Lost Odyssey, All is Redeemed, Reviews Are In: Unofficial Thread : )

Now I have to say I've heard very mediocre things about Lost Odyssey, but I was simply blown away when I saw this commercial for the game. The commercial features the trippy 60's acid induced ballad by Grace Slick, White Rabbit, and I have to say the pick definitely caught me by suprise. I wasn't even going to give this game a rental, but I liked the commercial so much, that I think I'll have to rent the game when it comes out next Tuesday, pathetic huh :) Now only if they' d make an acid trip inspired jrpg with a soundtrack composed of songs like White Rabbit, how amazing would that be. Okay okay, it wouldn't be too popular, but I'd be all over it.

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Reviews (All Out of Ten)

Gamespy- 5.0

IGN Review- 8.2

6.5 Presentation
The story is so-so, the menus look ancient and the loading screens never seem to stop.

8.0 Graphics
Excellent enemy design and attractive special effects. The framerate is distracting at times.

7.5 Sound
A good soundtrack, but mediocre voice acting.

8.5 Gameplay
Though it's very traditional, the ring-building and skill system are highly addictive. Turn-based combat is actually fun.

8.0 Lasting Appeal
The four discs will last you anywhere from 35-50 hours, depending on your thoroughness. There's not much reason to go back once the quest is finished.

IGN AU Review - 8.0

8.0 Presentation
The nondescript menu system is wholly JRPG in tradition. Clean, effective, easy to follow. Overall, the game also keeps UI to a minimum.

9.0 Graphics
Outstanding almost every respect - art direction, animation, textures, lighting. It is, unfortunately, hampered by framerate and screen-tearing.

7.0 Sound
Although the voice-acting is mostly solid, the score is forgettable. The environmental audio is excellent, however.

7.5 Gameplay
It all works - despite AI and balancing issues - but the real problem isn't the gameplay itself, but the concepts behind. It's all been done before.

9.0 Lasting Appeal
It's monsterously large, coming on four DVDs and more hours than is probably healthy - which is a good thing for JRPG fans. There's a lot of gameplay for your buck.

Gametrailers Review- 8.8

Story 9.6

Design 8.0

Gameplay 8.3

Presentation 9.5

GamesRadar Review - 6.0

Duckroll/Bebpo Cross Review(Courtesy of Neogaf)- 8.0/8.5

Eurogamer Review- 8.0

1up Review- 8.0

Worthplaying Review- 7.5

Gametap- 7.0

TeamXbox Review- 8.3

Gameplay 8.3
An intriguing story, massive scope and entertaining combat. Better production work and code optimization could have helped the overall package a bit.

Graphics 8.0
Decent usage of the Unreal 3 Engine, although there is some room for improvement on the technical side of things.

Audio 7.0
The soundtrack is moving, but the sound effects and dialog leave a lot on the table.

Longevity 7.8
Patches of repetitiveness spoil a bit of the scope.

Innovation 7.8
A conscientious effort was made to make Lost Odyssey different than other turn-based RPG'ers, however, some area feel pretty outdated.

Overall 8.3

Gamespot Review- 7.5

After watching the commercial, I still can't say I have a reason to be interested in the game. I've yet to see anything within the game that actually looks interesting in terms of gameplay, characters etc. and it doesn't really seem that anyone is actually trying to achieve anything significant in those terms. The music used in the commercial honestly doesn't fit with what looks to be the JRPG equivilent of a Hollywood blockbuster, the result just doesn't 'work' IMO. Feel free to disagree, but the game just has a mediocre vibe all round. Ectomy

Supposedly the music fits well with what occurs later in the game, but yeah you're right the game does look rather mediocre. Don't get confused by the thread title, its more of a joke than anything. i must be the only Grace Slick fan here, :x

I dunno. The music choice in the commercial really killed any vibes I would've been getting if there was a choice made that was closer to how the music in the actual game is like.

I felt the commercial casted more doubt in my mind about the game than redeemed anything, personally.

I agree with you... it's a nice commercial. I'm a fan of the song.
The game itself? Probably not so good. :)Dire_Weasel

Yeah but for me what once looked like a mere rental has turned into a possible buy, Lost Odyssey's gameplay just has that great mystical nostalgic feel. It's like the old friend you wrote off and thought you were too good for, but I have to say that I think the game looks like it has character...And character, as abstract as it sounds, is probably most important to me.

I recently picked up Blue Dragoon for $30 but haven't yet had the chance to play it. Still feeling that Fall 07 flood. Once I beat Eternal Sonata and Blue Dragoon I'll head right into LO.

BTW: Love the sig rragnaar.

I recently picked up Blue Dragoon for $30 but haven't yet had the chance to play it. Still feeling that Fall 07 flood. Once I beat Eternal Sonata and Blue Dragoon I'll head right into LO.

BTW: Love the sig rragnaar.

EazyB

I'm so screwed with games right now lol...I want to play this but it looks like I'm gonna have to wait for summer to pick this up and MAss Effect. My list right now makes me cry. Haven't even started Dead Rising, Bullet Witch, or Kameo, Need to finsih COD4 and Lost Planet. Currently playing Kingdom Under Fire, and just picked up DMC4/Culdcept Saga. But I shalt pick up a single new game till GTA4 is release...Saving monies!!! lol

And...X-Play officially give Lost Odyssey, 3 out of 5 stars. :( I wont be buying this one. What a shame too, I mean this game has been in the works for a long long time. Sad sad news...Cry0Tek

I'll listen to user reviews, before I listen to X-play

Yeah, man. Everybody loves random encounters.

Oh, wait. They don't.

Yeah, man. Everybody loves random encounters.

Oh, wait. They don't.

LordAndrew

10 years ago a game like Lost Odyssey would have driven me into a frenzy. I guess I've just played one too many JRPG's over the years and the genre has lost its flavor. Unless it has great word of mouth I can't see myself going for it, and even if it does Eternal Sonata is probably where I'd turn first to get a JRPG fix on the 360.

Shinoto: Don't delay yourself the pleasure of Mass Effect, move that game to the top of your list as soon as possible! Mass Effect crush Bullet Witch! Though I can relate to the saving monies bit.

Random encounters with long load times and sparsely animated battles (characters should be trying to block or dodge, not fidgeting impatiently as an enemy charges towards them). Looks like I'll be waiting a bit for the definitive next-gen rpg.

Mistwalker seemed like a wonderful idea at the time, but I expect that like Rare, they are going to be pushed towards DS development (google indicates they have a couple DS projects in the works), where they might or might not do any better commercially, but their failures will be less costly for MS.

Oh well. FF13, Infinite Undiscovery and White Knight Story look promising and based on the gameplay vids I've seen Disgaea 3 is a must-buy.

So, what is the biggest problem with this game? If it's random encounters, i don't care. If it's that it is very derivative, i don't care. If it's that it is very traditional, i actually find that appealing. So will i end up enjoying the game or not?Solid_Snake_7

If you haven't grown tired of traditional conservative jrpgs than there is nothing really wrong with this game. It is suppose to be very much like the older FF's, which if I remember correctly are regarded as the some of the best games ever, though not by me. I know for sure that I am at least going to check it out.

Well from the sounds of things, it's just too old school. We have Gameplay mechanics which haven't changed for almost 20 years (at all?), poor technical prowess (long loading times, so-so animation)... and the heart and soul of the game here (the story) seems to be passable at best. I always expected Lost Odyssey wouldn't live up to expectation or at least wouldn't be the next generation JRPG many were waiting for. Don't get me wrong I'm sure a lot of loyalists will adore this game, but in the face of so many other excellent games & design concepts there's no excuse for clinging so desperately to the past.

I'm sure I'll give it a go based on what other people have to say on the forums, but I can't say I expected anything different from this game.

and the heart and soul of the game here (the story) seems to be passable at best.

Arath_1

So, what is the biggest problem with this game? If it's random encounters, i don't care. If it's that it is very derivative, i don't care. If it's that it is very traditional, i actually find that appealing. So will i end up enjoying the game or not?Solid_Snake_7

I don't mind a game like that occasionally either. But those are the games I pick up for $10-$20. I don't like to pay full price for something that's been done a thousand times before.

This seems like an Assassin's Creed, love-it-or-hate-it kind of deal, judging by the reviews its getting.

It definitely seems much improved over Blue Dragon, but still doesn't appear to be on the level of greatness this guy is known for. I'm starting to really not dig the trend of big-name Japanese developers leaving major companies to start these little niche teams where they don't have the resources in either money or talent to come up with the greatness they once did (Sakaguchi, Mikami, etc.).

I'm torn on whether or not to buy this one.

And random battles, ugh. That was something I never really liked, but put up with it for all the other redeeming factors of the great RPG's of the past. There were only a few games that had them, that I felt did them well and made them enjoyable throughout an entire game. Its something that should have been done away with around the release of the Dreamcast, yet here we are in 2008 and developers are STILL doing it.

From what I've heard, this game has random encounters, not very much depth in character skill/stat development, and the combat itself, from what I've seen so far, just seems to be very, very slow in its pacing.

I'm just not sure that the story, regardless of how good it is, can make up for that sort of gameplay between story segments, personally, but we'll see how other reviews pan out.

Wow seems like the reviews are all over the place on this game!

For what its worth i dont mind random encounters at all sometimes i actually prefer them. FFX was better than FF12 for example.

[QUOTE="LordAndrew"]

Yeah, man. Everybody loves random encounters.

Oh, wait. They don't.

morph_basic

...what?

The 1UP review is in. 8.0, or whatever letter that will amount to on their new grading scale.LordAndrew

B or B-, I imagine, if they use to go by .05 then it will be a B and there will be no such thing as a B-

Anyway, I think this game has rental written all over it.

GS posted their review

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/lostodyssey/review.html?sid=6185925

Long load times and poor framerates. Ouch! I saw and ad last night on FX, I think I've heard that song on the movie Daredevil. Looks like a rental folks.

GS posted their review

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/lostodyssey/review.html?sid=6185925

Long load times and poor framerates. Ouch! I saw and ad last night on FX, I think I've heard that song on the movie Daredevil. Looks like a rental folks.

D3s7rUc71oN

Oh man thats the nail in the coffin, rental confirmed

GS posted their review

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/lostodyssey/review.html?sid=6185925

Long load times and poor framerates. Ouch! I saw and ad last night on FX, I think I've heard that song on the movie Daredevil. Looks like a rental folks.

D3s7rUc71oN

I know it's all opinion, and since I've yet to play Lost Odyssey I'll refrain from saying anything.

However, the game I play tomorrow better be reaallly glitchy and have an awful framerate to justify it getting a lower score than Mass Effect. I mean, I know that isn't all that's wrong with the game, but it seems to be the major sticking point. And seeing as Mass Effect is the worst game I've played in a technical sense this generation, LO better be reeaaally awful technically-speaking.

And like I've mentioned before, I'd rather the game be honest and load the whole thing up rather than doing it halfway and force me to stare at textures popping off like fireworks.

And like I've mentioned before, I'd rather the game be honest and load the whole thing up rather than doing it halfway and force me to stare at textures popping off like fireworks.

Shame-usBlackley

I'm still not sure about how the ability system is suppose to work, but that'll be more or less the make or break point of this game for me, personally.

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

And like I've mentioned before, I'd rather the game be honest and load the whole thing up rather than doing it halfway and force me to stare at textures popping off like fireworks.

Skylock00

I'm still not sure about how the ability system is suppose to work, but that'll be more or less the make or break point of this game for me, personally.

Well, both would be ideal. But Mass Effect's way cheapens the experience and hurts it worse, in my opinion. The game is affected by it instead of the player's patience being tested. Neither are ideal, but one is broken and the other is merely annoying.

EDIT: It's sort of like, "Hey, short load times! Oh, wait - it isn't finished loading but somehow it's letting me play. Can I go back to looking at a load screen instead?"

Well, both would be ideal. But Mass Effect's way cheapens the experience and hurts it worse, in my opinion. The game is affected by it instead of the player's patience being tested. Neither are ideal, but one is broken and the other is merely annoying.

Shame-usBlackley