrigue quickly as major plot points and villains are revealed way too early in the game, leaving it pretty bland and cliche afterwards. I also found many scenes that were clearly intended to capture emotions forced, contrived, and just over the top, leaving me watching the screen with a sense of detachment from the characters. The dream sequences were also disappointing. While they are indeed well written and interesting to read, there is no real connection between these dreams and the game world, creating once again a sense of detachment. Also, the dream sequences frequently go into the same contrived and over the top attempts at emotion provocation, similar to the cutscenes. For me the story is where it's at with an rpg, and this one just doesn't do it for me.
  
  I found the battle system to be ok, but that's probably because I like the old school style. I could easily see people not liking it based on it's simplicity, but it is what it is, and does the job. So in this regard the game is fine.
  
  Music and sound left a lot to be desired in my opinion. None of the musical scores really clicked with me much, and the voice acting was so-so. One of the problems I also had was the continual reuse of the same music during the dream sequences, and how the tracks were always used during the same type of emotional setting during the sequence. After about 5 dream sequences you can almost know what's going on with the dream just by the music. To a certain extent there does of course need to be music to accompany a story, but the problem I am getting at is that after 10 dream sequences using the same set of musical tracks, it just gets predictable and grating.
  
  Graphics are top notch, there is no denying that, the game is beautiful and the characters are gorgeous. Another point that I will bring up is that exploring cities can be pretty fun, with the multitude of hidden items and such.
  
  This game has it's positives and negatives, but unfortunately for me the negatives outweigh the positives. I very much wanted to love this game, and expected to, but reality is what it is. Many people seem to enjoy the game, however, so if you're reading this review I wouldn't avoid the game simply on my opinions. Perhaps the game will connect with you, but for me it just wasn't meant to be.
  
  
• Lost Odessey is what it claims to be.
  By A1RZQ6CY1Q8SQO on 2008-02-20
  At first i was very skeptical about Lost Odessey. I soon realized it Was what it claimed to be, which is a Next Gen RPG. You Will notice some things that you have seen in old school RPG's but for the most part everything you love about an RPG has been refreshed and changed around to make this game very unique. Also the story itself is very emotional and interesting. It makes you want to keep playing until its over. The graphics are really better than i had expected because not only are the videos great looking so is the the rest of the game. During battles and just walking around it all looks great. The camera control and angles can get annoying at times but is nothing that will hinder the gameplay. I really do believe this game succeeded in being a next gen RPG and is Emaculate in more ways than one. Also i will add that if you were as i was, disappointed when you played Final Fantasy 12 this game is a refreshing way to get back into the RPG genre!
  
  
• A shining example of a properly executed JRPG.
  By A2WKXB269I3ZA5 on 2008-03-02
  Lost Odyssey is the best Japanese RPG to come out in the past few years. This shouldn't come as a big surprise, considering the man behind the project was also the mastermind responsible for the best Final Fantasy games.
  
  This game has an amazing storyline, and intriguing characters. The dream sequences of the main character are often lengthy and some may be tempted to skip them, because they are entirely text-based. Don't do it. These dreams are some of the most touching moments of the game and give you great insight into the past of the main character, Kaim.
  
  Don't worry, the story isn't entirely conveyed via text. The game has many beautiful cut scenes and all of the important dialog is voiced. Speaking of which, Lost Odyssey has surprisingly good English voice acting. This is a real rarity among Jrpgs. The Japanese audio is offered in the options but I didn't even try it because the English was so good.
  
  Naturally, I cannot talk about the aural aspects of an RPG without mentioning the music. Lost Odyssey has a wonderful score, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. If you recognize the name, it's probably because he is the same guy responsible for the music in many Final Fantasy games. I've always felt that his best work was with Final Fantasy VI and he comes close to rivaling it with Lost Odyssey.
  
  Graphically, Lost Odyssey is a mixed bag. The good thing is that the characters all look amazing and are highly detailed. The environments also look great for the most part but the slightly zoomed out view doesn't do them justice. Also, the anti-aliasing could be better, as there are a few jaggies that pop up. Another slight issue is the frame rate, which isn't always silky smooth but at least never drops below playable.
  
  Of course, this is still a game, and none of the aforementioned bells and whistles account for much if the gameplay isn't there. Luckily, the gameplay is excellent, although it is mostly standard JRPG fare. The non-combat portions of the game involve running around exploring and talking to NPCs (non-player characters). The combat adheres to old school JRPG conventions. Yes, enemies are invisible until a random battle is triggered, and the battle screen loads. Combat is strictly turn based but there is a reflex-based component that involves pushing the right trigger at a certain time to increase damage. Some will criticize the game's turn-based combat but that isn't really fair. Turned-based role-playing games are a genre of their own, entirely separate from real-time RPGs. Therefore, it isn't valid to compare the combat of Lost Odyssey to that of a real-time RPG such as Oblivion or Mass Effect. Also, some people say that turn-based combat isn't realistic because the combatants stand across from each other and take turns attacking. This shows both a lack of imagination and a lack of understanding. In real life a fight between two skilled adversaries is a strategic affair, with each combatant reacting to the other's moves. Turned-based combat just slows it down and let's you take your time while choosing tactics. The characters are not really supposed to be standing there and smacking each other in turn.
  
  Ultimately, those who like RPGs, or at least JRPGs, will love Lost Odyssey. Those who don't like the genre will not be converted by this game. It is as simple as that. I will say that the game has not been given a fair shake by most of the mainstream gaming press. Many of the reviews state that the gameplay is antiquated but the reasons for labeling it thus ultimately come down to an indictment of the JRPG genre as a whole. Thus, the resulting reviews are more a critique of the genre than the game itself.
  
  
• Finally an traditional RPG with a strong and emotional story
  By AKFFTCQT6L8L on 2008-04-23
  With the creator of the "Final Fantasy" series breaking away from Square-Enix to start his own company and to work for Microsoft as Mistwalker to continue to make traditional RPG's who would of thought that after the semi-good success with, "Blue dragon" that the company would make a game that not only is for adults, but has the story that feels like its filled with all the drama, political intrigue, and complications that makes up a good RPG well guess what you will find all of that in this game called, "Lost Odyssey" only for the X-box 360.
  
  Lost Odyssey, is about a man by the name of Kaim Argonar. A 1,000 year old hero and protagonist of the game who due to some strange reason can't remember a chunk of his thousand years on his world but all he knows that he has some purpose even though he doesn't know what it is, so he continues to walk the world fighting wars after wars until he gets swept up into a chain of events that not only helps him get some of his memories back but also changes him on a path of redemption and solace.
  But he's not alone in this adventure and he's not the only immortal in the whole world...soon you will meet up with the ever adventurous Seth (who is a woman by the way) and the very sarcastic Jensen who's a mage by profession but a bit of a womanizing jackass by nature. From the beginning they are your best friends and good allies in a complicated and very bittersweet storyline which is NOT a bad thing...for some reason they stepped back from the "pretty boy/girl" confused about saving the world" nature and put a somewhat cold hearted individual that only lives to fight then realizes his nature and goals thru certain dreams which i will get to that later.
  
  But as the game progress the level of detail to the games design is pretty damn good being that the game runs on a Unreal graphical engine (which has its good and bad points). Good being that it looks REALLY great, the magic and other aspects to the game is done with such a crass to detail that it makes the game a worth while to watch but its bad point is that sometimes it does lag a bit from time to time but you really wouldn't notice it though and that's pretty much it. The fighting is pretty much your standard traditional RPG style but with an added twist called the, "Ring system" which at first its a bit complicated to do but with the tutorial it comes easy and its pretty fun as well as it helps you Plan on what ring you need to attach to your weapon in order to defeat an enemy and/or boss of the game which is a smart move on Sakaguchi's part but I'm sure the drawback is that everyone wanted or expected the battle system to be real time and this isn't but it advances the nostalgic feel for the game and its a bit more better than what "Blue dragon" produced (and readable too...blue dragon you had to wear special glasses to figure out what they were writing for the words were small..*laughing*).
  
  The game is 4-discs which for some is long...but consider the source, you have a very abundant storyline; very well drawn out characters who's personality aren't the same and they compliment each other very well, a very well done complicated adult story line with adult humor at times. And let's get to the main part of the game...the story! Like I mention the story is complicated at most for its political intrigue, and immortal background but if the story doesn't get you hooked its the dreams that will. it seems Sakaguchi used the talents of a famous Japanese author to keep the player interest in its deep and engaging with stories that make even the biggest person become emotionally grasp by the extra sentimental backdrop to Kaim's past.
  
  Even though it starts a bit slow after the first disc the action picks up a lot more and you are soon wrap into its world. A person who plays this game can beat it within a couple of weeks if not a month (if you have a lot of time in your hands of course). On a system that is gaining a lot of RPG games now this is one of those games that you must pick up in your collection..don't pass this one up.
  
  
• Great game...great story
  By ALC6LWQXBHIPG on 2008-02-19
  Ok...I am 10 hrs in and so far it's pretty ok.
  
  You may as well call it the other, other Final Fantasy but...no Cid and no Chochobos, it's a great, tight storyline with no convolutions nor confusions. The dream sequences are good reads also.
  
  Well I won't bore you to death suffice to say that if you ever played Final Fantasy in any incarnation, you know what to expect...wouldn't be surprised if I found out that this was an idea and the creators changed the title.
  
  Pretty graphics and soem really intense battles.
  
  That actually is one of the game's strong points...the enemies are no pushovers...however my biggest complaint so far was that one of teh early bossfights against bogimoray, as tough as it was, gave you no EXP at all...you would figure after 3 or 4 tries some cussing and a nearly thrown controller you would get something.
  
  Another complaints is that the shops really offer nothing in the way of good gear so far. but the plus is, when yo add some of the peices on, you do get to see some of the changes.
  
  Also, in a similar vein to Mass Effect, the gane has a lot of cutscenes but mercifully you can pause and skip as needed.
  
  And...they really add to the story...in fact, you will see perhaps one of the saddest ones ever seen in gaming this year...
  
  So, pick it up and enjoy...it gets a 4 out of 5 stars from me.
  
  
• Don't be fooled by names or the bias media
  By AK4Y6J8GEM0XB on 2008-03-04
  All they had to do was call this game 'Final Fantasy something or other' and the reviews would have been amazing. Remove the 'Final Fantasy' name and the media calls this game 'outdated' and or 'too old school'. The creator of Final Fantasy left to start the company Mistwalker, so in other words Mistwalker is the new Squaresoft(enix). I couldnt stand FF12 but I thought this game was amazing. The only flaws with game are the frame rate (slows down at times) and the fact it comes on 4 discs (I thought we were beyond this). Other wise fantastic game, characters, music and story.
  
  On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this game an 8.5 (B+)
  
  
• A Japanese RPG for the American gamer
  By ALT8OCGC2LVQ9 on 2008-03-12
  Lost Odyssey is not what you'd call a traditional xbox 360 game, which is good, because those who have been waiting for a real turn based RPG finally have a game. It is very close in relation to the Final Fantasy series. This is because the creator is from Square Enix. There are a few differences which sets it apart from those games both good and bad. Much like the FF franchise, it has a very deep story, involves lots of magic and of course the use of swords. Everything you'd expect from a traditional turn based RPG is in this game. The story follows a man named Kaim Argonar who is immortal, invincible and has lived for over a 1000 years.
  
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  This is a rather lengthy review, so if you just want the short review of the game skip to the part that says recap.
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  Graphics 8/10
  The beginning sequence of the game is a very long full motion video of a large scale battle and at the end of it Kaim enters a turn based battle against some 30-40 Khent soldiers. It appears as if you never left the video. The graphics from the video (which are brilliant) are just barely better than the battle and in-game graphics. The people especially have incredible detail. The facial features of the main characters are rather amazing. Unlike games from even a few years ago, you can clearly tell the difference in age by the faces. The shapes of the faces and bodies are so human. The graphic designer did a remarkable job at producing roundness. When they speak or laugh their gestures are evident through facial features as well as their body language. It appears as if there were actually muscles programmed into the faces to give realism. Hair is also split up into multiple groups and moves at the character moves.
  The backgrounds are very vivid and detailed as well. Reflections and shadows are amazing. The water will give reflections that are incredibly lifelike. Weapons look brilliant. It isn't all good however. Because of the graphic level of the main characters many of the other people in the game don't look as good in comparison. Also, props (I call them) carts, barrels, etc. look more like the first generation of games for the system. So it is really a mixed bag on the graphics, but the things of interest are very well done. Other than that it looks really good compared to an average Xbox 360 game.
  
  Characters 9/10
  The character development in Lost Odyssey is second to none. And the characters each have their own specific mannerisms and way of talking. They also have their own unique personalities. With such depth in the characters, another dimension is added to the game which you will never get from anything but a quality role playing game. And other than Kaim, unlike many other JRPGs the developers did a good job at making the people not appear to be inherently Japanese. I have no problem with Japanese people, but adverse people make the game considerably more interesting. What really sets Lost Odyssey apart from other games I've played is the ability to relate the characters to the player and make a real connection.
  
  Story 10/10
  I haven't played a game that had such an enveloping story such as this since Final Fantasy VII. It is the very crux of Lost Odyssey and its greatest achievement. I will try to outline the story without giving too much away. As the immortal Kaim Argonar you are an immortal being who has lived for at least 1000 years. Essentially Kaim is a career mercenary for a country called Uhra. His superior-Gongora very quickly is established as the antagonist who is also immortal. There are also two other countries specifically involved in relations with Uhra and the politics really play in. As you advance you meet new characters as well as three other immortals.
  What really sets the game apart from any other Japanese-type RPG is the dreams. Kaim had a spell placed on him that destroyed his memory of the past thousand years and throughout the course of the game he will notice things that sparks the memory back. These are short stories in written text on the screen. They are really very well done albeit somewhat depressing. Each one has to do with Kaim's endless journey and the finite lives of the people he met along the way. I really can't find any faults in the story. It has the makings of a brilliant novel, but you get to play through it.
  
  Battle System 7/10
  As you'd expect with a JRPG there is a turn-based battle system. It is rather simple. You can attack, use items, magic, skills or defend. One really nice feature is the ability to change equipment in battle. So if you are facing an enemy which has contrary elemental strengths or weaknesses, you can adjust on the fly. Another kind of more complex aspect is the ratings of the characters from A-H, A being the best. On the loading screens you get to see a glimpse of the characters ratings such as attack speed, magic casting, attack, HP, so forth. Kaim's HP is rated an A, while his magic casting time is F. Therefore a person with a high attack speed will not be able to cast magic as fast and vice versa. In fact some spells can take 2 or 3 turns to cast if it is a very advanced spell.
  In Lost Odyssey you have this thing called a GC which is a rating of your defenses on the front line based on their HP. This determines your overall defense from attacks and also how much more defense the back row will receive. When this goes down your back row (normally magic casters) will be more susceptible to magical and especially physical attacks. The same goes for the enemy. The only way to get your GC meter back up once it has been taken down is with a skill called wall or variations of it.
  The other new battle feature is the ring system. You are able to equip rings which have special skills such as an elemental attack attached to your regular attack, or a poison ring, rings that work well against aerial enemies. There are literally dozens of kinds for each type of enemy. Then with a ring equipped you hold the trigger and time it to create a better effect. The better timing you have, the stronger the attack. My problem with the battle system is that many times while fighting enemies and particularly bosses it seems that the game just gives the enemies the upper hand. I'll be attacked by an enemy at the end of one turn and then he'll get the first hit the next turn as well. So it is like he has 1.5 turns instead of just one. Therefore it is somewhat inconsistent.
  
  Magic and Skill System 8/10
  The magic in Lost Odyssey is mostly unoriginal. Aside from the name changes, it has all the facets of a traditional RPG. You have your elemental magic including three levels, effect magic (poison, sleep, paralyze etc), shielding magic and curing magic. Only the effect magic is somewhat new at least for me. There are all the regular ones like poison, sleep and paralyze, but there is also freeze, virus, formation lock and a few more. The rest is pretty much inconsequential. I wasn't particularly impressed with the magic. The worst part is a lot of the magic is found like an item instead of learned. I think a little more creativeness should have been used here. However, the immortals can learn any skill or magic that a mortal character already has, making the game much more interesting.
  I was however impressed with the skill system more than the magic. There are some very interesting skills once you get later into the game. A few worth mentioning: combo, taunt-brings attacks to that person, persistence-keeps character alive even with no HP left. Immortals can learn very valuable skills like anti-paralysis, anti-poison and anti-seal. Also along with that you can get slot seeds for all immortals which allow you to raise the number of skills you can use at any one time. This keeps the game interesting.
  
  Equipment 6/10
  In the game there are three types of equipment: weapons, rings and accessories. Much of the equipment changing occurs for the people who actually attack on a regular basis, so there is no point to changing the weapons of the magic casters. Because of this, buying weapons really gets monotonous. Buy two identical swords for Seth and Kaim. Repeat.
  
  Music / Voice Acting 9/10
  I really enjoyed the music in Lost Odyssey. It is beautiful and perfectly fit the feel of the game. Most of it has an otherworldly feel. While some of it is just creepy sounding. The general theme is kind of solemn and at times depressing. However, there is a lot of death in the game.
  Voice acting was superb. Ming especially brought the character of the queen of Numara to life. She has a very formal British accent. Kaim's voice was a perfect choice for him, very masculine, and despite him being rather quiet it fit the character. Some of the best voice acting I've heard. A negative to the voice acting is some of the conversations didn't make sense. Jansen in particular was guilty of this. There were a lot of assumptions that the gamer was supposed to figure out on their own.
  
  Gameplay 4/10
  Gameplay I feel is very limited. It really pains me to say it because almost everything else about the game is top notch. You have battles and you have walking around looking for stuff. There aren't any side-games. There are a few secrets for getting special weapons, but nothing really that great. There are no super bosses to look for to test your skill. Basically the gameplay is a washed out version of Final Fantasy in my opinion. And most likely a version marketed for the more FPS-minded gamers who purchased the Xbox 360. It is a simpler game.
  By far the greatest downfall of the game is what seems like an endless line of cut scenes. This is where the game really loses a lot of its initial luster. For the first few hours of the game I thought that the FMVs (full motion videos) were just because it was the beginning of the game. Unfortunately I was completely wrong. In fact, the videos remain consistently dense all through the game. I'd say it averages out to about a movie every 15-20 minutes. In fact in the third disc I watched a movie for what had to be near an hour. Don't get me wrong. The videos are brilliantly done and the voice acting is spot on, but you just get the feeling that they ran out of unique playable content. If the game is 40 hours long, then at least 15 hours is cut scenes. Because of this, like the Playstation ® games of old there are four DVD discs. This is kind of nostalgic and kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Oblivion fit on one disc and easily housed over 100 hours of content.
  Now back to the point. My qualms with the endless cut scenes and FMVs would be squelched much more easily if it weren't for the terrible setup for the world map and the level cap. There is no way to get anywhere you haven't been before without following the linear setup the developers created. You soon learn that that ship you were given can't traverse the hyper currents in the ocean and therefore you are railroaded to the next part of the game. I was incredibly disappointed by this.
  So, because you can't explore the other areas and can only go backwards you cannot level up in the traditional sense. In other words you can't go and "grind" to make the characters as strong at you want. If you decide to go backwards and try to level up it won't work either. The level cap is set for certain areas of the game. What I mean is that say you go into a cave for example and you are level 30 to begin with. That area has a maximum level you can attain no matter what. Let's say it is 35. Once you have reached that level you will not gain any more experience points for the characters who have reached that predetermined level. The real reason I rated the gameplay so low was because that excitement you get with leveling up just isn't there. Building up your character is the backbone behind any good RPG. When you don't get to change armor and you can't get out of the storyline's areas it really puts a hamper on the exploration.
  I really can't find anything new or good about the gameplay. Were it not for the other parts of the game, this would be average at best.
  
  Largest negatives
  Loading times for the battles in particular are very long. Most of the battles will takes anywhere between 15-30 seconds before you get to choose your first action. Along with that, the save points are few and far between in the most literal sense of that expression. In an area that would take probably 3-4 hours to get to the boss, you'll have two save points, sometimes less.
  Because of the difference in speed of attacks and casting between the characters, one person's spell or attack could take as many as three sequences of turns before it commences. A normal set of turns will take about a minute between the two parties and that doesn't include the time it took to pick out the attack, spell or skill you wanted to use. In general, most battles will run about 5 minutes from beginning to end, which may not seem long. However when you're just trying to get to a save point, it will really add loads of time and frustration. In fact, I've had battles that have lasted for near a half an hour. They weren't boss battles. Because of this I really got burnt out on leveling up and learning new skills.
  The story is incredibly linear. A story that is 90% linear in this day and age is not something you want to see in an RPG. There is no place to just walk around the map and look for random battle; you ALWAYS have to choose a place on the map once you leave the previous one. It makes the gamer feel closed in and prevents a whole lot of sidequests or secrets.
  
  
  Recap
  
  Graphics - 8/10, amazing level of detail in the faces, seamless transition between full motion and regular gameplay, very smooth animation for the most part
  
  Characters - 9/10, extremely diverse characters and great character development as good as a novel, easy to see the three dimensionality of each person
  
  Story -10/10, absolutely brilliant story with many different intertwining plotlines and such depth that I've never seen in a game, especially the "dreams" of Kaim
  
  Voice Acting - 9/10, excellent, the game is really brought to life with the inflections and intonations of the voice actors
  
  Battle System - 7/10, very good battle system, nothing really new unfortunately, but fairly simple, short learning curve
  
  Magic / Skills - 8/10, magic is pretty standard, with a few new effects but same elements as any RPG, skills are amazingly diverse and allow for the immortals to learn any skill a mortal person knows
  
  Gameplay - 4/10, gameplay is completely uninspiring, too many cut scenes, storyline is overly linear, no free-roam, lengthy battles, there is very little good about the gameplay.
  
  The game is actually a decent game overall, so I'll let you make your own decision on the final rating. Being it is the only recent turn based RPG for the Xbox 360 it is better than any other one previously made by a long shot. However if there are future games I just hope that there are more resources for the developers, because it is clear they don't have the same ability as Square Enix. However, the story will strike a chord with anyone who has an ounce of humanity and was brilliantly executed.
  
  
  
  
• Amazing experience. Amazing Game!
  By A2R3IHEN0WQIRR on 2008-04-28
  All I can say is that this was my first turn-based RPG and I just loved it. The story is amazing and there is a lot of character development in this game. Its almost like movie. Its a very mature title. I think this game is very underrated. I loved every second of the 70 hour Plus I spent in it!
  The only thing that might bother some is that there are a quite few loading screens but the barely reach more than 10 seconds at most. In my personal experience this did not affect my experience. Can't wait for the sequel!
  
  

• Lost Odyssey: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)

• Lost Odyssey: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
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