The Last Story

If you're looking for an atmospheric RPG for your Wii, you can't go wrong with The Last Story.

Simply a delightful game to play. With its rich, lively combat system and entertaining characters, it strikes a masterful balance between engaging gameplay and heartfelt story-telling.

This game is the product of a true master.

If Sakaguchi believed that fantasy of decades ago shouldn't be the final, may he now see that this story shouldn't be the last.

A strong story that doesn't drag on too long makes for a satisfying RPG experience.

The Last Story isn't perfect, but its engaging characters and strong gameplay are more than enough to carry it through any rough patches.

Overall, however, The Last Story is an awesome experience. [Aug 2012, p.84]

Everything is tied together by yet another gorgeous soundtrack by long term Sakaguchi collaborator and true mater of the art, Nobuo Uematsu. [May 2012, p.62]

If this is Hironobu Sakaguchis last story, it's certainly sad, since it feels like he's finally managed to get back into form. It's a lavish, emotional tale told in a high pace, with strong, unusual characters, moral ambiguity and delivered with the precision we expect from the man. The one major complaint? It should have arrived earlier, while the Wii still had some life in it. Now it risks sinking into obscurity due to the target platform collecting dust in wardrobes.

The Last Story is a brilliant role-playing game that's as rich and emotionally affecting as the best in the genre.

The Last Story definitely deserves to follow in the footsteps of Xenoblade Chronicles, appealing to RPG fans everywhere, tapping into what makes the classics, such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy so addictive, namely a strong focus on story with good pacing and a fluid battle mechanic that works almost flawlessly throughout the adventure.

The Last Story combines the best we can expect from modern gaming-luxuries with elements we know and love from the 16-bit-days and Japanese RPGs. This includes likeable characters, a well thought-out combat-system and a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat hour after hour.

This may well be the last great jRPG on Wii, so if you're a fan of the genre you really shouldn't miss it.

Sakaguchi knows how to make great JRPGs. The Last Story is a memorable and magical work. The combat system is brilliant, it's fun, and Nobuo Uematsu's music helps you to remember the great games of the genre. Nintendo Wii has another essential. Zael will be your friend.

Mistwalker once again delivers an interesting and deep role-playing game that also manages to innovate the RPG-genre in some aspects. A convincing story, combined with a unique combat system and a great audiovisual presentation, makes The Last Story a must-have game for anyone who has a special place in their heart for special RPG's.

The Last Story is a great way for the Wii to go out.

The Last Story avoids classicism and discovers a new way in the world of J-RPGs. Hironobu Sakaguchi manages to create with it an innovative combat system and a deep story.

A brash, engaging tale of swords, sorcery and every sort of hair dye. [March 2012, p.93]

The Last Story bravely asks those who believe the JRPG genre has nothing left to offer to take another look. Beneath its surface, it bears little resemblance to its peers. At the same time, it's in good company as another entry on one of the most intimidating resumes in the video game business.

Fun ideas clash with mundane storytelling, but the nimble action wins out in the end. [Apr 2012, p.74]

One last, enjoyable story on our Wii: if all you care in a JRPG is a good story and a well crafted battle system, don't miss Mr. Sakaguchi's last ride.

Lively combat and fun scenario design plaster over the narrative cracks. Not the glorious last hurrah we'd hoped for, but as fun as Wii games are going to be in a dry 2012. [Feb 2012, p.92]

It's a game worthy of its pedigree, then, and sits comfortably alongside Lost Odyssey as Mistwalker's best work.

The Last Story employs some bold mechanisms in an attempt to chart new territory. If not for a few undercooked components like the multiplayer, it would stand among the best on the Wii. Still, it's a strong RPG in its own right, excelling precisely where you'd expect such a game to. The Wii could have done much worse for a bookend to its storied history.

The menu system for character management and upgrades is particularly well done, albeit in a style that is at odds with the rest of the game (more modern in styling).

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.

Its elements are very well-executed, though some of the more elaborate encounters can really make the Wii chug. I suspect that experienced role-playing fans will find it a bit on the easy side, but The Last Story nevertheless has plenty of merit, and is certainly one of the better Wii games ever made.

On the outside The Last Story appears to be nothing more than a stereotypical role playing game, but look scan be deceiving. It's actually a quick and daring action game that only falls back to its roots during the story. It's a surprising take on the genre, and makes for a very modern experience.

Classic JRPG with a great story lets you enjoy its dialogues and storyline because of – and thanks to – its strictly linear gameplay. [Apr 2012]

An engaging and refreshingly svelte JRPG, but one that offers mere hints at where the genre may go from here rather than the new blueprint it could have been. [Issue#121, p.110]

A beautiful story and compact gameplay of this game are spoiled by some technical issues and by a lower difficulty level. Thanks to its dynamic fighting system, its absence of grind mechanics and because the mix of those two is easily understandable, this Japanese RPG game is perfect not only for the newcomers to the genre, but also to those players, who wish to mainly enjoy the story, and who wish to take a break from long and hardcore games.

The Last Story is an important chapter from master Sakaguchi. Quite possibly his best work for the current generation platforms, but not his definitive work.

An homage to the old coated in a shine that stands it proud alongside the new. We'd welcome a sequel to tighten up the odd area, but if this ends up being Sakaguchi's last story, he can ride into the sunset in considerable glory.

The Last Story's preferred focus on combat and characters puts it far enough apart from Xenoblade, with its focus on exploration and the wider world that there's more than enough space for both games to carve out their own identities and stand proudly together.

Sakaguchi's latest is not a tribute to JRPGs of old, as many might have expected, but a bold new step for the genre. Although it's quite short and suffers from many cliches, Last Story is, without a doubt, one of the best games Japan has to offer in this generation.

Japansese role playing games are better than they've been in years, and that's thanks to great games like The Last Story which really redefines what a JRPG should look like.

The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles are two different games which both try to achieve certain similar goals, however, The Last Story often shows potential without ever fully succeeding in basically every field. Visuals are absolutely pretty but special effects cause heavy FPS drops; battles are intriguing but extremely easy and confusing; the story itself is well told but very cliché. It's an overall good game, although it doesn't live up to its own hype.

For all its inconsistencies, complexities, inadequacies and oddities, The Last Story offers an entrancing and seamless flow of interesting experiences. And surely that, in the final reckoning, is what counts.

The Japanese RPG may have suffered heavy blows at the hands of Western RPGs such as Skyrim and Fable, but The Last Story does much to demonstrate there's still life and innovation in the form. That this game should come from one of the genre's progenitors is testament to a creative spark that still fires even after all these years.

The Last Story is not the last classic japanese RPG, as it diverges deeply from the tradition of the genre, lacking some of its core elements and borrowing something from others. It tells a marvellous story, through solid gameplay which shines in the versatility of the combat system. We're well aware it may not be what fans have been asking, but if you'll give it some attention, you will be carried away.

Offering a great atmosphere and impressive graphics The Last Story definitely is a great J-RPG. But the innovative fighting system often seduces the player to do button-mashing. With a completion time of around 30 hours it is quite short compared to many other RPGs.

Easily Mistwalker's best game so far and another sure sign that, with a bold enough creator, Japanese role-players can be just as exciting and innovative as their Western counterparts.

With gameplay that is both simplified and complex, solid controls, attractive presentation, online multiplayer and a touching, well-paced plot, this title can be considered as a definitive entry in its genre.

Full of gags, bawdy humour and pratfalls (what other game gives you the chance to shoot bananas at the feet of citizens for comic relief?) it's got charm to spare. Unlike Sakaguchi's biggest hit, The Last Story's title is more likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it represents compelling proof that there's still life in the old JRPG yet.

The Last Story tries to walk on a new path – and quite successful at times. But sometimes it just gets caught somewhere in no man's land between action and roleplaying.

The Last Story is an unfortunate disappointment. The battles are plagued by bad controls and a horrible camera, and the story suffers from unintentionally humorous dialogue. [March 2012]

Lovers of dark fantasy and charming characters should play Last Story without a second thought, but a gamer used to modern-day levels of production value and polish won't easily set those expectations aside.

Overall, The Last Story is a game that evoked mixed emotions, swinging from hate to pure captivation at the unique approach to storytelling.

At the end of the day, The Last Story is a decent RPG, but nothing to be excited about. A dull story and uninteresting characters mar a unique combat system and solid gameplay.

The Last Story is by no means a perfect game. However, the good here far outweighs the game's shortcomings, and, unlike RPGs that are bloated with fetch quests and tiring level-grinding, everything here is absolutely in service of the game's story.

While The Last Story is a solid offering from Japanese RPG legend Hironobu Sakaguchi, the boilerplate storytelling, familiar tropes, and lack of meaningful exploration make it feel like it could have been so much more.

By the end it can be hard to care, even if the plot is far more interesting. Couple the mediocre story with the less than fulfilling gameplay, and you have an experience that drags to begin with in both story and gameplay, discouraging you from progressing, but once it picks up pace it is far more enjoyable and worth the trudge.

Mistwalker has made a great effort to add new ideas, but the game falls short of its own ambitions.

It's a familiar mix of wonder and frustration, and it's eclipsed by Monolith's more intoxicating vision of the JRPG's future. The end result is a tale that's worth hearing out, but hard to hold dear.

A mixed bag. Those who don't mind some badly written jRPG tropes will find quite a bit to love in combat, but the game is generally too linear and plodding to earn anything above the praise of "decent."

The Last Story is the latest project from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and industry luminary Nobuo Uematsu composed the soundtrack. Previous collaborations involving these two legends have resulted in titles like Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. I had high hopes for this Wii-exclusive RPG. Given its pedigree, I never imagined that it would fail to meet the low bar set by dozens of middling entries in the genre.

Technically outdated on a aging Wii console, The Last Story ends up being quite linear... and too short. Online games and the New Game + feature won't really make up for it, despite the artificial extension of its life span. Hopefully, the voice acting is good, and combat is quite satisfying. And there's always this Sakaguchi's touch... which is always nice to have... The last game of the genre on the Wii?

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

Look past the industry veterans standing behind it, and The Last Story fails to garner any sense of wonder. The new gameplay and combat mechanics are a refreshing addition to the genre, but doesn't hold up under much scrutiny. Clichéd characters and trite storytelling grind the experience down to a mediocre one.