The Last Story Wii
User Score
8.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 84
  3. Negative: 7 out of 84

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  1. Hikarigami
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    Astonishingly mediocre. Everything from the gameplay to the graphics to the music to the story are mediocre. It's not terrible or anything, it's just you'd expect so much more from all the hype it was given. The voice acting is awful, a lot of the characters are idiots, ,and while the story does have its occasional high points, it's marred by its abysmal low points. Overall, a mediocre game. Don't bother; go play Xenoblade again.… Expand
  2. Esfar
    Apr 29, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played so many Rpgs in this 7th generation era but I will have to say one thing that this game is certainly one of my top 5 game and 3rd best Jrpg after Ninokuni and Xenoblade.

    Story: Story and character is just to fantastic for any game..I cared about Zoel and his Band of mercenaries.Characters have deep emotional touch with beautiful stories and the main protagonist is one of the best i the RPG genere.

    Graphics: Even though frame rate issue was there i was always wondering how did the old Wii manage to produce such a beautiful game.

    Gameplay: Just 10 out of 10. Blend of RPG strategy and action.    … Expand
  3. Stampede
    Apr 7, 2013
    9
    The characters in this game hook you in before the story even begins to fall into place. There may be missteps, yet that's welcomed when tackling the JRPG genre with a new style of gameplay and battle mechanics. When playing this game I experienced as though I progressed through more of an actual story as oppossed to a campaign with no soul. Truly a one of a kind gem in the Wii library that shines brightly.… Expand
  4. Whitney
    Feb 22, 2013
    0
    I was really disappointing in this game. I know the Wii isn't known for its good graphics but this was terrible. The story line was predictable and the characters were also. Also the controls are whack, probably due to it being on the Wii. I was excited about this game when I skimmed over the back of the case and through the guide booklet, but in game the textures on the towns, forests, and even the people was just low res pixels. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.… Expand
  5. theamity9
    Feb 13, 2013
    10
    An absolute beautiful game. Just what you would expect from the genius behind early Final Fantasy games and the man behind the majority of Final Fantasy's OSTs.

    I just want to get the two bad things out of the way:
    1. It's too short. I finished it in 19 hours, which isn't short. But for a game which such a great story you just wish it was longer.
    2. This one is a funny one, because it    's also one of the best parts about it the battle system. It can get a bit clunky when trying to move while surrounded enemies.

    About from that. The characters reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy X's, but that's a good thing. They feel different enough to not be a copy. Vast majority of the game takes place in 1 town, which might seem like a bit of a bore, but the story flows so brilliantly that it will not bother you.

    Like most JRPGs of the PS2/GC PS3/Wii generation the game is rather linear. But the story is so beautiful and the characters feel so life-like and are totally lovable that you will not care for the linear factor. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII, the linear aspect here works in The Last Story's favor.

    I did want to give it a high 9, as it does have some flaws. But it's more worthy of a 10 as oppose to a 9. Go out and buy this if you have a Wii. It's cheap and worth every dolllar.    … Expand
  6. SkiT
    Jan 16, 2013
    6
    Flawed, but enjoyable. The story has potential, but is not explained enough in detail. At times confusing. Questions left unanswered. Also the story can be a bit predictable. It took me 22 hours to beat, so you could say it's a bit short. The combat is action-packed and fun for the most part. You unlock new moves and skills at a nice pace. You can manage and upgrade equipment and weapons, this is however very shallow. No quest journal(!!!) Silly dialogue, compensated by good voice acting. The most stereotypical characters I have ever experienced in a game. Nice graphics, and overall design of the world. Good variation of locations. Great soundtrack. I could probably go on forever. The fact is, there are many small ups and downs, a mixed bag. I was left a bit disappointed when it was over, but I can't deny the fact that I enjoyed it while it lasted.… Expand
  7. Carlitoxic
    Jan 14, 2013
    9
    Hironobu Sakaguchi makes a great Rpg for this generation. Good and beautiful music from N. Uematsu, great battle system and entertaiment history, not good, not bad, but passable. One of the biggest RPG of this poor generation in this genre.
  8. lsrngb
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    This review is based on a completed run through of the game.
    It's been a long time since I have played a game like this. This is how Final Fantasy should have been over the last 10 years or so. Most of the complaints that I have about this game would be problems with the wii. I hated the fact that I couldn't see these wonderful characters in HD. I wish I could have used a better controlle    r, but that being said, Mistwalker really avoided having useless controller waggle forced into the game. The sound, the game play, the story, the characters were all very enjoyable. I just wish that the game would have been on a grander scale (there is only one town) I wish it would have been longer. My play through took about 36 hours to complete the story, side quests, and epilogue. If you do play, I would recommend playing the co-op in the beginning. The weapons that you win in the co-op mode are very useful in the first half of the game but not so much toward the end. I highly this as the last great wii game.… Expand
  9. Vandral007
    Nov 27, 2012
    8
    The Last Story is a great send-off to Wii! Despite working with outdated hardware, the game looks and sounds fantastic. The characters are well rounded, the voice acting for the most part is quite well done. The story kept me hooked throughout the game, and how many RPG's come with an online mode? Not many. The only thing hampering this game is some performance issues I ran into and a somewhat lackluster ending to an otherwise fantastic story.… Expand
  10. benji232
    Nov 1, 2012
    9
    This is another great jrpg on the wii. With a few plot twists, lovable characters and a great combat system, this is another must buy for any jrpg fans or wii owners. 8.5/10
  11. partyintheback
    Oct 14, 2012
    10
    The Last Story has finally hit the United States and I couldn't be happier. From people who worked on most notably Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, The Last Story is their next JRPG and first exclusive on the Wii. Regardless of the Wii's technical prowess, The Last Story does a lot more to advance JRPGs than the competition on HD platforms. It's a beautiful and stunning JRPG with some western design influences that brings the genre into 2012. Personally, I feel it's a better game than Xenoblade Chronicles, which I felt went on for way too long and the quests weren't unique or interesting enough. In addition to getting this magnificent game, you also receive an outer cardboard box that houses the game, an art book, and early buyers also receive a soundtrack. It's a gorgeous package.

    Graphics - This is a Wii game, so you'd assume it won't quite match games on the HD systems, which you'd be right about in some cases, but this is a gorgeous game. Characters look great and their faces animate with emotion. The environments are meticulously detailed with good looking water, beautiful architecture, etc.

    Story - The story of The Last Story is beautifully crafted. Unlike many other JRPGs with voice acting and character designs that can be somewhat grating on the nerves, The Last Story feels more mature in both areas. The voice acting is fantastic and very British, while the characters all look unique and are wonderfully designed. For example, Syrenne, who likes to drink and has pretty much no manners, is a nice change of pace for a JRPG.

    Soundtrack - It's so finely crafted. As you'd expect from Noduo Uematsu, The Last Story soundtrack is lovely.

    Gameplay - Maintaining most elements that make a JRPG, The Last Story adds in western influence, which benefits the game and makes it feel like an evolution for the genre. Combining a cover system with combat that you're accustomed to, The Last Story is a real treat to play. Using the cover system, you go into cover and you can pop out from cover to use ranged attacks, then you can leap over cover and use sword-focused melee combat. It all feels very seamless and fluid. While were on the topic of this game's combat, make sure you go to the options menu and change the combat style to 'Manual'.

    Online Deathmatch & Co-op - Somewhat strange for a game of its kind, The Last Story features network play via a 'Deathmatch' mode that has you fighting up to 6 people online, while the 'Co-op' mode allows you to join with them to defeat a boss. While the single player portion is the meat & potatoes of The Last Story, it's a nice little addition to have some online play thrown into the mix. From my experience, the online parts ran fine for me and lag-free.

    The Last Story is a beautiful title that defines a new era of JRPGs. Bringing together gameplay mechanics from the East and West, this game can appeal to just about anyone who likes a good RPG. Let's hope this truly isn't the last story.    … Expand
  12. CorazonAzul
    Sep 13, 2012
    9
    The Last Story, like all products under Mistwalker's founding principle "we do what we want", backed by director Hironobu "the Gooch" Sakaguchi's personal blog during development, is a JRPG that rings true, but may not be well received by today's multifaceted market (what is?)._______ THE BAD unfortunately begins in the first hours of the game, but may just end there. You are thrown into a furiously complex battle system, too many new faces, and a massive place all at once. You may be playing 'catch up' on the mechanics after several more chapters in. The Wii begs for mercy in certain real-time situations and slows down._______ POTENTIAL TURNOFFS may include the game's 30 hours of play, a medium length today, including most side quests, some grinding and some bonus activities. (I'm hearing a report of 15. that would be absolutely minimal speed playing/ skipping most every cutscene). You'll be watching an enormous amount of story telling, accounting for nearly half of your time- surely few developers can pull that off and live to tell about it. The complicated real-time battle system will cause frustration in select encounters but mostly holds together. Music is on the contemporary side, following Nobuo Uematsu's recent movements, and compliments the game well- though some may be disappointed that it wasn't more catchy.________ THE GOOD should begin with the stellar story telling and characters. Historically with Sakaguchi, the main plot matters less than the adventure driving it, typically meaning the director has strength in any world and any time. You will find plot holes, and argue with yourself if they matter more than how fun things are. In the end, you care about and remember the characters. ________ Voice acting (UK), in a pleasant surprise is top notch. While the lack of option for JP voices is disappointing-and I believe this was Wii/disc-related, these UK voices are definately passionate and driven. Funny characters are funny. No character is an ear sore. ________ The battle system sports a high learning curve. You control the main character, and are given a sensical amount of "commands" for the others, like spells and disengage. Most spells and recovery are area-of-effect based. Party size is typically 2-4, but will change often and include many guest allies. Boss fights strictly test whether or not you've mastered abilities, so ignoring the mechanics may result in defeat. If you do manage to lose, you're started over scot-free. Save select areas that didn't seem to fully pass Q&A, encounters are largely fun, engaging, strategic and open ended. Difficulty is easy to medium. You may "grind" infinitely at specially located battle spots, but amounting to 5-10 rather quick reps before becoming sharply obvious your XP are lessened- very nice touch. Characters may gain several levels at once, so those behind catch up quickly.______ Navigation may be painful at first, because your very home base is huge and winding. You may spend 1-2 hours exploring it for the first time, but eventually becomes second nature. It makes up for the lack of exploration otherwise, as there is no world map, and few other areas. However what's available is very good- a more sensical investment for The Last Story than a large sandbox would be. _______ Character design flirts with the love-or-hate-it japanese belt-buckle-trend, but fortunately you are granted expansive customization. Each armor can give a different look to any character, with little to no strategic penalty as weapons matter far more. You can customize which pieces of the armor are shown, their color from a modest palette, and other effects in the easy-to-use "Colour" editor in the main menu. Your final costumes show in all cutscenes. _______ Level design is a true show of modern fundamentals. Dungeons avoid becoming frustrating labyrinths, and graphics set the mood properly. Character dialogue keeps you entertained when not fighting. Easter eggs are abundant, but not in the way you feel you need them all, a nod to OCD types. Allies conveniently line up behind the next path you should take, allowing you to explore other areas easily. ______ Side quests and bonus activities are abundant, easy to access, and feel like they're worth doing. From town gopher to infiltrating the enemy, it's all there and with rewards like weapons and color dyes for armor. ______ I know nothing about online play, so please see another review for that. ______ In conclusion, The Last Story is Mistwalker simply using its strengths. Their dedication to the JRPG genre is unwaivering amid sharp criticisms and a multifaceted market. An epic and unforgettable adventure that JRPG'ers owe it to themselves to experience.… Expand
  13. Cholulo
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    What an amazing game. it is worth every penny. it is one of the best j rpgs of all time and i think its close to xenoblade. had a great story. i did not finish the game yet but so far its been a great experience. good graphics for the wii and had great gameplay
  14. TheTriscut
    Aug 30, 2012
    3
    If I wanted to recommend an RPG to someone this would be at the bottom of my list. The story line is short, there is virtually no character, or weapon customization besides linear upgrades. You spend a majority of the game doing random town gathering quests, the in town arena is the same couple of battles over and over again. There is very little exploring, there is only one town in the game and then story-line quests outside of town. The only reason I continued playing was the hope that it would expand the more I played, but it didn't.… Collapse
  15. Olzar
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    I've never played an action RPG that plays like this. All the options on how you can approach enemies is really interesting and fun. And the game is beautiful and sounds great. I truly hope this becomes an ongoing series
  16. Mattaclysm
    Aug 24, 2012
    7
    The Last Story is a pretty good but flawed game. Graphically speaking it's by far the best looking game I've seen so far on the WII, because so it does tend to get choppy and gets frequent frame rate drops at times but usually doesn't last more then thirty seconds. Controls are actually somewhat straightforward and somewhat difficult to figure out. I found myself being confused trying to use certain skills at times but other then that it was easy all you pretty much had to do to attack was run into enemies and the player you control would automatically attack. The story isn't bad and there are a few side quests to help you enjoy the game more, at the time of the games end I had clocked in around 28 hours. There were some boring parts in the game but still it was enjoyable. Music and sounds were awesome and characters were unique and interesting. This game is actually good and I had more fun with it then I did with Xenoblade, but there were some aspects that left me wishing there was more ways to customize my characters or maybe more ways to change the outcome. Still this is one of the best looking games on the WII and one worth playing for RPG fans.… Expand
  17. Happymonk
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Last Story is an awesome game, from it's great gameplay to it's brilliant musical score. It is very much a traditional JRPG at heart, with the kinds of characters that you'd expect from any Final Fantasy doing the rounds. But it does differentiate itself rather well from the traditional "young man or woman with amnesia" style of character: the way the characters all interact with each other is fantastic and really adds a human layer to the proceedings, leading the way to a climatic ending where Zael (the main protagonist of the piece) has to battle against everything he knows to be right and wrong. And that is what the game is really about, a man's struggle to find his place in the world, challenging what he knows while making (and losing) friends along the way. The combat system is also a breath of fresh air when it comes to JRPGs, it is not turn based, but real-time and actually relatively strategic. It's not perfect, but it could really come alive with a sequel. The musical score (as you'd expect) is fantastic and really fits the mood of the game well. But it doesn't deserve a "ten" for a few reasons, the graphics, while great, are occasionally jarring with some parts looking fantastic and others looking like a (high end) game from the last generation; which is a little disappointing. It is also just a tad short (clocking in at just over 20 hours depending on skill) for me, it seemed as though it should not have ended that early, I would have happily played a further 10-15 hours. To sum it up, this is a fantastic game that does almost everything right, 90/100.… Expand
  18. Regal4point1
    Aug 21, 2012
    6
    The gameplay is fun, and never gets dull, but its such a shame that there isn't nearly anything to tweak with in usual RPG fashion. Each character has two moves each, both of which are not customizable and upgradable. Additionally, you only control one character throughout the game. This wouldn't be such a deterrence if you were given a lot of control of your party members like Mass Effect, but you're limited to filling up a gauge to tell them which arts to cast. In this way you'll never get lost in the gameplay like you would with a deeper structure. The story is only decent. While good for the JRPG sub-genre, I shouldn't excuse its cringe-worthy lines and lack of subtlety just because the genre is known for bad stories. It also hits cliches at every turn within the narrative, which is perhaps why this game feels as though it has a lack of verve and intrigue. Mistwalker proves it is inept at creating tension and drive, because the story always seems rather meh.
    The characters, while likable in their own right, are fairly one-dimensional. The protagonist is simply a virtuous do-gooder, there's a princess with special powers, a drunk, a ladies man, a quiet girl. You know, everything you've seen before. This one-characteristic approach to the characters makes them forgettable and unnecessary to the plot. The best thing I can say about it is its pacing. The game flows incredibly well, and never makes you sick of any of its features. This is especially notable because all party members are introduced within the first few hours. The battle system does get new gimmicks to pique your interest at a nice pace, and the difficulty curve is nice (although it is rather easy at the beginning). The game will only take you about 15-20 hours, but its brevity is actually one of its strengths. It does value this time, and the result is a nice flow that is rather addictive and hard to pull away from. The voice work isn't fantastic, but the dialogue isn't that great either. Expect awkward phrases, lectures, and overly long motivational speeches when playing this game. You know, the usual JRPG nonsense. The score is good for background noise, but its hardly memorable aside from the main theme. Unlike other games, when listening to the soundtrack I couldn't remember where it had come from. Despite these gripes, Nobuo did a nice job.
    The game's lack of customization, verve, and weak story make this hard to fully recommend. I would buy at price drop, but new (to support Mistwalker). It is worth your time though.    … Expand
  19. EchosMyron
    Aug 16, 2012
    10
    this game is cool, I like it, |I also think it's good and fun and nice.| When I| played this game it made me feel happy like when I eat ice cream or poop.
  20. dharma
    Aug 16, 2012
    9
    The Wii's last hurrah is also one of its best. JRPG's are renowned for being repetitive, with lots and lots of padding in the guise of 'leveling up'. This is not the case with this fast paced adventure, Sakaguchi's best since, well..Final Fantasy! It gives you the great storyline and characterization that JRPG's are renowned for, minus all the weaknesses that this genre has suffered for at least a decade. Great, interactive combat system that is strategic and exciting (hullo...Kingdom Hearts). It has great music and despite having low res graphics, it is still a beautiful game. Dust off your Wii and prepare for one of the best JRPG from the true master.… Expand
  21. f_type
    Aug 15, 2012
    8
    The Last Story is a very good, if flawed, JRPG. It's a traditional RPG at its roots but it plays out more like an action game with its varied and mission based gameplay. The game's key selling point is the creative real time combat system which combines quick combat with strategy. You will need to micro-manage multiple elements on the battle field and your own party members in order to overcome some hectic battles. The game also boosts a fantastic musical score and art direction, but the game is hindered by frequent by slowdown (which is especially annoying during combat). The story is enjoyable but a tad too predictable. The cast is fairly deep and well developed. The voice work is excellent but the dialogue is very cheesy. Even with all of these complaints, something about this game often put a smile on my face. It only lasts about 20-25 hours and is a bit on the easy side, but it's a heartfelt and enjoyable adventure. *PS* I played the original PAL (UK) release, and because the US release is the same exact game, I figured I'd provide my insights on the game for early adopters (especially since I actually played and beat it).… Expand
  22. ovoon7
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    Mistwalker proves once again how to make a true JRPG. Lost Odyssey was incredible, and The Last Story is no different. Support these guys, buy this game.
  23. Shinjiro
    Aug 14, 2012
    5
    The Last Story - A game from RPG mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi. Sounds good, right? Sadly, "The Last Story" is the exact opposite - A game with horrible gameplay and an underwhelming story where only the characters shine... And only at very few, certain moments of the game and without doing sidequests, this 15 hour game has not much time to show you those moments anyway.

    The main charac    ter of the game is Elza (Zeal in the PAL and NTSC/US version), who's part of Quarks (Dagran) mercenaries and always dreams about becoming a knight, since mercenaries are looked down to in the world of The Last Story (among other things).

    After the first battle in the game, you probably hope and expect that the gameplay offers more... WAY more, correct? Sadly, besides positioning yourself before the battle, how you start it (killing the enemies healer, using your crossbow or sword or destroying a pillar or bridge), there's not much to control in the battle. Do you expect to get to control the whole party, use lots of skills and items, among other BASIC aspects of the genre? That with 7 mercenaries and a party out of up to 6 characters that you can at least CHOOSE which character you want to control? Yes? Well, to bad, there's NOTHING like that. No items, the amount of skills and the amount of strategy is a joke. Yes, you read right. That's pretty much your WHOLE strategy. In every single battle. If you expected lots of strategy because you're playing an RPG, you'll get disappointed. Gameplay-wise, The Last Story resembles more an Hack'n'Slay.

    During battle, when your bar is full, you can give your party orders. But not even then you have much of a "choice". Every character has ONE skill (left), ONE special attack (up) and 2 other commands. At least something, right? Again: No. With the exception of Manamia (Mirania) and Kanan (Calista), the special attacks are THE SAME as their normal skills, just stronger. For example: Jackal (Lowell): He uses ice magic and if it's diffused, the enemies slip on it. His special attack? A stronger ice attack. That's it. Manamia can resurrect (giving your characters an additional life) and Kanan can create a barrier. The often ridiculously bad AI sometimes forces you to use the command option as often as possible, especially if you fight enemies which get healed by ice magic and Jackal / Lowell ONLY uses his magic. (To name an example)

    The story is below-average at the very best. It's obvious when playing that Mistwalker tried to make something more original, but the execution is done VERY badly. Thankfully(?), you don't have to endure it for a longer amount of time since the story (without doing sidequests) is only 15 hours long - Less than 1/3 of what you expect from an AVERAGE RPG. But even WITH sidequests... which are few, don't take long and aren't much fun anyway, you'll be VERY lucky to hit the 20 hour mark.

    Upgrading is a joke. The armor differs between a "heavy" type with more defense, but less magic defense, a "balanced" type with the same amount of defense and magic defense and a "light" type, which offers more magic defense, but less physical one. And their boni often only differs WHEN you get it (e.g. at +6 or +7).

    The online mode offers boss fights and PvP. Whereas the 1st one is rather challenging at first, it gets boring and annoying REALLY fast, since most people (IF you find someone online) prefer to use their physical attackers (like Elza). And having a party out of 6 different Elzas results in a very quick Game Over. Why? Simple: If just a single player loses all his/her lives, you have 30 seconds to finish the battle. If you didn't, your whole party loses. No drops, no anything. Having the option to yell stuff like "Someone diffuse that magic!" doesn't help since nobody listens to it anyway.
    PvP works different, but it's even less fun. The balance in PvP is non-existent. You either enter a map where magic users can and WILL one-shot you EVERY SINGLE TIME or a map where they have no chance at all. Also, if you don't "dodge" magic or hide behind a boulder or wall, you CAN'T survive magic. Even dodging or hiding results in high damage.

    Long story short: The Last Story gameplay is below-average at the very best, the story is way too short and the story-telling isn't very good either. The characters themselves are pretty good (Besides Elza), but since the focus is on him ALONE, you'll barely experience anything interesting about your other party members anyway. The soundtrack isn't bad, but you expect WAY more from Uematsu. The world is tiny, brown and doesn't offer much anyway. The online mode is just plain bad and the replay-value is practically zero, so if you're planning on purchasing it, don't expect anything better than a short, mediocre game.    … Expand
  24. zeldass
    Aug 14, 2012
    10
    What an amazing game. it is worth every penny. it is one of the best j rpgs of all time and i think its close to xenoblade. had a great story. i did not finish the game yet but so far its been a great experience. good graphics for the wii and had great gameplay

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 61 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 61
  3. Negative: 1 out of 61
  1. Game Revolution
    Sep 4, 2012
    90
    This game is the product of a true master.
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  2. GameCritics
    Aug 28, 2012
    50
    The Last Story feels like a JRPG that took incomplete notes as it tried to learn from Western design. The simplistic implementation of massively multiplayer online (MMO) combat motifs makes battles boring or frustrating. The character customizability, though wonderful, is purely cosmetic, never really extending into the play or storytelling. Worst of all, the gameplay and story might as well be two ships passing in the night. While Zael confronts the game's real antagonists in cutscenes, the player simply sits on the sidelines. In games, that's the last way you should try to tell a story. Ra
    Read full review
  3. NintendoWorldReport
    Aug 28, 2012
    80
    While my review may seem overly positive, the game's small number of flaws are incredibly frustrating at times. That said, if you feel you can look past a few missed opportunities and a flawed but fun combat system, I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy The Last Story. Just don't expect it to be as genre defining as previous Sakaguchi titles.
    Read full review
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