Not Far From It Now

Now at first I was dubious about this game, after all, Mistwalker did create Blue Dragon, a game that is not only ridiculously long, but the story is not as compelling as an RPG requires in order to keep the gamers attention. Now, don't get me wrong, I love RPG's, and at first I really enjoyed Blue Dragon. I loved the Akira Toriyama style of characters, as I am a huge fan of the Dragonball/Z/GT series, and the fact that we FINALLY had a real RPG on the 360. But, that can only take you so far, and after 20 hours of gaming, I gave up due to the poor plot and character development. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

However, I decided to give Mistwalker another chance, more so because of the difference in style between the two games. And I am so glad that I did! Lost Odyssey brings you everything that you could possibly hope for from an RPG. IT has beautiful scenery, characters and cut-scenes. The plot development, though obvious in places, is there. The story is not long winded and tedious.

Now, the box says that the game is photo-realistic. Let me tell you, it isn't, and the day games are photo realistic is the day they are banned. However, there have been times IN GAME where the camera has suddenly focussed on a character and I have thought, that looks near real. Now, bare in mind this is IN GAME graphics, the cut scenes are even more impressive.

Also, one of the other things that truly impresses me in this game is the character development. The immortals have lost their memories and are trying to find them. When they find them, a text scene ensues which you can either read or skip, but you see the characters reaction to their own memories, and at times, I too have 'felt' their pain..weird.

One of the best things, and it is such a small thing, but a really nice touch, is that when characters start to cry, you see the tears actually build up in their eyes before they fall down their cheeks...I have never seen this style implemented in ANY game before and found that this small thing actually made such a difference to the game. As if by including the build up of tears, actually made the characters express more emotion.

Obviously, as with any game there are flaws, but not enough to stop me from playing. The voice acting is brilliant, the character design and development is on a level that I have never witnessed before, and the plot, so far, has been engrossing and completely enjoyable.

So, if you find you have any spare cash, and you are one for RPG's, I would strongly advise you to go out and purchase this game...and maybe a strategy guide, because it is one purchase you will not regret.

Kristen Barghout

Blog: http://www.animezonecentral.com

I am a professional programmer, with a keen interest in all things related to anime and video games. I don't just like certain genre's, I like all genre's, and will always give my honest opinion.

I can't always find the time to post my articles here, but if you visit my blog, there is lots of news and reviews, so please check it out.

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posted by treehkczc  # 12:11 PM