Baten Kaitos is an untimate masterpiece through its storyline, gameplay, and music alone.
Wow... I just finished this game at 50 hours and I am totally amazed. While some people believe that the high expectations of this game weren't met, I personally think that it was just as good as it was meant to be.
Story
"A long, long time ago it was, before people began to dwell in the sky. A terrible war was waged between us humans and the wicked god. After the horrendus battle, our ancestors entombed the wicked god, and left the polluted and barren earth to find a future in the sky." This is the beginning line, which explains the setting leading up to where we begin the story.
Kalas, our main character, is not the character you control directly. You are a guardian spirit who controls Kalas and makes some of his decisions for him, which ultimately influence how much you bond throughout the game. Understand? One day, Kalas is attacked by rock cats and knocked unconscious, waking in a small farming villiage. There he meets a mysterious looking girl named Xelha, who heads off to the nearby forest in search of ancient ruins. Sound interesting? It is. Very. What happens next is up to whether or not you decide to continue the adventure by trying out the game.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Baten Kaitos is (oxymoron), both card based and well done. Basically, you are given a deck of cards (called Magnus) which is a certain size based on your class level, which is in turn leveled up by special types of magnus. Kind of confusing, but after a couple hours of using it, it does make sense. Anyway, these cards have either a damage value or defense value (or both), paired with six types of elements. To add to this, every card you select has a numerical value ranging from 1 to 9. You can form combos with these, such as a pair or a straight, to increase the damage dealt during the round.
Outside of battle, you can use 'blank magnus' (blank cards without an essence of an item filling them) to capture the Magna essence (the essence of being) of various items and use them to solve puzzles or complete sidequests. The gameplay has a great depth to it and is a pleasure to take part in. To add to this, there are many puzzles throughout the 'dungeounous' areas, many of which are simple, but some that can be quite challenging. The true fun is in the combat, which as explained above, has a great depth and level of fun.
Graphics
This game is so unbelievably beautiful. The monster designs are intriguing. The scenry is jaw-dropping. The floating islands each have a unique style and culture, which is easily used to tell them apart. There is so much attention put into the detail of everything that it is just a pleasure to look at.
There is only one computer-generated movie in the game, which is the one in the beginning, but from that, the impressive environment lets you visualize how it really could look. Everything else in the game is conveyed using one type of engine. This actually works out surprisingly well, requireing only some imagination to get going. Once again, this game is so amazing to look at and play.
Sound
Don't even get me started. The sound in this game is a real fit to the experience. In dramatic moments, you have slow, sorrowful songs while in intense boss battles you're listening to the battle theme rockin' out on electric guitar. There are about 60 different tracks in the game, with at least 5 that are sure to stick with you for a long time. The music is done extremely well.
As for character voices, They do sound a little 'stuffled', but the tones placed in make up for it. The tone shows it all, from the moments of revenge to the moments of pain, it is believable as to how the characters speak and say what they say.
Value
This game took me 50 hours to beat the first time, and chances are I'll beat it again at least twice more for both the gameplay and story. This game is guaranteed to last you a long time. Also, I picked it up at the bargain bin for only $20. A definite must for good RPG fans.
Tilt
Fun, Joy, Placidness, Hope, Prophecy, Revenge, Drama, Intrigue. These are all aspects that pull you along the game and make you want to play it. This game is so good to play, with several great plot twists and a dynamic story guaranteed to make you shed tears. A real beautiful adventure awaits you in Baten Kaitos, one of my new favorite games of all time, possibly rivalling that of Final Fantasy 10 and 7.
Conclusion
If you are a fan of RPG's, definitely check this game out. It may seem a little slow in the beginning, but by the end you'll love it and never want to let go of it as long as you live. Pick it up and you won't regret it.