Lost Odyssey Review ( 9.5 out of 10 ) ...
March 14, 2007 ... Review by Mike
I got excited about Lost Odyssey when I heard it was more Final Fantasy XI then the actual Final Fantasy XI was. As I was walking around Gamestop, I saw that if you pre-ordered Lost Odyssey, you got some bonus content. Naturally, that was the next logical step for me. Lost Odyssey is a 60 hour traditional style Japanese RPG ... and while it doesn’t break the mold ... it nearly perfects it. It’s the game that helped kill my 360 ... but that didn’t stop me from eating it up.
The story in this game is phenomenal, right up there with Mass Effect. You play as Kaim, an immortal mercenary of Uhra who has lost all of his memories. As you progress ... you meet other immortals who have also lost their memories. This alone was enough to hook me in ... but it may take a bit more than amnesia-stricken immortals to make a great story for the average gamer. Rest assured, there is MUCH more, including countries and leaders fighting to gain magical supremacy, a heart-warming tale of family lost and found, and a quest for revenge of a betrayal.
You really feel connected with the characters in Lost Odyssey not only from their interactions with one another, but from short stories that reveal Kaim’s past that are given to you in snippets. These stories are not only extremely well written ... but also engaging and revealing. With all of the time you invest into this game’s story, you will not be disappointed if you stick with it. Disc 1 is a roller-coaster ride of emotions while disc 2 is quite a bit more bland (luckily it’s the shortest disc by far). When you get to 3, the story doesn’t let up at all and you will be extremely satisfied when you finally put Lost Odyssey down.
Lost Odyssey’s game play is very traditional ... so if you don’t like turn-based Japanese RPGs ... then stay away!
As you walk though areas and dungeons, you will encounter random battles like most JRPGs. After you win said battles you’ll collect experience and loot to further yourself in the game. Mortals acquire skills by leveling up, and the immortals can get those acquired skills by linking with the mortals. Immortals can also learn skills from accessories as 
they gain SP, which is awarded at the end of every battle. While this sounds less than original, there are many things Odyssey does to take the monotony out of the game-play.
First ... there is NO level grinding in this game. Every area you progress though has a level cap, and the game is designed so you have to be smart about the way you fight and not how high your level is. Every battle you encounter (at a very adequate rate) has the potential of you getting your ass kicked so you’re always on your toes. However, every enemy has a weakness and as long as you are searching for loot, you should have the equipment to take them out. The boss battles are the icing on the cake because they are all challenging, well designed, and extremely fun to play.
Second ... the battle system is honed to nearly perfection. There are two gimmicks in battle that keep almost every fight interesting and challenging; the ring system and the formation system.
Throughout the game, you will collect ring making ingredients, all of which will make rings that give the wearer attributes like fire damage or the ability to paralyze your enemy. These status modifications can be used in battle by attacking and then pulling the right trigger at the correct time for maximum effectiveness. This makes every attack unique and intense because pulling the trigger at the correct time can take a little practice.
The other battle gimmick is the guard system. You set up your formation before you battle, where the warriors with strong defense and ample HP make up the front line and the weaker magic based characters can hang out in the back and befit from the added defensive wall. While this is great for you ... it is something the enemy can do as well. It really makes things difficult when you encounter a battle where the dude dealing all the damage is protected by that damn wall and five lackeys. As you attack the front line, the Guard meter (GC) will go down and the back row will be more vulnerable. This is an amazing system and is not getting the credit it deserves.
The biggest problem with Lost Odyssey are the scarcity of the save points. There are times where you may have to go upwards of 45 minutes of game play before finding one. 
This along with the difficulty of some of the battles you encounter are the recipe for some really crappy “do-overs.” My advise is to save every chance you get because 30 minutes of backtracking is leagues better than two hours.
The graphics and sound are top notch in Lost Odyssey, and it looks as good as any game on the 360. There are some significant frame-rate issues, but they can be forgiven since this isn’t a fast paced game. The art-design of the worlds, enemies, and bosses are sweet, but the character models are hit and miss. Characters like Kaim, Seth, and Sed look amazing while Gongora, Tolten, and the NPCs look like afterthoughts. You can also tell they put a ton of work into Sarah and Ming as you can tell per her chest veins (ew....)
The battle music is great and very “Final Fantasyesque” but there isn’t any variety, it’s always the same for every battle other than the bosses. The score during game play is enchanting and the voice acting is superb.
Lost Odyssey is one hell of an epic game and by far the best eastern-RPG available on the 360. I believe that this game even stands up to and out amongst the greatest RPGs of all time such as Final Fantasy VII, X, and Chrono Trigger. There is a ton of value wrapped into this game as it is 60 hours that very rarely disappoints with action, story, and intrigue. While this package is not perfect as shown by its 1997s save system and frame rate problems, but it is the definitive current generation JRPG. If you are fan of RPGs or used to be a fan of RPGs (like Dustin and Derek who also enjoyed the hell out of this game) ... do yourself a favor and keep yourself occupied by buying Lost Odyssey.
Lost Odyssey At A Glance |
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9.5 |
The Good |
Epic story, battle system honed to perfection, leveling is easy, graphics and art design, likeable characters,60 hours of value |
The Bad |
Save system outdated and frustrating, framerate issues |
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Excellent |
The Verdict |
The best JRPG to be found on the current generation systems. A must have for fans of the genre |
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