Lost Odyssey is a fun game for fans of the traditional RPG genre (I hate calling them JRPGs because these types of games were considered the main RPGs a generation ago.) however it does come with a number of inexcusable flaws for a next-gen title. I will by begin outlining the good.
The story seems to be both involving and unique. This is a long slowly developing story and fans of story driven games will appreciate that. Cut scenes are abundant but the contribute to making the game what it is. Sakaguchi did well to keep the story unfolding regularly and with good pacing.
The music is pure Uematsu. He has managed to create a soundtrack that keeps the tone, pacing and mood of each scene. You'll enjoy having the sound on for this game.
The voice acting in LO is well performed. Mistwalker was wise to choose a comedian to play the goofy, Jansen. He actually contributes to lightening the air around a continually somber, Kaim and his ad libs make for small smirks more often than not. In general, everyone's voice so far has fit their character.
The game's "system" is also well thought out and involved. You will constantly find yourself going into the menu screen to manage things. You'll need to forge rings, attach skills, equip new items, etc. This is what being an RPG gamer is about and Mistwalker paid service to the fans.
Random battles are not overabundant and levelling does not feel like a chore. Most battles will require you to consider what type of creature you are fighting and not a simple tap of the attack button. The "aim ring" will force you to pay attention and worry about timing. These act as more elements to keep the player involved in the game. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed with the overall product.
However, there are still a few negatives that must also be mentioned. First off, I will begin by saying that I agree with the IGN initial impressions of the game. Frame rate (or "slow down" as they called it in my day) does exist and it is noticeable. There are times when the screen jumps and times when it just moves slowly. It's enough that it is noticeable and should be addressed.
Graphics, while looking good in some parts, are an overall let down for a next-gen game. Yes, the game runs in 720, so it's nice and shiny. But Mistwalker was obviously going for a look of realism with LO, and they unfortunately failed in their execution. Facial models are nice. Close-ups and camera angles usually work. But one major, unforgivable flaw is in character movement. The characters often move in unnatural ways with models rotating rather than just turning around. This may be forgivable in a more cartoony environment such as Blue Dragon, but not here. Arm and hand gestures are stilted and sometimes even walking looks belabored. The industry has been using motion capture for some time now and with PS2 games like Metal Gear Solid 2 setting the precedent for realistic movements, this is an unforgettable and unforgivable flaw on the Xbox 360. Moreover, as Anoop (IGN review) suggested, some of the character models look like they had been ported from PS2 and just given a slight HD upgrade.
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There is a scene regarding a flower dispute toward the end of disk one. The unrealistic and implausible scenario and lines destroyed the story-telling and tone. Mack and Cooke are caring for flowers when the Queen's troops come over to pick them. This leads to an encounter. Would soldiers battle over flowers? Moreso, would a group that just met two children, fight soldiers that merely want to pick flowers because the children's mother holds those flowers dear? This is an example of melodrama. Do we really care for this? Later, in the scene where Kaim meets his daughter, the children's annoying banter actually took away from the emotion that the story was trying to convey. I should have been more invested in the relationship between long lost child and father, but I wasn't. While the overall story so far seems tight, it is scenes like these that make it falter. I wasn't moved here. I was slightly sad, but that was almost entirely a result of Uematsu's well placed score.
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At this point some may argue that this game isn't about graphics, it's about story and gameplay and that is true, to a point. However, Final Fantasy has been known to push the envelope in terms of graphics. Each one featured improvements over its predecessor to create jaw-dropping visuals. That sense of awe is not present in Lost Odyssey.
The jump from SNES to Playstation with FFVII had everyone's collective head turning. Here however, we have none of that. While the graphics look nice, it doesn't bring the player to high-enough new grounds. While this may not be a FF game, it does have the hand that crafted them pulling its strings. Unfortunately, the lack of graphical prowess is a let down.
All of that said, this is still a good game. As previously mentioned, fans of the genre will love it. However, the negatives should not be ignored and while many have shown a disregard for them, and attacked the IGN review, they fact remains that the problems do exist. I have personally always been a fan of traditional RPGs and this one with all its graphical and story-telling flaws will still keep you wanting to go back for more.
