What I would have liked to know before considering buying this game: It has very similar game mechanics to Blue Dragon. Similar turn-based combat, similar skills system, similar annoying kicking of inanimate objects to earn items, similar extensive use of cut-scenes, and even the same monsters. That said, the improvements over Blue Dragon for me are that it is less cartoony, characters are not annoying, story seems better.… Expand

It's a Final Fantasy game, if it had Final Fantasy in the title it'd be averaging 90 instead of 80 and no-one would bat and eyelid. Story is slow but immensely gratifying. Characters are the games strongest attribute, near flawless. Combat is well polished but doesn't quite achieve turn-based perfection like FF10. Presentation/direction is great. Graphics never reach any great heights, they are hit and miss, with the misses being painfully obvious (stuttering, some animation simply not attempted, lego block fingers). Disappointing really considering what other devs were pushing out of the 360 at a similar point in time. Sound and music par for the course. Has a RUN button, and when you hold it you damn well RUN like the wind. All in all it deserves to be placed on the same pedestal as the FF games, it is of that quality, it gets the things important to a JRPG right, and the really important things really right.… Expand

By far the best role playing game on xbox 360. The battle sequence is good but could've been better. That would have to be the only downfall.

I love RPGs and have played (and liked) the majority of Final Fantasy games. However, Lost Odyssey is one of the worst RPGs I have ever played. I would hesitate to even call it an RPG; my idea of an RPG is being able to roam freely and do things in your own time. This is not a feature of Lost Odyssey. Firstly, you very rarely actually have control of any of the characters! I spent most of my time watching pointless, over-long cutscenes. If I'd wanted to watch a film, I would have watched a DVD, not played a game. When I did finally get control of a character I found the combat and general gameplay to be ok but the ridiculous cutscenes just frustrated me beyond belief. Secondly, the save points are VERY few and far-between. For example, you'll be given a save point before fighting a boss but not afterwards. So you kill a boss and then complete another half an hour of gameplay before coming across an opportunity to save which means if you die in that time (which is highly likely in this game due to the lack of refresh points/shops) you have to go through the whole boss-killing, boring cutscenes and half hour of gameplay again. Thirdly, the leveling of enemies is plain ridiculous. One minute you'll be fighting hoards of enemies who deal you tiny amounts of damage and then suddenly you'll come across a boss who wipes out your entire party in about two attacks. You then either have to spend a stupid amount of time leveling up because the other enemies are not powerful enough to allow you to level up reasonably quickly or attempt repeatedly to fight a ridiculously strong boss who wipes your party out time and time again. Its just frustrating; not fun. In my opinion Lost Odyssey wipes the fun out of RPGs. If you want a proper RPG rather than one long cutscene masquerading as one, play Oblivion, it's a true RPG which allows you to roam freely, truly interact with your environment and provides hours and hours of solid gameplay without corny, mind-numbing cutscenes inbetween.… Expand

Incredibly nostalgic! Final Fantasy VIII days relived!

I always thought that the idea of gaming was that you were meant to be involved? Here it feels as though I spend the vast majority of my time doing nothing but watching spectacularly dull CG clips of equally badly acted stereotyped characters. I may not have given this enough time but after several hours of doing very little I gave up.

An incredibly well polished JRPG, which sadly is an Xbox 360 exclusive. This game has many elements that stand out such as the dreams and the art direction. The story will quickly immerse you keep you playing for hours on end. Quite possibly the best aspect, in my opinion, is the original soundtrack. Nobuo Uematsu is a God when it comes to composing music. Definitely worth your time if you own a 360.… Expand

This game is very traditional, almost to a fault. It practically reeks of Final Fantasy 9 copying. While the immortal system is okay, the battles are so obnoxiously slow that it becomes unbearable after a while. At first, it is barely noticable, but the monotony suddenly weighs down and the slow attack and magic animations make the battles far too lengthy. Since the game has random battles, this is a serious issue and annoyance, especially when you are forced to travel around an area to solve puzzles. The level cap adds to this frustration since you have no motivation to battle enemies without the promise of a buffed party. Sure, the soundtrack, aesthetics, pacing, and most all other elements of this game are great, but this whole game is tainted by one wound that is repeatedly dug into with alcohol and dirt.… Expand

This game is awesome. Mass Effect has worse texture pop ins and load times....yet this game is bashed for it? I loved ME...but LO is just as good!

Meh, the story is ok and the characters are kinda kewl but besides some nice looking visuals it's a pretty mediocre RPG. I much more recommend Eternal Sonata... which doesn't have the huge graphics, but has is a much more engaging game.

Great game. Innovates combat ever so slightly with both Ring systems [Timing, and Equipment]. Characters are interesting, funny and deep. Dream sequences are EXTREMELY well done. The SPRINT button could be one of the best additions into a JRPG of all-time!! Story is grandiose and enthralling. Graphics are breath-taking, the art direction is superb and the production values are extremely high. I have seen ABSOLUTELY NO issues with loading. Loads in and out of battles average 2-3 seconds. Loads in between indoors and outdoors or map segments normally top out at 2-5 seconds. I have yet to experience any significant frame rate drops. And definitely have NOT experienced anything that is game-breaking from a technical standpoint. Game might not actually be a 10, but is easily a 9. I rated it a 10 because of how it seems like the reviewers are either playing old code, or are just making stuff up regarding the technical issues in the game.… Expand

Amazing JRPG... starts off slow, but the other 40-50 hours are great.

First JRPG I've been able to get into in a long time. Loving it so far, with a great story. The Dreams are the best part.

If you are a fan of classic console RPGs (like me) this game is a dream come true. I have played console RPGs for over 20 years now ever since Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy on the NES. This game has elements of many classic console RPGs, but of the games I've played it's probably the most like Final Fantasy 7 (a classic example of a JRPG). Think of it as FF7 on steroids. The graphics, sounds, storyline, cutscenes are all simply amazing and the game is very long. In terms of recent games I enjoyed Oblivion and Mass Effect but would not compare this game to those. Those games have slightly more polished gameplay mechanics (I would give them a 9.5 or 10) but are hard to compare because they are very different types of games. Lost Odyssey is a JRPG, plain and simple and does not try to be anything else. This game does not lack polish by any means, but there are several frustrating factors, all of which have been mentioned by others. The battles should load faster and have shorter "intro" times. The camera angles are strange at timesand a better system would make the game more enjoyable. It would also be nice if the game gave you the option to save before long cutscenes as the game sometimes locks you in a for a long time without a save point. These are all criticisms... but this is still a truly great game, by far the best JRPG on the 360. I have no regrets about investing my time into purchasing the game and look forward to its sequels.… Expand

Its an amazing game.It has a great story,and characters.It is deep in it's traditional roots, but I don't know why people think it is a bad thing.The music is excellent,and the game play is also real good with the aim-ring system giving a little interactivity in the turn based battles...Overall excellent game which shouldn't be overlooked!

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, this is one of the best games this generation and that wont be changing anytime soon. Any person that gives this game a negative review I very much doubt has actually played it. The game may have a traditional appearance, but it brings a number of subtle, yet drastic innovations to the table that combine to give Lost Odyssey one of the strongest turn based battle systems ever. The game is a posterboy for quality in pretty much every respect. From impressive art direction, to incredible English voice acting ,animation quality and a strong writing this game is a winner on all counts. The story is to put it simply impressive and really does a great job of touching on real human relationships. You really connect with the game's various strong characters. I look at the game from the viewpoint that this has always been what Final Fantasy has been hoping to achieve from a story standpoint, but never did. There are moments in this game that will bring tears to your eyes and make you feel what it is like to experience loss. This is not a game to be missed. The options for which you are given to customize your various characters is one of the most addicting experiences experiences in my many years of playing jrpgs. It really does feel like World of Warcraft level customization in a Japanese Role Playing Game. Everyone needs to buy this game. Support the game because a sequel is on the way.… Expand

Great game and story. It may have turn based JRPG game mechanics that some criticize, but this is a perfect example of how you don't need super-duper-new tricked out controls and gamestyles to make a good storyline and game.

Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu. That already determines : nice gameplay, strong story and music that gives me goosebumps. That's what i already knew before i bought the game. And like many people say, the only reason why this game doesn't deserve a 10 is because of the technical letdowns ( unstable framerate and load lag ). but if you are a open minded gamer.. and you don't throw the controller away because you're stuck at the beginning in Uhra.. you'll have a great time with Lost Odyssey and everybody who gives this game under 5.. go fuck yourself .. this game is in my top 10 (J)RPG's ( along with FF, Mass Effect, Jade Empire, Oblivion, Fable, Diablo etc.)… Expand

This game is a total con, in movie terms, this would be a like a sequal with none of the original cast. A quick buck. Girlfriend and I are 10 hours in to this game (and very much enjoy RPG's normall) and we still completely hate every char, the bad guy, the plot, the limitations of roaming around, we are still on our 2nd weapon and using same spells as start of the game. Bosses are all either hard or impossible, as random attacks that nearly kill everyone might happen twice in a row or not at all. Only fun we are having with this game is constant mocking, such as "oh look, a badly drawn Poster that looks nothing like the ones around it, wonder if you can peel it backwards and find 100g or a new pair of earings. Cos thats where i stash my money and jewlery, begind a poster!". The game has no organic way of rewarding you with new spells or abilities, so instead you find them. For example, cast poison, guess where we found that? in a badly drawn urn in a forest, or maybe my memory fails me, maybe it was by ramming a tree with our shoulder which made it fall out of the tree. Not that a wise magician taught us it, no no, valuable items like Paralize immune headbands trypically are found in ramable trees. Our fave part of the game is the fact that Kaim is not just immortal, but a serial thief. He will happily go in to his Grandchildrens house and rip posters off walls or steal money from badly drawn gold chests (cos kids have those ofc). Maybe the people who designed the levels hired the guys from Acme (see road runner) to add the lootable items to the game, but certainly isn't hard to spot when a item has something you can steal or kick to find a lootable item. anyway, my life is too short to tell you all the reasons this game sucks, but take it from a RPG guy and his open minded GF, this game is all sorts of terrible. You will hate the plot, which you figure out about 2 hours before you are told about it, you will be given a powerpoint presentation complete with crazy animated text when you remember something (which btw, you remember in such great detail it will take 10 mins to account), fights are a pain in the ass. oh sod it, i can't go on, please for the love of god borrow it off some sap of a friend who has it and give it no more than 5 hours, as the following 5 hours will suck just as much and not improve at all.… Expand

I played this game on my girlfriends X-Box 360 for along time got up to level 65, disc 4 before the final battle, I got my OWN Xbox 360 and had to restart, Thats how great of a game this is, for all you cryers about Turn-Based, you just don't like it because it's too "simple" and it doesn't blow people up, it's called strategy not just let's finish the game to finish the game and say ok time to go spend more of Daddies money... play the game for what it is.… Expand

Terribly disappointing game. Will NEVER touch Final Fantasy.

The first decent next gen traditional RPG to hit consoles. Blue Dragon was OK, but this game is for adults.

slightly better than ffx less random battles and the main character is not quite as much of a whiney girl !

If it

Absolutely gorgeous! The visuals are stunning, with a grand and elaborate storyline. The sidequests have even better storylines than the main quest. Not the best voice acting, but could be overseen. Doesn't bring much new to the JRPG genre, but does the old style very well.

The revival of Final Fantasy. Brilliant, funny, well written. The only problem is the framerate that drops ocassionaly.

This game appears to be polarising the gaming populace more than any other 360 game in recent memory. On one side of the fence sits all the review sites with their 7s and on the other...a whole throng of gamers proclaiming this the much awaited FF killer. Well...it isn't. LO is a throwback to the traditions of the genre and sticks to the tried and true methods established through 2 decades of turn-based RPG gaming convention. It takes existing gameplay mechanics and polishes it up for a familiar and seamless JRPG experience. Top it off with a gracefully written story complete with engaging characters and this might seem like a killer app for the struggling Japanese 360 market. However...issues do crop up. The most noticeable is the framerate. For no discernible rhyme or reason, the game has a tendency to chug during the course of the game. You don't even have to in the midst of a heated battle with multiple enemies on-screen...it just crops up unexpectedly. The next issue has been beaten to death by all the other comments and reviewers...namely, the loading times. Personally, I have yet to encounter an exceedingly long instance of loading. What I have experienced, however, is a ridiculous STRING of loading screens which pops the gamer into one cut-scene after the other. This just seems like a case of poor technical execution. All in all...LO fills a niche.… Expand

Seeing as the majority of these reviews were based on what I assume to be impressions from approximately the end of the first disc (of four), as was stated to be the case in 1UP's review more-or-less via The 1UP Show, I think my review will stand as fact also, considering I am at the same stage of progress in this game. Anyways, what I have found so far is that the story, though granted several cliches from traditional RPG fare, is quite good once you get to the end of the first disc, and the dream/short-story sequences are well done. The cinematic work (camera, emoting, effects, etc.) are not given nearly the proper amount of praise they deserve. In fact, I believe in one of those reviews, the reviewer stated that the camerawork was 'amateur'... See, this is what happens when you get a game that's stretched out across 4 discs in length, and yet reviewers feel fit to shove it into their schedules in a small time-frame and then base ithe quality of the game off of what one might consider little more than an extended preview. The exact same thing happened with Assassin's Creed, and it got hammered for being tedious when it's not a game to be rushed through like some stupid sports sim or shooter that you can beat in less than a day. Again, anyways, Lost Odyssey is awesome. The innovative Ring system, the Immortal and Mortal character types, the bosses (who are a good bit tougher than regular RPG fare), the creature designs and diversity (no new skins slapped on old guys here, so far), the battle system which is turn-based and awesome because of it, etc. Everything in this game is awesome, and the only reason I took off 1 from the score would be the technical issues (relatively lengthy load times, some odd Unreal Engine 3 stuff, etc.), the somewhat slow build-up in story, and the difficulty of the boss characters (especially the first real one). I believe one of the 1UP guys (perhaps the reviewer) said that Lost Odyssey is the 360's answer to Final Fantasy X. I would have to agree, and considering that FFXII is a very different beast aside from storyline and FFXI was an MMO, Lost Odyssey is competing directly with the last real Final Fantasy (i.e. turn-based goodness with characters who aren't transvestites). This is an old-school FF-style JRPG on the 360. This is the very first time I have seen this, and the first time it's been executed so well. If you love JRPGs, GET THIS GAME. Seriously.… Expand

The thing I don't like about the Final Fantasy series as of late is that every new game coming out always has a kid as the hero. GROW UP ALREADY. Ever since 7 it's always been the same way. Thanks to "Lost Odysey" we can actually play a Final Fantasy style game with adult characters and mature themes. It's a breath of fresh air. On a side note, those giving low ratings for slow load times are crazy. All they did was read someone elses reviews and copied it because the load times are extremely fast for this type of game. The most I ever waited was maybe 10-15 seconds. The reason there were reviewers stating that there were slow load times was becuase they didn't have retail copies of the games, they just had developers copies which weren't fully updated with the slower load times. This is by far a great game, with a great story. The battle system is nostalgic and back to basics (THANK YOU) and has some cool Skill and Magic options. The only reason I don't give the game a 10/10 is because I would have like it if they incorporated more weapons and armor. New weapons are few and far between and armor is nonexistant.… Expand

It makes me sad that this game has been rated so low overall, mainly due to "long load times." Gamespot has confirmed that the review copies varied from the final version of the game, and load times were cut drastically. I think this game is amazing and the load times aren't anything to be picky about. You hardly even notice them. This is the Xbox's answer to Final Fantasy, and it answers well. It lives up to everything you would expect in a JRPG and goes beyond that. The story alone in this game should be worth buying it. It has one of the best and most moving stories of any game I have ever played.… Expand

I have to say that I'm not even through the first disk and i have cried 3 times, laughed out loud and had a blast with the fun and balanced combat. I could nitpick some graphical things like framerate drop during in game cutscenes or the fact that their is no lip syncing on the intro to battle. Honestly if the game ended now I would look back at Lost Odyssey with fond memories. I can't believe there is more in store for me.… Expand

An absolutely marvelous example of Jrpgs as a whole. The true spiritual successor to ffx. One of the best stories in a long time made even better by competent voice acting. The "dreams" are in actuality mini short stories written by an real novelist and it shows. The gameplay isn't revolutionary but its simple enough so that there inst one of these 10 hour learning curves like many modern rpgs which try to hide their lack of real depth with an overly convoluted gameplay system. I will take off one point though for the lack of any user inputted dialogue, I really felt it could have added something to the game. In the end this game is exactly what it said it would be, a shining example of the jrpg genre. If you don't like jrpgs then you will not like this game, period.… Expand

Lost Odyssey is amazing, and I almost missed out on it thanks to inaccuracy in publication reviews that said it had long loading times. Loading times are fine, I love the turn based combat, and the story is engaging and character driven. I normally don't offer my opinions on games, but I felt compelled with Lost Odyssey due to the fact that I nearly didn't buy it due to inaccurate reviews. If you like RPGs, you will love LO.… Expand

This game is better than Mass Effect, period. If the reviewers are complaining about some frame rate hits and gave this a 7, then Mass Effect deserves a 6 because of the frame rate & pop-in issues that basically ruined the game for me. ME is good - I own it and liked it - but was a little disappointed with all the technical issues. Also there was hardly any different equipment - just level 2,3,4 of the same stuff over and over. Someone said it best: Mass Effect became a shooter with RPG elements instead of the RPG I wanted it to be. There are already more items on LO disc 1 then in all of Mass Effect. I almost did not buy the game due to all the bad reviews, but I took a chance and I am having a blast (and I am only getting close to finishing disc 1)… Expand

The game is awesome, great gameplay and more than 50 hours of game :D

If anything is wrong with this game is that it's not long enough despite being longer than your avg 360 game. For any genre, the story and subplots are far superior to anything out there on the 360, such as Halo, Gears of War, Devil May Cry or Hello Kiddy Island or whatever. This game is divides people based if they appreciate the old school feel and the Ritalin pill popping youth that don't take the time to read the text to get a greater understanding of a story. And I for one, have the [rare] ability to read and enjoy the story line in Lost Odyssey. Call me crazy.… Expand

Lost odyssey is the answer to PS3's FF series. While many people would say its a knock-off, the depth of the story and just the sheer awesomeness of it would beg to differ. The game is definitely a hit and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone.

Finished the Japanese version two weeks ago and this game really surprised me. I was expecting another BD but instead I got a FF. Best jRPG I've played since Suikoden 2. Pros: great music, enjoyable story, awesome protagonist, very well done mini novels. Cons: few technical issues, somewhat cliche'd.

Forget for once that Sakaguchi had any involvement in it, and it quickly becomes another average RPG. The story is lame, the gameplay is nothing new but solid if you're into the old system. Framerate hitches and loading time on top 4 discs is an annoyance. It just can't compete with the best. Rent it if you're interested.

Good game, but they should've taken a month or two to fix the technical issues.

Its about time. Call me nostalgic if you will, but the original final fantasy is the game that started my love for rpgs. The turn based combat was one of my attractions to this this genre because it made the game feel more like an animated chess match, or for any of you old school rpg fans (pencil and paper D&D), like dice rolls and spell planning. There are countless action games on each platform, and to be perfectly honest, I think that the mixture of the action based combat into rpgs dilutes the experience. Sometimes its nice to play a game thats not based off twitch response, but driven by an excellent and emotion provoking story. Throw in some strategic turn based combat, couple of plot twists, and there are the elements of an excellent role playing experience. That is exactly what you get with Lost Odyssey and I am glad that they went back to rpg roots.… Expand

The game is unapologetically a JRPG. If you think it's anything else, you'll be disappointed. Even though there is little in the way of innovation, the ring system being just about the only thing that wasn't in a final fantasy game or Blue Dragon, the game is quite a fun, classical, JRPG. Occasionally, there were framerate issues, but there was nothing ever so bad as to detract away from the experience. The story is fantastically interwoven with the plot of the game, though it could be a little less emo. The sounds are amazing as well as the voice acting, though, the foreign language voice acting is markably better than the English. It's worth it to play for 30 min. or so with the Italian voices, even if you don't understand Italian, to understand what I'm talking about.… Expand

I feel this is a deeply underrated JRPG. The story is moving, and the characters are nicely fleshed out. The graphics are If gamertags are anything to go by, it seems many reviewers only finished the first disc. This doesn't really do the game justice, since the JRPG as a genre relies heavily on story. As far as gameplay mechanics go, the battle system is traditional, but very well balanced, actually making you use most of what you have at your disposal (a rarity in JRPGS). With just enough twists and tweaks, it's nearly perfect for me. And not to mention the beautiful spellcasting and attack animations of your characters. I would basically say; if you're a casual JRPG fan who always enjoy Square Enix's final fantasy outings, this is a great game for you. If you're a hardcore Final Fantasy fan who disapprove of their latest outing, then Lost Odyssey is a must-buy for you. If you're a hardcore JRPG dungeon grinder/obscure SJRPG fan, this might not tickle your fancy, unless you posess the ability to enjoy a great story as well. If you're a semihardcore-gamer who really enjoyed Mass Effect, then approach with caution. These are two different genres, and you better do your research on Lost Odyssey before deciding to buy it.… Expand

As a fan of the FF series, I obviously picked this up having seen its striking resemblance to the 8th in the aformentioned series. I can say that, so far, it's enjoyable and enveloping without being spectacular - the graphics are superb, the musical score of the always-high Uaemetsu (sp?) standard doesn't disappoint and the presentation is top-notch. However I'd mark it down simply due to the fact that the game mechanics are solid, reliable, predictable yet no more than that. The gameplay system hasn't moved on from a decade ago, and whilst this will appeal to JRPG fans (like myself) I can see how criticisms of 'playing safe' with the game mechanics can be levelled at the game. I suppose coming out of playing Mass Effect it's a different type of safer, more old school RPG. I'd still recommend it as an essential purchase for anyone who enjoyed the FF series or similar, but if you don't like traditional J-RPGs then this won't change your mind.… Expand

This is a very solid JRPG. The characters are less whiny than recent FF installments, which really helps. Loading and Framerate are a bit poor, but better than the very well received Mass Effect. The technical issues don't ruin the experience and the game is actually quite beautiful. Forget all of the review sites, because this game really is a JRPG. If you like games like Final Fantasy, you will like this game. You don't need a number score. It is the best JRPG on 360 and the best console JRPG since, well, Final Fantasy. I rather enjoy it because the characters, writing, and themes are more "mature" from the American perspective yet the game is still distinctly Japanese in style. It does fall short of a typical Final Fantasy game, but not by tremendously much. It just doesn't quite have the wonder and imagination of a Final Fantasy game. I quite enjoyed it.… Expand

It may not be the killer app the 360 is looking for but it is the next best thing to a traditional Final Fantasy-like rpg... ON XBOX!

i thought the game would have more of a dynasty warriors feel i was very disappointed about that . but i have come to like the game and lots of achievements for xbox360 good job

This is one of the most underrated games I've played. Quite how Gamespy could give it 50% is beyond me. I'm no JRPG fanboi either. First time I've played one. This is videogame storytelling at its best. Fun combat system too!

Picked it up looking for a little retro gaming with polish. After losing 2 hours of playing to a power outage and no auto-save outside of dungeons reminded me that to be true to the JRPG Genre you really, really have to hate the player and the player really, really has to love you for it.

Underrated is the major headline for this title. LO may not fit everybody likes, but in what it tries to be it is a major success. Charachter design, enemy design, graphics, sound and music are all good. Combat and ring system are complex, motivating and fun, the difficulty level is adequate and creates interesting battles. In the end LO delivers 60 to 75 hours of real good gameplay what makes the metascore of 78% look like a bad joke. Same game under FF label would have been 85 to 95% as usual.… Expand

Great writing and gameplay. High production values. I've been playing Final Fantasy since III and while this game won't win any awards for innovation, the gameplay, story and characters are a lot closer to the spirit of those early FFs than the sterile and corporate FFXII.

This game is truly amazing. A moving and exciting plot with a challenging and deep combat system. It is turn-based with random encounters which turns away some, but I love these types of games. My only gripe is that the main villian is pretty lame. He doesn't look cool nor is he interesting in the least. He does not compare to the likes of say Golbez, Kefka, or Sephiroth of FF4, FF6, or FF7.

As a fan of the turn-based RPG's it thrills me to find a game on xbox360 that is not Real-time RPG - pretty fun genre, but fans of the old generation-rpg-styles need a turn-based RPG fix at some point, and I've reached that point now. Lost Odyssey delivers this better than I'd expected if you choose to focus on the gameplay and ring-system only. However, there are quite a few flaws. For instance the story is very familiar, just with heavy weight on the feel-bad-and-sad-cry-cry story, it's simply too much. Not to mention the incredibly long movie sequences. You lose a lot of your patience watching these dull, overtly long sequences, where the graphics doesn't impress in any way either (only the opening sequence really impressed me). The dialogues are so "this-is-so-touching-and-sad-it-makes-me-cry-even-though-it's-only-a-game"-like that it's only laughable. But as a fan of the genre I'm willing to let this go most of the time. This is the only reason why it get's such a high rating from me, but anyone who focuses on stories and graphics will not find what they need in Lost Odyssey.… Expand

Lost Odyssey is an incredible experience with a gripping story, epic adventures, and memorable characters. Sakaguchi has created a masterpiece that should be the template of what a JRPG should be (as he had done with his Final Fantasy series).

iv only played about 3 hours or so, but so far its been epic, if you like good story and probley over 50 hours of gameplay, then it is possibly to over look the other draw backs such as load times and such. Anyone who enjoys rpg's should love this.

Bought this game for £15 and its very much worth it. The game is a traditional JRPG, so if you like games like FF7/FF8/FF9.. it plays out very much like these, especially in its simplistic yet engaging combat/magic systems. The music score is pretty good and the graphics arent too bad.. not great though. The plot is good and draws you in quite nicely, the game will take around 30-40 hours to complete at least and theres about another 20 hours worth of side quests/levelling/collecting all spells/items to go afterwards too. I had no problems with any technical hitches with the game so not sure what the other reviewers were talking about.. however the loading times are slightly annoying.. they are not really long but longer than what they should be. I havent played Blue Dragon yet but ive played Infinite Undiscovery, Eternal Sonata, The Last Remnant and Star Ocean 4 but this is by far the best RPG on the 360.… Expand

I just saw some people rating this game 0 to 2 simply because it was not what THEY wanted from it. If you don't like a certain type of movie, then don't watch it! Same goes for games. This game is an extremely polished, high value and positively traditional JRPG that deserves a way higher rating than this. It reminds me of Legend of Legaia on the PSX... So far, this is an awesome game being overshadowed by higher-marketted final fantasy games and the like.… Expand

The game is great, the story is incredibly well told, the characters and their relationships are superb. The gameplay is traditional but delicious, with an interaction in the spectacular setting. The OST is the best that has calved Nobuo his past works, and the design is brilliant!!

A truly beautiful and emotional score sets the scene for a masterpiece of storytelling. The gameplay itself may lack innovation but the pure mastery with which it is presented more than makes up for it. The only negative point is the horrendous loading times and few frame rate issues. But truly Sackaguchi has achieved what he set out to do: make people feel things and express views through video games as an art form.… Expand

This game does exactly what it wanted to do. It is a great jrpg for the 360. Reviewers comparing this game to Mass effect is the old adage of apples and oranges. Mass Effect has its own new style of gameplay thats great, and Lost Odyssey uses old jrpg elements with a few new twist. Mistwalker is not trying to reinvent the wheel. Every single game does not have to have some new huge innovation to it. Old School turn based jrpg's were fun 10 years ago, and they are still fun today.… Expand

This game has really gotten my attention. If you love a good story with great production values and interesting characters then you'll love LO.

Wonderful game, great story, refreshing battle system. The technical problems have been severely overstated.

I am really enjoying this game so far. I like the story and the gameplay is old school cool. I happen to enjoy turn based RPGs that give you time to strategies at times and then chill out at others. The graphics look great and the story although cliched and syrupy at times is still very compelling. My only complaint is that I am still hoping for a protagonist in a JRPG that appears masculine as to fit the part of the badass they are suposed to be. At least Kaim has a deeper voice. I don't expect much else to change, but I can hope. This game is great additon to the 360 library and any RPG fan should be thrilled to own this one. It is a definite improvement over Enchanted Arms..Go out, get this one and enjoy! Note the 4th disk comes in a sleeve..they got got real cheap on the packaging, but it doesn't stop you from playing...just an FYI… Expand

If your a fan of Final Fantasy then pick this game up... Gameplay and graphics are great. Best RPG for the 360.

Forget what the reviewers are saying this game is what it is and rpg fans are going to enjoy it. This game is a must buy for xbox 360. And by the way the gamespot site has acknowledge that their version of the game they review was not the retail version, meaning that it contains lower loading times. I've played the retail version and the longest loading is like ten seconds so that is not so bad.… Expand

As a writer for DPAD.gotfrag.com, I really feel that this game was left in the turbulence of Mass Effect and wasn't reviewed for the game is really is. This game is deserving of much more than it was given and the flaws of the game were scrutinized far too heavily for their triviality. 9/10

I cannot believe how many publications and websites aren't giving this game a fair shake. It seems as though many reviewers are giving this game a low score simply for being a traditional Japanese RPG. Simply ridiculous.

Ugh. Okay, super-high production values, I'll give it credit for that. And that it's one of the only newer RPGs to come out that really feels like it's for grownups. But the came couldn't possibly move any slower. I'm like an hour and a half in and there's been only one fight sequence. The rest of the game has been comprised of wandering around a massive city, trying to find the place you need to go to make the plot advance. The plot is as wordy as Xenogears, Xenosaga, or FFXII, but without the substance to make it remotely interesting. And then there's these 'thousand year dream' sequences, which are basically text slowly appearing on screen for five to ten minutes. Lost Odyssey is possibly the slowest moving game in RPG history.… Expand

This game is JRPG perfection and first great RPG of this generation. Load times are longer than most RPG's but the Retail copy seems fine and it doesn't take away from the experience which is stellar.

As a LONG time player and huge fan of the JRPG genre I have been really enjoying this game. While it does not bring anything new to the table it presents a fun and interesting ride with very little innovation to offer. Storywise I must admit I am slightly disappointed with the overall plot, it seems a little contrived and full of cliches, it does however deliver some of the 'pulse pounding' moments of fun and adventure that I like in my JRPG's. In terms of its characters and prose-expressed back story the game borders on brilliance, I haven't seen such depth in my heroes outside of full length novels and several of the dream sequences with their well timed musical accompaniment brought a tear or two to my eyes. I DO feel that these are a bit of a cheat though, as a Videogame shouldn't be expressing its story through pure text, being a primarily visual medium. In terms of unfair reviews I was extremely put off by 1Up's review of this game and feel that it was extremely unfair, referencing 'tropes' that don't exist and bringing up 'cliche' titles like Xenogears and the Suikoden Series (which by and large tend to shrug off the storytelling tropes of the Final Fantasy Series). These people do not seem to have their cliche's and tropes straight and clearly need to revisit their old collections before they judge a game based on how 'traditional' it is and how much it bothers them. I have personally not noticed the long load times, though I have noticed some slight frame rate issues, mostly when I'm using the sprint function. I am greatly pleased by the skill system as I am a big fan of this "learning skills from your party members" concept. I was slightly annoyed that for the first 10 you only have one member to learn skills from though, resulting in a pretty uniform party. Overall that takes me back to the RPG's of the millenial cusp, before such massive innovations as Oblivion, FFXII, Mass Effect and others and reminds me how much RPG's have changed since those days. This is not a bad thing however and if Metacritics offered .5 ratings this game would warrant an 8.5 rather than simply an 8.… Expand

Research the gamer tags of the reviewers rating this game 75%. Many of them don't have the "Disc 2 unlocked" achievement, and the game spans four discs. The majority of the game takes place on the 3rd and 4th discs. So be warned, they are offering you an extremely uninformed opinion. My own opinion is that Lost Odyssey is the Final Fantasy killer. I love the series to death, but it's been downhill since FFX. It's obvious that Sakaguchi agrees -- Lost Odyssey is the direction Final Fantasy should have taken. Beautiful game, beautiful music, beautiful story. Technical issues are highly exaggerated - framerate never drops outside of the 3 seconds random battles take to load, and even then, it's negligible. This is also the first JRPG since FFIX to offer a true world map with a pilotable airship late in the game -- an element sorely lacking in FFX and FFXII. Combat is engaging and well-balanced, and the ability system doesn't punish the player or necessitate grinding. This is the first JRPG where I've looked forward to random battles, even 40 hours into the game. If you like Japanese RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play this game.… Expand

Lost Odyssey is one thing, if nothing else, and that is it is one epic story. I'm surprised how many reviewers dismissed the narrative of this game. It starts off slowly, but is packed with several heart-wrenching moments and, despite the fact that the story is, at its most basic, of the "villain trying to take over the world" variety, it tells one Hell of a story with its own unique twists. Once the motivations of the villain and his connection to everyone else is revealed, the story has quite the moral dilemma at stake. What is an RPG without the megalomaniac villain anyway? What is the alternative? A 30-hour quest back home because your character left the oven on? The battle formula is tried and true, and works fantastically. It's deep and challenging, allowing for ample strategy, and pulls off being challenging without relying heavily on cheap monster tactics (most of the time.) The visuals are superb, and I can't say I've noticed terribly much slowdown at all, even in the most detailed field maps. The obvious reason that there's a brief hitch at the start of battles is because...well, they have to load in the monsters somehow. And all these people seem to forget that UE3-based games are PLAGUED by load-ins, visible LOD/Texture swaps, and streaming hitches, almost universally across all games that use it. In closing, Lost Odyssey is the epitome of a great jRPG. There;s a fantastic story, and the fantastic visuals that can now rival the best of our imagination had to offer us in years past shows hope that even the most rudimentary and well-used styles of gaming still have a place in this next generation world.… Expand

Great game with some very emotional moments. Gameplay is fun and the story is engaging. And the cherry on top is one of your teammates, Jansen, one of the funniest game characters in gaming history.

This is the WORST game I have ever played. I don't know what all these people are thinking saying that it was sold short by reviews. Its amazing they sold any copies of this game.

This game is already a legend. Great, deep story and all.

An excellent game no one should miss it.

Mediocre game that does not live up to the hype at all. The characters are over-characterized and very cliche. The story is slow moving pretty bad, but not horrible. The dream sequences actually range from average to great, however, the developers were so lazy as to not provide any graphics for them. Thats right, the dream sequences are pure text with just a simple background image. NPCs have no voice-overs, except in cut scenes. This is a step backwards from Mass Effect. On the gameplay/mechanics side everything is slow. The turn-based system is a relic and if it could work in any current-gen game, it didn't work here. The ring system makes it a little bit more fun, but not by much. Do you enjoy watching four enemies go through five second attack animations each while you sit there and do nothing? Everything takes forever to load. These are some of the worst loading times I have seen since PSX. On top of that, while you are trying to solve puzzles you will run into random battles. Yup, this game brings back the horror of random battles. And you don't even get rewarded for them because there is a level cap in each area of the game. Meaning after you hit the level cap, you will need to sit through twenty seconds of load screens to run away from a pointless battle. The graphics range from good to PS2. Graphics aren't the most important aspect, but this game looks nowhere near as good as Gears of War or Call of Duty 4. The art direction isn't all that great either. Too many screens with beige and brown and just generally dull colors. This game fails in almost every area. Don't buy into the hype. If you are looking for a current-gen traditional RPG go with Eternal Sonata.… Expand

A brilliant game with some technical flaws... the story and the gameplay are quite fun.. while there is nothing new to be seen as far as innovation is concerned and the graphics are not as good as blue dragon in my mind this game is exceptionally great.... its a got a story as good as if not better then mass effect... please do your self a favor and overlook the technical flaws buy this game and enjoy the story because you wont see another on as good as this for a long time... does anyone remember final fantasy 3 Us 6JP.. or even panzer dragoon saga.. the story is that good....… Expand

Amazing RPG, competes w/ FFVII.

Amazing RPG, I believe the reviewers rated it unfairly certainly deserves more.

After the somewhat disappointing Blue Dragon, Mistwalker Studios have released a solid title in the form of Lost Odyssey. While the traditional turnbased combat system may put off a few people, the system is tweaked enough to make it interesting and enjoyable to play all the way to the games conclusion. The 'Thousand Years of Dreams' are a joy to read and provide a new and interesting way of presenting the backstory to the main protagonists. In my opinion the game only suffers in that a few of the playable characters are often frustrating to use and ultimately unnecessary in the long run. Still, this game is damned good fun and one of the best RPG's i've played in a long time.… Expand

While the game may start off slowly, it really gets going after disc 2 and I couldn't stop playing it. Any fan of Final Fantasy and JRPGs will love this game. I would have given it a ten if they kids had been left out and the framerate was a bit more steady with less load times.

Not as good as FF, or Mass Effect.

The only innovative thing about this game is the retardedly boring dream system, but when you break it down, they are just text cut-scenes (I bet you can't get through the first dream without scoffing, it might as well be a mexican soap opera.) The something extremely similar to the ring system has been implemented in other jrpgs, sorry to burst everyones bubble. The game would freeze during the first load screen if I stopped playing it for a few hours, but that was most likely the shitty hardwares problem.… Expand

Absolutely stunning - the game that FF12 should have been. Story, battle, link system are perfectly tuned using tried and tested formulas. The only reason why this game doesn't deserve a ten is because of the technical letdowns (framerate issues and load lag leading to 'pop ups').

FANTASTIC! I bought this game on the day of release and I am hooked !! I have to remind myself that I am not playing Final Fantasy 7. Apart from the new ring system, this is exactly like playing one of the FF games (7 onwards). The graphics are awesome. I have noticed a slight bit of slowdown BUT hardly noticeable really. I don't see why people have given it so much stick for that. There are lots of load screens but this is when the fights begin and between areas. Only a couple of seconds each. Imagine Final Fantasy 7with next gen graphics. The characters are great and funny. There is more of an adult theme than Blue Dragon (i.e. near the beginning, you come across one of your characters coming out of a building totally drunk with a girl on each arm asking you if he can have another 15 minutes alone with each of them!!). I cannot think of a bad word to say about this game. For any JRPG or FF fan, they will love it. Gotta go - gotta get back to the action!… Expand

This will be the standard by which FFXIII is judged. Truly flawless from start to finish. I don't know if some 360s are just about to red ring, but this game's loading times are negligible at best. Mass Effect Elevators were like nineteen times as long. Great story, great characters, great art, great gameplay, random battles were actually really fun. Loved it. Only negative is that treasure collecting achievement may be the most difficult 20 points ever.… Collapse

A decent game that falls short of it's big brother, Final Fantasy. Complaints about frame rate issues, constant loading, and monotonous combat are all valid. I find the character designs/outfits a bit goofy, though I certainly appreciate the abundance of cleavage. The deal-breaker for me is the constant CRASHING. Save at every opportunity, because you never know when the next Disk Read Error will pop up. Ignoring that major flaw, it's a solid RPG that doesn't break any new ground. BTW, the GameDaily review should probably be ignored - It doesn't look like he even played the game beyond maybe the first couple hours. His puzzling complaints about the "point system" and "not having the right points in the right spots" suggests that he might not have even played the game at all.… Expand

Lost Odyssey is a fantastic JRPG. The graphics are killer, the characters and monsters are rendered with great detail, the locations are greatly varied and beautifully constructed, the music is beautifully orchestrated and it does well to match the mood, the whole Immortal and Mortal concept gives leveling up a different spin then other JRPGs and the game is also deeply engaging thanks to the plot and the way it is told. Now, onto the worst things about Lost Odyssey. Random Battles get very irritating if they are placed in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadly, this is true with Lost Odyssey. It is horrible frustrating to end a random battle while trying to solve a puzzle and then to take literally 2 steps forward to complete the puzzle and fall into another random battle. Another big problem with Lost Odyssey is that the Save Points are sometimes unforgiving. One example of this would be on Disc 3 in the Experimental Staff. The save points are an hour and a half of gameplay away in that area. Very irksome indeed... One thing that I find silly to complain about is how Lost Odyssey is very similar to the JRPGs that came before it such as FF-X. Sure the plots are similar, some of the characters are cookie-cut outs and the battle system doesn't really innovate so much. But, you dont need innovation for a great game. Mistwalker took the best elements from previous JRPG's and incorporated it into their own game. They also added in some of their own things to make the game as good as possible. It is very hard to innovate an almost perfect genre so I dont blame Mistwalker. You really have to play Lost Odyssey for yourself and formulate your own opinion. I'm sure that if you loved Final Fantasy X, you'll love Lost Odyssey. Even if you didn't like FF-X and you adore JRPGs, I still highly recommend that you try it out. Now I hear many people complaining about the disc packaging problem and I agree with them. In the US, the discs are horrible packaged and stacked on top of each other. For those of you buying the game in the US, remember to shake the box before you purchase the game to make sure that no discs are loose!… Expand

Real good game, of course it's not for everyone as you can see by the reviews, it was being criticized for being a turn-based RPG like older JRPG's. But there's nothing wrong with this style and it's great. Most people would agree, this is a very underrated game.

A real JRPG, no awful gimmicks, decent gameplay, decent story and all-round high production value. Loading times could be improved but they don't ruin the experience. Highly under-rated game, if it was called Final Fantasy 13, it would've sold millions and've had rave reviews.

This game is a great traditional RPG experience. If you don't like the traditional RPG experience, it is not the games fault and does not deserve a bad score because the game was not made to suit you. The characters are all excellent (Especially Jansen), and I found the story to be engaging. The graphics might not be the best but they are perfectly acceptable and don't detract from the game experience. The sound track has nothing wrong with it and the battle system is fine. If you don't like the turn based battle system, that is your problem, not the games. The dream sequences are superbly written. And yes, the written language is still a perfectly acceptable way to convey a message. I feel a voice actor or cut scene would have had too much oppurtunity to ruin the impact of the dreams. You can skip most of them too so it is not like the game forces you to watch them. (Some are mandatory though). Awesome tradional RPG, avoid it if you think an RPG is an MMORPG.… Expand

Lost Odyssey is a certainly a classic within it's genre, i can honestly say that this is the best turn-based RPG made within the last 10 years. yeah, it's sort of the same JRPG molding as Fantasy VII, VIII, or IX; but it makes up for it with it's fantastic characters, scenery, and storyline. As for those who insist that this game is too hard, i really feel sorry for them that they didn't give it a better chance. yeah, the first couple of bosses in this game are insanely hard, but this is just a relapse from RPG gamers being hand fed battle wins over the last 10 years; usually just spamming their A or X buttons on every single fight. if you enjoy going through some very small thought processes for your kills, this game is for you.… Expand

It's like watching an anime movie. It's so frickin emotional too. Love the gameplay and graphics are beautiful. I hope they keep coming out with strictly turn based fighting RPG's I can deal with the whole aim ring thing. First RPG in a long time where I can say the boss fights are tough. I like this.

The game is great, the story is incredibly well told, the characters and their relationships are superb. The gameplay is traditional but delicious, with an interaction in the spectacular setting. The OST is the best that has calved Nobuo his past works, and the design is brilliant!!

The full package for anyone looking for something like FFVI-IX!

Its a great turned based RPG if you like that type of game. I'm a fan of the Final Fantasy series, except 12, Breath of Fire series, and Chrono Trigger. The only problem with the game is that the voice acting is a little annoying, especially the main character, and the graphics could be better. Great game if you like Japanese style RPGs.

Great traditional turn based action with an amazing story.