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- Namco
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- Namco
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Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
GameCube
Released On: Nov 16, 2004
80
8.2
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 48 Critic Reviews
80
81% Positive
39 Reviews
39 Reviews
17% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 48 Critic Reviews
80
81% Positive
39 Reviews
39 Reviews
17% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
I've played through dozens upon dozens of games and I have never seen a game with graphics like this.
Baten Kaitos is awesome. I was most surprised by how quickly this game drew me in, and it wasn't even the story that captured my interest - it was the setting. [Dec 2004, p.178]
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 79 User Ratings
8.2
82% Positive
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
8% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
10% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 79 User Ratings
8.2
82% Positive
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
8% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
10% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
The best role playing game on the gamecube. The look is simply beautiful and it feels so organic, so alive. Many little details and a colorful presentation are the reason, why it still looks great today. Another big aspect of the game which I very appreciate is it's structure. On Disc one the developers are focusing on the world and the relationships the different island have with each other. The same applies for your characters in your partie. You can see how the relationships developes and I like how the fact, that there is a betrayer in your group changes the dynamic and climate in the group.
So Disc one focusses on the world, their rulers, your characters and their relationships.
Disc two however, is the part where the story is clearly the main focus and at this point all storypieces and information you have collected before will now linked togehter. i really like how coherent and clever the story is at the end. The end of the game is a beatiful, emotional highlight.
Sure you can say the characters are simple cliches and the story itself is nothing extraordinary.
But on the other side, the characters are all very likeable, even the villans, and the story is filled with intresting and surprising twists and goes deeper than you migtht think.
However my favourite part of the game and the reason, why I rate this 10 out of 10 ist the battle system. I know a round based battle system with cards sounds boring and annoying. Even I was very sceptical. These negative thoughts disappeared quickly, when I have finished my first fights. The battle system is easy to understand but it never gets bored. The exact opposite is the case. You get a ton of new magnus cards and these change over time, so that they lose their original use of and have to be sort out. In the same way some magnus cards becomes better and better over time. Then are cards you only can get, when you use a certain combination of other cards during the battle. So the whole gameplay focusses on the magnus cards and this in a very motivational way. I like to combat in this game to get new type of cards and the system itself has a unique damage system, which motivates you to cause the most damage to an enemy you possibly could. The little flaws are only the micro management. You have to work on every deck of every character a couple of times and the other flaw is the voice acting. It is not so horrible as other reviewers describe it, but you get an idea on which part the budget was low. Thankfully you can turn it out, so it is not much of an issue. Nevertheless, are these flaws only a tiny black spot on a pure masterpiece, which definetly has far more attention deserved as it gets.
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GameCube
Excellent game, and one of my favorites.
The battle system is unique, but it eases players into it so they don't feel overwhelmed right out of the gate. Battling is handled in a JRPG style, in that overworld navigation and the action take place separately. The combat is turn based, but runs off a timer so the player can't sit around all day thinking about what to do. It does give you time to rest between turns while you review the outcome of each turn, which keeps the battling from getting too stressful. While grinding can help against some tougher foes, I never found it necessary to succeed. The only real fault I can find is that many enemies are just recolored versions of other enemies, including some bosses. Overall, I feel the combat is excellent.
Another unique mechanic that the game uses real time changes to your items. For example, healing fruit will go bad and turn into rotten fruit that can be used to poison enemies. Healing bamboo shoots will turn into full grown bamboo that can be used to attack enemies. The changes brought about by this mechanic are generally good and bad in equal measure, keeping it fun and not frustrating. One downside of this, however, is that for completionists looking to collect every item, that task is nearly impossible. Not only does the game have tons of items, but many are rare and can be lost forever if overlooked. The game also has a item crafting mechanic, but the requirements to create these new items are often too complex to realistically achieve. On the whole, it's something unique and memorable that I look back on fondly.
The game itself is gorgeous. The artwork is very detailed, for both background and foreground work. When in motion, however, it becomes a little less pretty. Overworld models have a very limited number of actions meaning movement can be quite awkward, such as using a character's walking animation when the character is just turning around. The running and jumping animations are also stilted, unnatural, and used fairly frequently. This mixed bag in terms of presentation leaves the player with very memorable moments, for both stupendously good and cringingly bad.
The plot is your fairly standard "save the world" sort of stuff, but it has just enough twists to keep it interesting. There's one twist in particular, that I won't spoil, the likes of which I can't say I've seen anywhere else. The epic scale of the plot also means that even when parts aren't thematically original, you still feel great doing it. The game is extremely long, one of the few GameCube games to require two disks to play it. This means loads of content and plenty of time to get your money's worth, and the plot stays interesting enough to keep it from getting stale.
The characters, with a few exceptions, aren't particularly nuanced, but that doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable. The heroes (main character not withstanding) tend to be paragons of virtue and the antagonists tend to be irredeemable. The broad strokes aren't bad, but they're not great either. That said, if one cares to look deeper into the characters, there is personality enough to stay invested in them. There is voice acting, and while some players may get turned off by the quality of it, I personally can't mark the game down for it because the occasionally strange or wooden performances can be hilarious and charming in their own right.
Baten Kaitos has many successes and shortcomings, but for the most part even its shortcomings are charming and endearing. What true cons it has are brilliantly outshone by its pros, which make it a unique and unforgettable experience. Because people's "it's so bad it's good" meters vary, its flaws may weigh more heavily on some than others. Your mileage may very, but I believe you will find this to be anywhere between a good game and a masterpiece. No matter what I believe you will have a good time, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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GameCube
The card system is excellent. It has the random intensity and unpredictability of a real card game mixed with elements of real- and turn-based RPGs.
The wonderful mechanics and aural and visual treats are simply not enough to lift this game above its own lackluster narrative.
If graphics and gameplay are more important to you than story, by all means dive in. [Holiday 2004, p.134]
The fact that it was a card battle game, it could only hold attention for so long to where the system got repetitive, and fighting was a drag after the halfway point.
This game has what I expected from Namco. This game has great gameplay but it is a bit overused. The game has great graphics and controls. This game almost has it all.
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GameCube
Baten Kaitos is conflicted and flawed but still manages to be an enjoyable game. The story is familiar, cliche, and predictable but well written and charming at the same time. The voice acting is horrid but you can turn it off. The environments are often gorgeous but character animations are stiff and awkward. The card battle system is as refreshingly different as it is deep but also flawed and frequently frustrating. The only thing that doesn't have anything detracting from it would be the score, which is solid across the board. Perhaps the best card in it's hand is that it's an actual RPG on the Gamecube. That alone is reason enough for owners of the system (or the Wii) to check it out if they have the opportunity.
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GameCube
I had high hopes for this game, having heard generally positive things. However i couldn't help but be disapointed. The story is incredibly bland and cliche and the characters are boring. At first I liked the battle system. It seemed to filled with good ideas. But unfortuneatly it got worse instead of better as it went along. You get less time to make desicions. And eventually it feels like you have no idea what cards you'll end up with. I must admit the music and graphics are good. I however feel the package as a whole did not deliver.
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GameCube
Summary The story of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean takes place in a time when lands exist in the sky and once vast oceans are mere legend among men. In the game, you'll control a spirit that guides Kalas throughout his journey and fights by his side. Collect more than 1,000 types of Magnus cards to help you fight, heal yourself,...
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- GameCube
Initial Release Date: Nov 16, 2004
Developer:
- Monolith Soft
Publisher: Namco
Genres:
