Mar 14, 9:45 am
Although I consider myself a huge role playing game fan, it’d been a long time since I’d played a decent one. Well, that’s not quite fair - I have played good RPGs. Very good RPGs. Such as the 40/40 Famitsu scoring Final Fantasy XII, and the highly innovative and educational Eternal Sonata. But no matter what their strengths, and no matter what their praise, they’ve never quite ignited my imagination like the RPGs of my past. They never made me feel like rushing home, throwing down my bags and thinking “I just have to play this game again.”
I think you get like this with any gaming genre you’ve stuck by over the years. You begin to grow jaded. What, another bunch of protagonists who look like they’ve stepped out of High School Musical? Another overly soppy, preposterously-coiffured, epic struggle for survival? Another irritating, angsty main character? Please.
But if boundary-pushing RPGs like FFXII and Eternal Sonata couldn’t pull me out of my slump, what could? Surprisingly it was the last thing I was looking for. A game whose packshot you’d probably find in the gaming encyclopaedia under ‘Traditional RPG.’ A game that received so-so review scores mainly due to its lack of originality. Step forward, Lost Odyssey.
There’s the turn-based battle system. The random encounters. The treasures and trinkets found by breaking into stranger’s homes, rifling through pots and chests. The semi-fixed camera angle. Oh, and did I mention that the lead character has amnesia? Wait, where are you going? Come back!
The amazing thing about Lost Odyssey is that it manages to turn these tired elements into well-crafted, shining examples of why JRPGs have captured the hearts of so many gamers over the years. Almost every element put forward has been polished and perfected to within an inch of its life, and the overall product is supremely impressive. Everything it does, it does well. The story is well paced and expertly told. The English voice acting is fantastic (especially the wonderful Jansen, voiced by Michael McGaharn.) The dungeons are never irritating, and grinding is a natural progression - not just a back-tracking bolt-on for an extra twenty hours of gameplay. The equipment and spell system is simple but satisfying. The cut scenes are entertaining and beautiful. But like so many good RPGs, it’s all about the strong emotional impact. After all, how else can you justify spending up to eighty hours on one play through? I’m only on disc three, but I’m already dreading the day I complete this game and wave goodbye to Kaim and his merry band of friends.
The game’s only true stab at originality comes in the form of its “dreams” (well, that and making their central character old enough to have passed puberty). These dreams are self contained short stories written by award-winning Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, displayed as animated text accompanied by charming music and scene-setting artwork. These are beautifully penned tales, usually costing you five or ten minutes worth of your time - which is why it’s heartbreaking to read of fellow gamers skipping them (“OMG if i wanted to READ i’d have got a BOOK, amirite?!1 lol!”)
But make no mistake, Lost Odyssey isn’t trying to push any boundaries. Its lack of innovation has led to an average review score of 79% - by no means shabby, but enough to keep this excellent addition to the RPG collection somewhat overshadowed. It begs the question - just how important is originality in a game? And should a game be penalised for lack of it? Can a game truly be great if it isn’t particularly ground breaking? And what about the risk of innovation for innovation’s sake? Is criticising a RPG for using traditional gameplay mechanics a bit like criticising Gran Turismo for making you drive cars around a track?
Post a comment and let me know what you think. Also, is it just me, or does Kaim seriously need a hair clip?
