Lost Odyssey Message Board

Last week, I wrote about the remarkable short stories of Lost Odyssey, an Xbox 360-exclusive role-playing game that played with prose in some delightful ways. This morning, a reader named Nabil showed me a video project he put together last year. To quote Nabil: "I recorded the entirety of the game and then edited into episodes, so it can be enjoyed as a series. Anyone can understand the video, even those who are not familiar with the game or video games in general. It is not only a collection of cutscenes put one after the other. There are also gameplay sections, and a lot of editing work to make the whole thing flow like a real TV show or movie." You can watch the first episode above, or the whole series as a playlist here. (Yep, the subtitles are in French, but the voices are in English.) Of course, watching the game doesn't really compare to putting your hands on a controller, but if you can't get your hands on Lost Odyssey or you just want to experience the story, this seems like the perfect way to do it.

Lost Odyssey is unique in a lot of ways. It's the rare traditional JRPG on high-definition consoles, for one—most role-playing games made in Japan today are more experimental, or designed for less costly handheld platforms. Lost Odyssey is also one of the only Japanese games exclusive to the Xbox 360, which never really took off in the East. What's most interesting about this game, though, seems totally mundane until you get your hands on it: the short stories. See, as you play Lost Odyssey—which I do recommend to anyone who enjoys turn-based JRPGs—you'll gradually unlock a feature called A Thousand Years of Dreams. The premise is that your main character, Kaim, is an immortal who has been around for roughly a millenium. Throughout the game, he remembers bits and pieces from his ridiculously long life, and they're told to you in the form of beautiful short stories written by Kiyoshi Shigematsu (and translated by Harvard professor Jay Rubin, who also translates Murakami novels). They're melancholic stories that touch upon life, death, and the effects that immortality can have on the people of this world. Check out the game's first story: Soak it in. The music, the sound effects, the text's gentle fading. The lovely prose, which is light, captivating, and peppered with just the right amount of description. They're gripping. Here's another stirring one: I've been replaying Lost Odyssey recently—more on that in a longer column in the coming weeks—and these stories really stand out, not just within this game but as a benchmark for writing quality in all video games. More JRPGs should come with short stories, don't you think? Random Encounters is a weekly column dedicated to all things JRPG. It runs every Friday at 3pm ET. You can reach the author at jason@kotaku.com or follow him on Twitter at @jasonschreier.

Lost Odyssey IGN Video Review Test

#fineart You probably don't know him by name, but you'd know him by his work: Christian Lorenz Scheurer has provided concept art for movies like The Matrix, Titanic and The Fifth Element. More »

Lost Odyssey is a turn-based Japanese Role-playing Game developed by Mistwalker, a company formed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and other former employees of Square. Lost Odyssey may not be the most progressive RPG, but it succeeds as a highly polished, enhanced version of the formula offered up by Final Fantasy X. The only real detriment to the gameplay is the presence of random battles; the combat itself, however, along with the mini-games, sidequests, and optional bosses, is highly polished.

In Lost Odyssey, you follow the story of Kaim, and immortal man who has spent the last thousand years wandering across the world. While the game's central plot isn't the greatest videogame story-telling has to offer, across Kaim's journey, he will unlock "memories;" well-written short stories featuring mature themes and genuine emotion. These short stories tend to be touching and bittersweet, making up for any flaws the main story has to offer.

As for the combat, as mentioned, it is very similar to Final Fantasy X's combat, but with the addition of a timing-based "ring" system, where depending on how you hold the trigger during a normal attack and which ring you currently have equipped, your attack will gain a bonus. Lost Odyssey's traditional battle system isn't necessarily a bad thing, however; it is highly polished, and there is plenty of strategic depth. In addition, there is a ton of optional content for added replay value.

However, where this game stands out most is the music. The game's score is composed by none other than Nobuo Uematsu, and it proves that he hasn't lost his touch. From smooth melodies to engaging battle music, the soundtrack has all of the quality you would expect from a Nobuo Uematsu score.

Ultimately, this is a good game and I suggest giving it a try.