Lost Odyssey // Xbox 360
A new mix in old formulas

// The skinny: Kaim is an immortal with no memories having lived for a 1000 years. He has served as a mercenary fighting for countless sides until in one battle a cataclysmic event wipes out an entire battlefield. During the course of his investigation Kaim meets others like him and together they try to stop a would be world conquerer.

// Review: One of the biggest downsides to the 360's FPS dominated library is the noticeable lack of quality RPGs, or any RPGs at all. Save for the Western style Oblivion and Mass Effect, Eternal Sonata serves as a rare decent offering for stat freaks like myself. So I was eagerly awaiting Mystwalker's sophomore attempt after the disappointingly tepid Blue Dragon. What you get in Lost Odyssey is a solid familiar game.

/ LO really feels like the spiritual successor to 1997's Final Fantasy VII. That's probably because that game's director and composer have teamed up for Lost Odyssey and have dusted off a lot of their old notes. If you are a veteran to JRPGs then you'll feel right at home. In fact you'll think you've played this game many times as it employs several classic gameplay mechanics. At times this feels nostalgic and at other times it feels dated. I don't mind cycling through menus and constantly changing my gear load outs, but the random battles coupled with protracted pre-battle animations were extremely tedious.

/ There was also a lot of filler that could've easily been excised, cutting the game from 4 to 2 disks; pointless fetch quests, rambling cut scenes, and confusing dungeons detracted from the fun.

/ While amnesia is a JRPG staple, having Kaim's past as repressed memories was an interesting take, especially when they were slowly revealed in tragically elegant written stories. It's a lot of reading but does a fantastic job of fleshing out Kaim as more than just the strong silent type.

/ Lost Odyssey is an impressive looking game. In just the first few minutes you'll realize how ahead the Japanese are in graphics and art design. The main storyline, while at times pretentious and sappy, is for the most part intriguing and not as convoluted as most Japanese games tend to be.

// Wrap up: If you have been itching for some turned based dungeon crawling, be sure to check this one out.

Entertainment rating: 3.5