A truly epic next-gen RPG that takes you on a Odyssey that you won't forget anytime soon.
Introduction:
If you're reading this review it probably means that you want to sort out your mixed thoughts on this game. Well, first you shouldn't bother with the technical issues of this game that official reviews have been griping about because the version of the game that they get are different and the official releases run much better than what they got. Now with that intro out of the way, this is the official review.
Story ------- 9.7
Long ago in the world magic began to flow from the earth and fill the world. The people living made use of the abundant magic filling the earth and so it began the Magic-Industrial Revolution. This revolution spurred much technology everywhere and with it came many inventions. However, because of power the nations in the world began to engage in wars and battles to seize the magical powers and gain territory.
The story starts out with an immortal named Kaim Argonar who is in the middle of war which ends up being interrupted by a giant meteor in the sky. The meteor falls and everyone else dies with only Kaim left to survive. Kaim is eventually found by Urah Republic which is one of the many nations in the game. The council of Urah speaks to Kaim of how he lived through such a devastating scene but he recalls nothing of his past or memories. Since the council recently had problems with a structure called the Grand Staff, Kaim is set on a journey to see what the problem is resolve it only to find out that the staff is a tiny problem compared to what he has to face.
The story overall is amazing. Not only does it have a captivating story and amazing characters but the moments where it tugs your heart makes you feel like crying. Lost Odyssey did wonders working on the story I have to give it a 9.7
Sound -------9.5
If anything was wrong with the music in the game then it wouldn't be a very great composition from Nobou Uematsu but it is an amazing mix. The composed music in this game is amazing and is well-written and played. Every piece of work that Uematsu created fits perfectly in the scenes that it comes up in. The music is so amazing that you might find yourself humming some of the tunes.
The voice actors I must say are top notch since they do a well job with emotion and volume. Not only do they do they do a good job acting perfectly but the voices that Mistwalker offers are perfect fits for the characters. It's a puzzle piece that matches to an album. Whether it be the deep, depressing, and manly voice of Kaim or the idiotic and sarcastic retard from Jansen you definitely won't be disappointed with the actors in the game.
Gameplay ------ 7.5
The gameplay is a complete derivative from the original RPG style game. If you're not a patient gamer, you might have a hard time handling the battle style of the game. The gameplay is a true JRPG as you have a character that moves around the map and roam the world freely. However, the problem does not lie in the roaming as you can see the lush and beautiful sceneries of Lost Odyssey, but more or less lies in the battle system. The battle system is based as turn-based combat that has one button for attack, items, magic, and abilities. These get really boring and repetitive since the battle style has been around for more than a decade. To sort of mix the battle system up Mistwalker added a battle ring system. By equipping rings to a character, the players can hold the R button and release the trigger when a circle encloses on the enemy during a battle. This is quite amazing at first but also gets repetitive. However, a very helpful and useful system that is implemented during a battle is the GC guard system. A battle formation is set when the player enters the battle. The people standing in the front create a GC wall which is basically an invisible wall that protects the people standing behind the ones in the front. This system can create menial strategies in the game that can get quite deep later on.
In the game you have two types of characters, immortals and mortals. Mortals are characters that have the ability to learn skills; however, immortals cannot learn any skills by leveling. In order for immortals to learn skills they must link up with a mortal to learn a skill. The system is quite engaging and makes you want to decide whether you want to use more immortals or mortals in the game.
The goods in the gameplay are that it is fun to play epic boss battles with such a basic system but backfires in normal grunt fights. The extra features that boosts your characters like skill linking and rings are amazing additions that make you want to customize your characters to the max.
Value --------- 8.7
The value for this game is exceptionally high due to its length. Currently priced at 60 dollars, the game comes with 4 discs of gameplay that can last you more than 40 hours even if you try to rush the game. There are tons of sidequests that you can accept to make the game even more worth it. Length, however, is not the only reason why it's worth the game but it's worth it because of an amazing story and sounds.
Conclusion:
The game is the best JRPG out on the Xbox 360 with an amazing story, great graphics, well composed music, and much more. It is an exciting next-gen game that every RPG fan should get. The bads in the game such as derivative play and frequent load times are outweighed by the story, features, and etc. If there is a game you should buy for an amazing experience, Lost Odyssey is one of your best bets.