Lost Odyssey

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JaySevenZero
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Lost Odyssey

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Lost Odyssey for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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Kasuga-san
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Re: 543: Lost Odyssey

Post by Kasuga-san »

Lost Odyssey is a tough one for me. I never played it on the 360, and I honestly couldn't tell you why because this game checks a lot of boxes for games I would love (earlier Final Fantasy style combat from some of the people who worked on my favorite Square JRPGs). I finally picked it up in a gaming lull a few years back and bounced off of it after a few hours. I can't quite place what I didn't like about it at the time, but I'm guessing it was tied to the random battles feeling a bit too frequent combined with battles that could get fairly tedious at times. I also found myself really turned off by the character designs (in particular, Cooke's main outfit was more than a bit off-putting to me, at least) despite liking some of the characters (Seth being the best). When I finally got back to it and beat it, my feelings weren't quite as harsh. It's a solid JRPG dragged down by the aforementioned issues as well as pages upon pages upon pages of short stories that, while not terrible, felt very out of place and brought the game to a screeching halt (because of course I'm going to read them! Give me that lore!). I'm glad I finished it, but it's definitely not in my top JRPGs of all time.
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Superuser
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Re: 543: Lost Odyssey

Post by Superuser »

RPGs were a genre that has eluded me all my gaming life. My most played game ever is RuneScape. Aside from that, I had only completed about 6 RPGs going by my Grouvee list. Lost Odyssey was one of those rare 360 exclusives that was mentioned after the console had run its course, so I picked it up in a CeX shop knowing little about it and played through it in 2018. By this time, you could install the game to the drive, which I found essential due to the long battle loading times.

I took well to the world, which balanced a personal plot with a larger world. The plot bothered me in how you end up with a party of globally important people, even though it seemed at first that you were playing some nobodies. The broad outline of the plot is satisfying, though there are some diversions that harm it in pacing. Thankfully, these diversions have setpieces to mix them up, like a stealth section featuring the great Jansen.

Setpieces mark the game in many ways you just don't see in modern games. The whole game features 'director's cut' camera angles, even though it's not being used to mask loading screens. It makes for memorable environments, supported by a creative art direction. Some characters' costumes can be overdone, but at least they are unique and don't hint to a real world culture; they are genuine fantasy nations with their own customs.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the short stories about Kaim's past. You can tell these were written by an acclaimed novelist, because the quality of writing in those, far exceeds the video-game fare of the core game. It's not a slight on the story and characters, but the deep characterisation and feeling you find in those short stories rivals anything I've seen in a game. Credit should also be given to how they are presented, taking full advantage of its format.

Combat-wise, I came away disappointed and put off from the genre. The first two discs were a slog requiring regular grinding sessions. You will hit one or two damage points unless you put in the hours. I could only tolerate this because it's mindless and works with podcasts (like Cane & Rinse!). Also, lining up the ring for more damage gives you something to do while you try to distract yourself from the tedium. However, you are forbidden from over-levelling, which I can never make my mind up about.
I also want to condemn the design of forcing a boss fight with no way to realistically grind, in two locations where you basically lose the rest of your party. You will have an incredibly frustrating time if you weren't levelling those characters before.

A really damaging aspect is how you don't see the full genius of the combat system until the final disc, and in particular the superbly-executed final boss. But it shouldn't take 30 hours to get there I preferred the approach of Shin Megami Tensei IV, one of the few other RPGs I'd played - which immediately offers almost every system in the game.

One final note - there are a lot of items in this game that can radically alter your fighting ability. Where you can find them is another matter, and the game doesn't ever give a hint that they exist. I may have been spoiled by Pokemon where NPCs teach you the whole game in their weird dialogues, but discovering items felt opaque to the point I underutilised them. There is also little room to experiment because of the game's linear structure. There's nothing stopping you from going back, but I only play around with items after I've exhausted my regular abilities and interactions with the enemies in an area. I can't put my finger on it, but I thought the way enhancements were positioned in the game made me less likely to use them.

I am glad I went through Lost Odyssey. It was my second turn based RPG after Shin Megami Tensei, if we exclude Pokemon. It also confirmed my suspicions about the genre: I can put up with them for an engrossing story and setting, but as far as turn based RPGs go, I really just liked the SMT system (which they over-simplify for me in spinoffs like Persona). There wasn't a simple fix to those flaws, but it was a good adventure I would like more of.
If anyone has suggestions for a beginner RPG player that likes fast battles, a good plot and minimal grinding, I'd be glad to hear them.

Three word review:
Gambling With Chickens
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