Lost Odyssey
| Lost Odyssey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Mistwalker , feelplus | ||
| Publisher | Microsoft Game Studios | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
 December 6, 2007 February 8, 2008 February 12, 2008 February 14, 2008   |
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| platform | Xbox 360 | ||
| Game engine | Unreal Engine 3 | ||
| genre | role playing game | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Gamepad | ||
| medium | 4 DVD | ||
| Age rating |
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Lost Odyssey ( Japanese ロ ス ト オ デ ッ セ イ , Rosuto Odessei ) is a Japanese computer role-playing game that was released for the Xbox 360 console and was developed by Mistwalker in collaboration with feelplus . The game sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide.
Game mechanics
Lost Odyssey uses a traditional turn-based combat system , as found in most Japanese role-playing games . On a world map, the player moves his group between neighboring cities or fields and can later explore the world freely with the help of ships. While exploring areas, the player encounters monsters in random battles. In combat, the characters of the player and the opponent are lined up facing each other in two rows. Up to five figures per party can take part in a fight at once. At the start of the fight, the back row is partially protected from damage by the front row. The defense is based on the height of the hit points in the front row. This protection reduces the damage that the characters behind can take. However, if the front row takes damage, the protection will be weaker and can only be strengthened again by using spells or abilities. If the defense is completely used up, the damage is no longer reduced when attacking the back row. In combat, items work immediately, normal attacks take place in the same round, while spells or special abilities usually require one or more rounds to be activated. If the player is hit by an enemy attack, it can cause their action to be delayed. The player also has the option to cancel an action.
A normal attack is carried out with the "ring system". When the character starts an attack, two concentric rings appear . The player has to press a key when both rings cross. Depending on how exactly he picks up the right point in time, he receives the rank “bad”, “good” or “perfect”, which shows the effectiveness of the attack. The rings can be upgraded and reinforced with additional items. There are two types of characters that the player controls: "Mortals" gain abilities by leveling up , but can also improve themselves by equipping items. “Immortals”, on the other hand, have no skills, but can use their ability through connection with a mortal character and improve it with increasing experience, up to and including using the ability on their own without a mortal companion. You can also, according to the same principle, learn skills by equipping them with items. Immortals are the only ones to be automatically resurrected after they die during combat. Even so, when the entire group including the immortals is defeated, the game is over. The game's magic system is based on four classes: black magic (it mainly consists of elemental attacks and negative status effects), white magic, healing and protection, spirit magic, status change and non-elemental magic, and composite magic, which allows the player to combine two spells. In order to use spells, the player must first find them, enter them in the spellbook and have a character who has the correct magic ability and level.
Game world
Lost Odyssey is set in a world in which the “Magical Industrial Revolution” is taking place. Magical energy previously existed in all living beings, but suddenly, in the thirty years before the game began, it suddenly became many times more powerful. This influenced society to a great extent, including with magical machines that were used to generate energy and use, among other things, light, vehicles, communication and robots. While previously only a select few could use magic, many now have this ability. However, this process also resulted in two nations, the Kingdom of Gohtza and the Republic of Uhra, developing new and more powerful weapons of mass destruction . Uhra built the Great Staff , a gigantic magical machine, while the highly industrialized Gohtza actively pursued the research of magic on its own. A third nation, Numara Free State , remained isolated and neutral, but fell into disarray due to an attempted coup . At the beginning of the game, Uhra, at war with Khent, a nation of beastmen, sends his forces for the decisive battle in the Bergland Wohl .
action
The main character of the game is Kaim. An immortal person who has lived for more than 1000 years but has no memory of his past. Kaim is a mercenary who is tormented by the slowly returning memories. After a catastrophe that almost wiped out the entire armed forces of the Uhra and Khent nations, Kaim, the only completely uninjured survivor, was assigned to investigate the Great Staff set up by the Uhra nation and its magical advisor Gongora. The immortal Seth and the magician Jansen come to his aid. Arriving at the Great Staff, they are captured by enemy scouts and taken to Numara, where they meet the immortal queen of the land, Ming, who has also lost her memory. Ming releases her and Kaim meets his grandchildren Cooke and Mack in Numara, who join the group after their mother dies.
The team receives the news that Gongora has convinced King Tolten to reinstate the monarchy in Uhra and to prepare for war. Kakanas seizes the opportunity and seizes control of Numara. Queen Ming is forced to flee as an enemy of the state together with Kaim and the others. The group travels to Gothza because they are hoping for help from its king. On the way there, Sarah Sisulart, Kaim's wife, joins them after she was rescued from the "house of the old sorceress". Once in Gohtza, Kaim and Sarah arrange peace negotiations between the King of Gothza, Queen Ming and Tolten. During the meeting, Gongora activates the Great Staff and freezes the entire land under a layer of ice. In Uhra, Tolten learns that Gongora has announced Tolten's death and usurped his throne. He joins Seth, who wants to free her son Sed, who then also joins the group. The team now has Sed's sea and submarine, the Nautilus, at their disposal.
In Gothza, the immortals regain some of their memories and realize that they come from a parallel universe and are only on earth as observers. From Gongora's diary they learn that the space-time difference between the two universes is 1000 years. That is, while 1000 years have passed on Earth, only one year has passed in the universe of Kaim, Sarah, Seth and Ming. The diary also explains that the world of immortals is influenced by the emotions of people from the mortal realm. After regaining their memories, group members make their way to the Great Staff. They realize that Gongora wants to destroy the portal between the two worlds with him, kill the other immortals and thus make himself invincible. The group confronts Gongora in the Hall of Mirrors, the only place where he is vulnerable and can be killed. The battle between the two parties breaks out. Finally, Seth sacrifices himself and pulls Gongora into the mirror, which Kaim then breaks, thus preventing Gongora's return forever. But Seth will never see her friends again.
In the epilogue, the nations of Numara and Gothza, led by Ming and Tolten, make peace and the monarchy in Uhra is restored. Ming and Jansen get married while Kaim and Sarah settle down to raise Cooke and Mack.
Characters
- Kaim Argonar - The main character of the game and Lieutenant of the Uhra Army is immortal and has lived for a millennium. Often calm and reserved, he feels his immortality as a burden and makes his living as a traveling, sword-wielding mercenary . Even so, he is kind-hearted and sees beauty in the most trivial things in everyday life.
- Seth Balmore - Another immortal companion of Kaim, a former pirate and explorer who also joined the army. She is tough and rude, but more open-minded than Kaim and always honest with herself and others. In two of her dreams, she remembers spending many centuries with the wise winged beast Aniera before Gongora turned the beast on her son Sed, forcing her to kill the beast.
- Jansen Friedh - The womanizer and black magician with a penchant for alcohol is commissioned by Gongora to spy on Kaim and Seth. However, after discovering that it is only being used by Gongora, he joins the team to bring down Gongora with them.
- Kuke and Max - Kaim's grandchildren both take part in fights. Cooke is a boyish and clever girl and a specialist in white magic, while Mack, a meek but tough boy, uses a discus for hand-to-hand combat. He only gains the ability of spirit magic later.
- Sed Balmore - The former pirate and Seth's son joins the group later in the game. Although he is aging normally and therefore looks older than his immortal mother, he still affectionately refers to her as a momma . He is the captain of the Nautilus submarine and a very skilled mechanic.
- Sarah Sisulart - Kaim's wife is a quiet person and a famous sorceress. After witnessing the unfortunate death of her daughter, she falls into a deep depression. She returns to her home near Tosca Village and takes on the role of an old woman until she meets her grandchildren and they bring her back to reality. She loves poetry that she uses to express her emotions.
- Ming Numara - The Immortal is also known as The Millennial Queen due to her long reign . She is the founder and reigning queen of Numara State and seeks to rule the country with goodness.
- Tolten - The son of the former king of Uhra was persuaded to dissolve the republic and take the throne again. However, this was part of Gongora's plan, who then declared Tolten dead and took his position. While Tolten lacks combat experience, he tries with all his heart to be braver.
- Gongora - The opponent in the game is the immortal Gongora, who caused the other immortals to lose their memories thirty years earlier. Gongora assumed the role of the magical advisor Uhras to lead the Great Staff project. Finally, he dissolves Uhra's council, assassinates Chairman Roxian and, using Tolten as a tool, restores the country's monarchy. After claiming that Tolten was murdered by a hit man from Gohtza, he takes over the throne and control of the Great Staff , with the help of which he seeks to become a god.
- Kakanas - The general of the Numarian Army, takes on the role of a minor enemy. He plans to become King of Numara and militarize the nation for fear of the Uhra and Gohtza nations. He is extremely paranoid and believes that all nations want to spy on him and his country.
development
Mistwalker developed Lost Odyssey in cooperation with Feelplus , a subsidiary of Microsoft that was founded specifically to support Mistwalker . Lost Odyssey was the first role-playing game that was developed with the Unreal Engine 3.0 . A circumstance that allowed development before the Xbox 360 was released , but hindered the Japanese development team due to the instability of the engine and the difficulty of reading the required manual. This led to technical setbacks and long loading times in the game. Lost Odyssey's dream sequences were written by award-winning Japanese short story writer Kiyoshi Shigematsu , who worked with game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi on Kaim's backstory, while Sakaguchi wrote the main story of the game alone. The respected Harvard professor Jay Rubin translated the work into English. Japanese mangaka Takehiko Inoue led the game's artistic team, while famous composer Nobuo Uematsu was enlisted to create a contemporary soundtrack . According to Peter Moore and the announcement at Microsoft's E3 2007 press conference, Lost Odyssey was due to appear worldwide at the end of 2007, but was not released in Europe and America until February 2008.
Others
- A playable demo of the game was presented at the Tokyo Game Show 2006 and published in the November issue of Famitsu .
- On July 11, 2007, an English trailer was presented at E3 2007 .
- On November 19, 2007, the soundtracks were played publicly for the first time at a special Blue Dragon / Lost Odyssey concert in Shibuya, Tokyo .
- There were more complaints from customers about the game's packaging. Since Lost Odyssey did not fit on a standard DVD, it required four discs. In Japan and Australia the solution was to use an oversized shell with two spindles for housing. In America and all PAL territories, however, the first three DVDs were stored on a single three-disc spindle and the fourth disc in a paper sleeve. Customers were concerned that this method could scratch the DVDs.
criticism
Lost Odyssey received good ratings overall. The average on Metacritic was 78 points, on GameRankings 79.4 percent and on Gamestats 7.9 points (as of October 2009). The testers positively named a rousing dramatic story, remarkable characters and a well-functioning combat system.
“Lost Odyssey proves that a turn-based RPG still has merit in modern gaming. While there is nothing in Lost Odyssey that will convert action-RPG fans, there is plenty to please those already singing in the choir. Lost Odyssey creates several memorable characters and a somber setting that should please those sick of JRPGs that seem made for 10-year-olds. "
“ Lost Odyssey proves that a turn-based RPG can do something in the modern game. While Lost Odyssey has nothing that will convince action RPG fans, it has more than enough to please those who are already singing in the choir. Lost Odyssey creates some memorable characters and a gritty game world that will delight those who can no longer see JRPGs that seem to have been made for 10 year olds. "
"[...] the game breaks no new ground, but if you stick with it, you'll find a compelling emotional drama, delicate adjustments to an age-old formula, and a unique and balanced skill-development system."
“ […] The game does not break new ground, but if you stick with it, you will find compelling emotional drama, fine adjustments to an ancient formula and a unique and balanced system of skills. "
“ As a fan of Final Fantasy X, I felt at home in Lost Odyssey: Great cut scenes, interesting characters, tactical random battles, a well thought-out skill system and the familiar game mechanics allow me to immerse myself in the world of Kaim and Co. "
The bad graphics in some places and the slow and old-fashioned game system, which only slightly improved the tried and tested, were criticized.
“There are parts of Lost Odyssey that are simply gorgeous. Some of the locations are rendered with amazing detail as are all of the playable characters. These stand out in stark contrast to a few locations that look, by comparison, unfinished. [...] Gameplay outside of combat feels sluggishly paced to the point of boredom. "
“ There are parts of Lost Odyssey that look just amazing. Some locations are incredibly detailed, as are all playable characters. This is in stark contrast to a few places that, in comparison, seem unfinished. [...] The game mechanics apart from the fights feels sluggish, almost boring. "
"Getting the most out of Lost Odyssey will require a bit of patience, even from those used to the slower pace of the genre."
“ Getting the most out of Lost Odyssey takes some patience, even with those who are used to the slow pace of the genre. "
" Here and there, Lost Odyssey is really pretty and scores with very varied and idiosyncratic locations [...] Then again it disappoints with barren and grainy landscapes, few details and textures just above PS2 level, despite the use of the powerful Unreal Engine 3. "
literature
On November 21, 2007, a book with short stories based on the main character Kaim was published in Japan with the title He Who Journeys Eternity: Lost Odyssey: A Thousand Years of Dreams (永遠 を 旅 す る 者 ロ ス ス ト オ デ ッ セ イ 千年 の 夢 Eien o tabisuru mono Rosuto Odessei sennen no yume?) . It was written by Kiyoshi Shigematsu and contains 31 of the 33 stories that can be found in the dream sequences during the game.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ VGchartz.com: Sales figures
- ↑ www.gamasutra.com: Feelplus President Nazkato on Mistwalker and Feelplus' collaboration, accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.gamasutra.com: Working with the Unreal Engine 3, accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.develop-online.net: Authors Shigematsu and Sakaguchi and translator Jay Rubin ( Memento of the original from January 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.itplanning.co.jp: Takehiko Inoue's works ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.gamespot.com: Interview with composer Nobuo Uematsu, accessed on October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.1up.com: Music from Lost Odyssey ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.joystiq.com: Lost Odyssey release date end of 2007 ( memento of the original from October 25, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.4players.de: Lost Odyssey postponed to February Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.gamespot.com: Demo at TGS and in Famitsu, accessed on October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.ign.com: Lost Odyssey Trailer presented at E3, accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.music4games.net: Blue Dragon / Lost Odyssey concert in Tokyo ( Memento from February 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.xboxfront.de: Americans outraged by Lost Odyssey packaging, accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ Rating averages from English-language reviews at Metacritic , GameRankings , Gamestats ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.siliconera.com: Lost Odyssey book, accessed October 22, 2009
- ↑ www.amazon.co.jp: Amazon Japan: Lost Odyssey Literature Accessed October 22, 2009
