Underrated:- Lost Odyssey
As we drift ever so closer to the blisteringly hot and exciting time of the gaming calender that we call summer, let us ignore the beckoning calls of the E3 Expo and first turn our attention to the games that have already come out.
We’ve had some gigantic titles already released in 2010, Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, God of War 3 and Bioshock 2 to name but a few. However, it’s probably safe to say that the 1st quarter of this year has only truly belonged to one game, Square Enix’s latest offering of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy 13.
Everywhere you went, from the sides of buses to billboards, from full page adverts in magazines to advertisements on that little (or big) box we call a television, Final Fantasy 13 was there. In fact, I heard that Square Enix had pumped so much money into the marketing campaign of Final Fantasy 13, they actually tried to make it an international law that every person over the age of 16 had to buy at least 10 copies. One copy to play, nine just to sit on your shelf or something like that.
Despite it's age, Lost Odyssey still looks incredible
The wait for Final Fantasy 13 was a long one, and between Final Fantasy 12 and 13 Microsoft Game Studios released the great, and often forgotten about, Lost Odyssey. This game is much in the same vein as the Final Fantasy series, not surprising considering it was even produced by the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi (pronounced He-Row-Know-Boo Sack-A-Gooch-Ee, I do believe).
Forgotten about? Well yes, because it seems only 0.1% of the gaming population actually know this game exists. It’s a crying shame considering it boasts some of the key elements of what makes a truly brilliant RPG.
Despite it’s age, Lost Odyssey still looks beautiful (the cutscenes in particular are nothing short of breathtaking), it also has fully realised and interesting characters (although the character of Jansen does grate on you at times, the annoying f*ck!). Most importantly, it has an engaging and emotive story. Story really is the element that means an RPG either lives or dies.
On a more personal note, the story of Lost Odyssey has reignited my love for RPG’s. Well, that and the Mass Effect franchise.
Lost Odyssey’s tale centres around the exploits of Kaim Argonar; quite possibly one of the sulkiest characters to ever grace a game. Kaim is entitled to be a bit sulky as he is immortal and is suffering from a spot of amnesia.
Mr Moody Pants..
Of course, with this being an RPG there is a whole cast of characters to join Kaim on his quest. They range from mortals and children such as Jansen and Cooke, to other immortals such as Gongora and Queen Ming. Each character is supported with some superbly believable voice acting, which helps immerse the player within the Lost Odyssey story.
With smatterings of war, sorrow, betrayal and rebellion, it all sounds very much like your average Japanese RPG. You’re right, Lost Odyssey plays out like your average JRPG, which some people may find, well…quite frankly boring. It’s fairly outdated, turn based combat system, in randomly generated battles and the games insanely long load times being the biggest offenders of boredom, and at times it all feels perhaps a bit too old school, if also frustrating.
Lining up and taking turns to attack feels far too old fashioned these days
Whilst Lost Odyssey may lack originality in some areas it is incredibly innovative in others. Case in point, the “Thousand Years of Dreams” mini stories/dreams allow the player to read some of the tales accrued through Kaim’s thousand year life time. Anything from the hugely significant to the littlest of detail can spark a memory within Kaim. The player is then able to read the relating tale any time they want.
This system allows for a real connection between the player and the character. Kaim at first seems to be very cold and soulless, but these stories mean he warms on you and slowly comes to life.
These stories are especially interesting and moving because they are beautifully written. Although they were written by award-winning Japanese short story writer, Kiyoshi Shigeematsu (pronounced Key-Yosh-Eee She-Jee-Mat-Soo, I hope), so they were destined to be well written.
The soundtrack to the game is of equal beauty. The emotively written score really adds to an already engaging story to create a truly thrilling experience. The music heightens the emotional climaxes of the story, whether it be through making the intense moments far more tense or the sad moments positively tearful. All in all, the score is the perfect companion to a heart wrenching story.
All credit to Microsoft, in an attempt to try and win over the Asian market they really went to town on Lost Odyssey. Not only did they draft in incredible talent to ensure the game was well written, they also allowed players to extend the experience of Lost Odyssey beyond the four discs with the addition of DLC. New items, dungeons, bosses, dreams, skills and achievements are all there to download and earn; further expanding what already was a complete experience.
In fact, the phrase “complete experience” is probably the best way to summarise Lost Odyssey. This is a game far from flawless or perfect, however if you are willing to forgive and look passed the many flaws, there is still a very engaging, enjoyable experience to be had. It’s just such a shame that this is an experience that seems to have been forgotten.
Three other JRPG’s you could argue should be on the list or take over this spot:
Tales of Vesperia
Valkyria Chronicles
Eternal Sonata