THE BORE
General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: Mondain on July 12, 2007, 10:59:49 PM
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http://kotaku.com/gaming/e307/lost-odyssey-impressions-278008.php
I really wanted this game to be fantastic. Take most of the previous Final Fantasy crew—Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu especially, but even manga artist Takehiko Inoue and former Square employees—and throw in the Unreal Engine 3, bake for a couple years, and what should you come out with? In theory, a revolutionary RPG. In practice? A "Final Fantasy" game for the Xbox 360. Which is, I think, okay in the end.
Let's get the gameplay out of the way at first. It's essentially Final Fantasy. Sakaguchi knows how to make Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy is what he's made. You'll recognize the attacks, the menus, the walking around, and even the damage numbers that come up over your head as Final Fantasy-esque. People who were looking for innovations will find some new things in the way that characters in the front row protect the back row (Wall system), and the way you can destroy environmental hazards in battle (although this was in Final Fantasy X as well). There could be some new stuff they haven't shown off yet too.
The main character, Kaim, lost his memory and the story works in flashbacks and dreams to regain the missing 1,000 years for both him and the player. The story is: 30 years ago (from the game's present), magic was re-discovered. Since then, lots of wars and bad things have happened.
There's a timing aspect in battles where you have to press, hold, and release the right trigger at the exact time to do extra melee damage. It rates you depending on how close to perfect you get.
Now, the engine. When we first saw footage of this at GDC, the Unreal Engine really wowed us with the details of the environments and the things they could do with character models. Now, for some reason, everything seems of slightly lesser quality.
We hate to compare this game to Mass Effect, but they both use the Unreal 3 Engine and they're both RPGs (although one is the American type of RPG, and the other the Japanese style). You can tell the difference when it comes to the character models. Lost Odyssey's models are thin, lanky, and effeminately dressed—just like Final Fantasy's characters. In fact, the person responsible for the costume choices (which are actually pretty nice looking) designed the costumes in Final Fantasy XII as well.
But how do they look? Good, but definitely not as good as Mass Effect's. However, they are detailed enough that you won't have a problem with it, and they're much better than just about every RPG out there now. Different companies squeeze different amounts of juice out of the fruit that is the Unreal Engine, and Lost Odyssey has a less powerful juicer. But, on the other hand, the models are detailed to show veins underneath the skin. Veins underneath boobs. There are a lot of boobs. As many as two per female. And they are all sizably large. Take that, Mass Effect.
As for the environments, they look pretty great when walking around (not in fights), with detailed textures and nice effects all over the place. But in the battle "screen", you're getting a lot less resolution in the textures and environments, although you do have stuff moving around and interactive hazards. Enemies and the boss in the boss fight shown above look great, but the surroundings are only alright. Which is probably not a huge deal, since you're not looking at the environment all that much during a fight. It would have been nice to keep the same amount of detail (or at least more than what they have now) in your surroundings when you're in a battle, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
Here are some miscellaneous (some weird) things we noticed:
There's a short focus camera all the time. I saw this used sparingly in special action scenes in Fable 2 yesterday, but it's used in just about every cut scene here.
The gauge on the top of battle sequences represents how much protection the front row gives to the back row in their Wall system. We're not sure how well this whole scheme will work, but we'll give it a shot before we pass judgment.
Achievements are going to be based on exploration, which means that they're for going out of your way and not just going through the main mission (though there could possibly be some achievements for that as well).
There are 9 characters total, and you can take 5 into battle.
The English voice acting is lip-synced during cutscenes. Doesn't seem like it's lip-synced elsewhere, but we're not sure how much talking there is outside of cutscenes. All the facial models are hand crafted, they say, and actually look pretty decent.
Here's what we think from the demo. Will I buy this game? Yes. I'm a sucker for traditional Final Fantasy games, and seeing one with improved graphics, slightly different gameplay structure, a pretty good story, and the stuff that I grew up with is too tempting to pass up. But those of you who've grown tired of the same old Japanese RPG style may be disappointed in this one.
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classic FF gameplay sounds good to me. Anybody who expected different is kinda dumb.
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Classic FF gameplay is exactly what I want, fuck the people who are like "RPGs haven't evolved!!!"
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If current Final Fantasy gameplay is what RPGs have evolved into, I say, "Fuck that, bring it retro!"
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If current Final Fantasy gameplay is what RPGs have evolved into, I say, "Fuck that, bring it retro!"
WILLCO COMIN OUT WIT DA TRUF'!
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If current Final Fantasy gameplay is what RPGs have evolved into, I say, "Fuck that, bring it retro!"
:bow :bow :bow
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bubububut turn based combat is so outdated, i need gambits to play my rpgs now or else i get bored
bububut
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Final Fantasy XII was very very good, STFU
FFXIII is going to use a combat system that's derived of Chrono Trigger's anyway, if the inclusion of innovation and real-time combat elements wounded you so :lol
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FFXIII's battle system derived of CT? No, it's an evolution of FFX-2's battle system. That alone makes me interested, but the damn thing looks like Advent Children in game form, which is to say bluntly: no sale.
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http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=20070713135558303055&releaseId=20070713135558303055§ionId=1006&pageId=200707131402299026
Gamesradar now has BETTER impressions on Lost Odyssey
The world will have to wait until 2008 to see Final Fantasy's first foray onto next-gen systems, but the original founder of that franchise is bringing a serious new competitor to the Xbox 360 before the end of 2007. Can Lost Odyssey beat everyone's favorite RPG series at its own game?
Based on the gameplay demo we just received at E3, we believe it can capture the same fans. Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's beloved style and imagination are obvious. Fantasy and technology sat side by side in every scene. The first battle took place on top of a speeding cyberpunk locomotive with mechanical monsters, but the group's female mage destroyed them with a glorious meteor shower straight from the heavens. Later, a massive boss made of earth and molten rock towered over our puny heroes, but they defeated him with a well placed gun shot.
We suspect some characters might even be direct homage to older Final Fantasy characters. A crusty old coot fighting desperately to get back to his ship reminded us strongly of airship master Cid. The pale blonde pansy with royal clothing cowering behind the old man could easily be mistaken for Final Fantasy IV's Edward the "spoony bard." A pair of young twin wizards - one male and one female, one in red and one in green - could be the reincarnation of Palom and Porom.
Lost Odyssey isn't a throwback, though. While fighting is turn-based and you watch a loading screen each time you encounter a monster, the combat includes some innovative touches. Every time you launch a physical attack, you engage in a timing minigame to land the perfect hit. The environment can play a role, too. When our party killed that volcanic beast, they did it by consistently shooting away at a nearby crane. When their bullets finally broke through the metal, the crane dropped a load of explosive missiles on the boss's head.
But the way in which Lost Odyssey truly sets itself apart from older RPGs is with its spectacularly cinematic look. The graphics are gorgeous, thanks to the power of the Unreal Engine, but it's the subtler touches that bring the screen alive. During battle, dramatic moments will be highlighted with inset panels - like a comic book - so you can see a character's face up close while still keeping an eye on the bigger picture. Party members don't simply stand still waiting for their moment to attack, either; they shift in place, checking their armor and rummaging through their pockets. And the epic cut scenes we watched rival anything in Final Fantasy, but they also include the occasional Gears of War shaky cam, making the action feel more real and less staged.
Finally, we confirmed that Lost Odyssey will include downloadable content after its release. By the time Final Fantasy XIII hits shelves, will we even need it?
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Star Ocean Battle System > *
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This game > Blue Dragon
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This game > Blue Dragon
Yup pretty much.
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Star Ocean Battle System > *
::)
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Star Ocean Battle System > *
::)
We should go easy on him. It's obvious that he's been drinking heavily, or perhaps abusing the crack rock.
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Star Ocean Battle System > *
It's a good battle system, I agree. But...the best? Eh. Oh well, different strokes.
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Star Ocean Battle System > *
::)
We should go easy on him. It's obvious that he's been drinking heavily, or perhaps abusing the crack rock.
Or he might just be a crack baby:
[youtube=425,350]38_MwcGDNhQ[/youtube]
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Holy shit
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Lost Odyssey will probably end up being more interesting than FF13. tranformers shiva? no thanks.
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tranformers shiva? no thanks.
Completely forgot about that. :lol
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tranformers shiva? no thanks.
Completely forgot about that. :lol
once you see it, you cant un-see it
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH YO MAMA'S ON CRACK ROCK
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DON'T Y'ALL DARE MAKE LIGHT OF THE STAR OCEAN BATTLE SYSTEM
tri-ACE > YO FACE
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This game > Blue Dragon
gameplay, sure i'll give you that, but blue dragon does look prettier. not nessecarily technically, but the art-style in bd is much more appealing imo.
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I accept turn-based with open hands. I tried to switch to the real time (or semi RT) kind of RPGs and most of them end up kind of shallow.
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This game > Blue Dragon
gameplay, sure i'll give you that, but blue dragon does look prettier. not nessecarily technically, but the art-style in bd is much more appealing imo.
JAPAFAG
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This game > Blue Dragon
gameplay, sure i'll give you that, but blue dragon does look prettier. not nessecarily technically, but the art-style in bd is much more appealing imo.
I dunno DOOD.
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>:( :punch :punch :punch
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Fuck Final Fantasy, plenty of other worthy RPG titles out there for people who dont wanna play the same ol shit.
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DON'T Y'ALL DARE MAKE LIGHT OF THE STAR OCEAN BATTLE SYSTEM
tri-ACE > YO FACE
VP2's battle system is probably in the...top 3 jrpg battle systems for me
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VP2 is amazing and totally underappreciated by most people
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Lost Odyssey will probably end up being more interesting than FF13. tranformers shiva? no thanks.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for Wii looks more interesting than FFXIII. Let that sink in for a moment.
VP2 is amazing and totally underappreciated by most people
Well it falls in line with the trend. I mean, Dragon Quarter is probably the best ps2 rpg, and it's way underappreciated. Romancing Saga (although not my thing) is way underappreciated.
The SMT series gets a good amount of recognition, so that's good at least.
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This game > Blue Dragon
I don't see how from a gameplay stand point. They both from what I've seen use a variation of FFX's combat system (which is fine cause FFX was awesome for combat). Blue Dragon has some nice FF5 style character customization. LO has ???
I'd call it even from a gameplay stand point right now.
Its pretty much a matter of do you like "teh matoor" FF games or the "teh kiddie" FF games. In the end both games are just trying to recapture different eras of the FF system.
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Blue Dragon looks more like Dragon Quest/Chrono Trigger than anything Final Fantasy.
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DON'T Y'ALL DARE MAKE LIGHT OF THE STAR OCEAN BATTLE SYSTEM
tri-ACE > YO FACE
VP2's battle system is probably in the...top 3 jrpg battle systems for me
VP2 is amazing and totally underappreciated by most people
This is thruth.
The mixing of SRPG like movement and the original VP battlesystem is just perfection.
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I haven't played VP2 yet, so for now I'll continue to be ignorant and say that Grandia 3's battle system is greater than all.
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Grandia's battle system got topped by Press Turn Battles anyways.
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Grandia's battle system got topped by Press Turn Battles anyways.
Huh? What's that?
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SMT Nocturne and DDS' battle system
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bah
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I made a little mistake.
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owned
?
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owned
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Just pretend he's not there...
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owned
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It was stupid,please ignore my post.
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:lol