While playing RPGs, I have encountered situations that sometimes predated me having the same experiences in real life. As a little girl, the first of these I found was comradery, which took me a while to find since I was the bookworm type. This infused the games I played with a sort of private and thrilling magic, which hasn't entirely worn off to this day.
While Mistwalker's new RPG Lost Odyssey does follow the conventions of many other RPGs, it sets itself apart with a feature called A Thousand Years of Dreams, in which you recollect the experiences of your character's past. We've all played games that introduce to our characters' memories, but since Lost Odyssey's Kaim is immortal, the memories are suffused with something more: the absence of mortality.
Much like BioShock and its underlying moral themes, Lost Odyssey presents the player with a richer experience which I believe is the future of RPGs: graphical superiority, yes, but more importantly, having the ability to engage our mortality, including our sense of what it is to be human. Welcome to the next generation -- playing games with the ability to excite your senses, engage your emotions and grasp your own transience.
Hit the jump for more.
Depending on how long you've played RPGs, you may have a very specific expectation of what you want in one. Since I've played them on and off for the last twenty years, I'll chuck a formulaic RPG out the window faster than a hooker administers a BJ. Usually, playing the same old structure isn't enough to hold my interest through eighty hours of game time. At this point, there has to be something different, something that can shake me up enough to make an impact.
Enter A Thousand Years of Dreams, in which the immortal lead character Kaim recalls his memories one by one throughtout the course of the game. Like many other RPGs in which the lead character has lost his memories (ahemcloudahem,) we are intended to develop an emotional attachment about the character we are playing because of his or her past. Since you are playing on a modern console, you would think that Lost Odyssey uses superior graphic capability to its advantage to tell the stories of Kaim's memories, no?
It doesn't.
Instead, the developers made a braver choice: they tell the stories using only words.
I can see you reading this now and saying "Words? Like on the page of a book? LAME!" I have two words for you -- you're wrong. It isn't lame at all; in fact, it's the most elegant tactic I've seen used in an RPG since Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife floated in a dream world and remembered he wasn't who he thought he was. Instead of taking the obvious route, it does something games did before there were graphics to support them -- tells you an amazing story and leaves your imagination to fill in the rest.
The irony of this approach is palpable. Gamers have been complaining more and more as of late that they don't want to have to read a bucket of text, and now here I am telling you that it's the best thing since goat rape. Luckily, those gamers can skip the dream sequences altogether and still enjoy the action, which is solid enough on its own. The dreams are the best part of the game and flesh out the main story with depth and emotion, but if you want to leave that behind, that's your loss.
This nearly literary approach could possibly be effective on its own, but it is accentuated by something that completes the package: writing brave enough to delve deep into Kaim's lifespan, reflecting back startlingly painful bits of immortality and leaving you starkly aware of the vulnerability of human life. It has been a long time since a game has actually reached my emotions in any way, but Lost Odyssey has finally done it, reminding me that it's worth it to sift through all these RPGs after all.
A Thousand Years of Dreams taps into the very spirit of what makes RPGs great, which is why I can say that I see the future of next gen adventure gaming in its courageous approach. As we come closer and closer to playing games that are indistinguishable from our real lives, they will also have to step up to the plate when it comes to matching the human spirit. Literature and film have long probed topics like mortality and humanity, but games are still new to the territory.
Does this mean that every RPG has to send us into a spiral of existential crisis, leaving us wondering who and what we are and why we live human life? No. Obviously this is heavy stuff, and not always what we want to spend our free time on. Used sparingly however, it can create a gaming experience that is the most realistic gamers have ever encountered. Combine that with graphical prowess, and you have a truly modern interactive experience. Let's hope the anti-game crusaders have prepared well -- they aren't ready for what is to come.
This game so far has been one of the saddest RPGs I have ever played, and I'm only through the first disk. A really hope Mistwalker can pump out another RPG of this caliber in the future.
*I really hope
I can has edit button :(
IGN: "The story is so-so"
Great Post.
I am thinking exactly the same tihng, but its difficult to put it into words. I rented this last week, opting not to buy it because I was let down by Blue Dragon. However, I regret this decision, and will most likely purchase it after my rental return is due (6 weeks at Blockbuster!!). Anyways, this game truly is what I've been looking for in an rpg. The glory days of old have finally combined with the technology of the current gen era to create an rpg worth playing!! Hooray!
The game is great and the dreams are awesome...I missed a few (on disk 3 now) but once I get the chance I am going back to get them all.
@ Boolean:
IGN can suck my balls. Unless you mean: "so-so amazing that I stuttered."
@Boolean
The story is so-so but the fact that they infuse these back stories into is what makes it impressive. I have plenty of complainst witht he game but I love that the thousand year dreams, which so far havne't had anything to do with the main story, infuse the game and teh characters with way more character and background. More importantly though the deliever challengin conepts and morals in a genre that is known for some pretty basic storytelling. In fact they might make the plot of the game a bit worse since they confront such large ideals and so far the games main story is a bit cliche.
I would liken them to Aesop's Fables in which a story is told not just for the telling of the story but to explain a moral about life to the gamer. Awesome write up Collete.
IGN is bat-shit crazy. I read that review after I got to the second disc and was just confused beyond belief. I mean as soon as I saw the seen that involves Cooke and Mack's mother, I knew that this game's story is one of the best, with out a doubt. That was the most emotional scene I've ever seen in a video game.
How long are these stories? I keep hearing they're "so" moving and all that. Just wondering how long they are. It seems like they have to be king of long to really do something emotionally.
I'm thinking about picking it up. I hope for a great story, but as Sterling would say "I have a heart made of frozen piss" we'll see.
This game is beautiful, and it's got some of the finest writing seen in gaming. I agree with everything Col said.
@qwerty
They're roughly about 5-10 minutes depending on how quickly you read through them. They are truly emotional, and it's amazing how Mistwalker is able to use nothing more then a painted background image, music changes, and text scroll to illicit such emotions out of gamers.
Echoing Sterling, I think the writing in the dream sequences is hands-down the best and most talented writing I've ever seen in a video game.
@Jim
I love the dream writing and think the in game writing would be better if the voice actors pulled it off a bit better but I'm still dissapointed that this is the top writing in games when if this writing was in a movie people would be tearing it to shreads. When do we get game writing thats on par with something the great films, or even decent films out there.
This, by the way, is totally off topic.
@Cowzilla3
Jansen Friedh. Best. Character. Ever.
I liked the idea, until the game became Blue Dragon all over again in Disc4. Shame on you Lost Odyssey. It's also too bad that they start with the nice immortal hook at the start, and totally don't use it once it's been explained why you are immortal or what the consequences are. Laaaaame :(
Also: Jansen is fucking useless since you don't need his Factual Analysis nor his Black Magic one you get White-Black Magic rings and Full Analysis rings or something.
@Pew
I really hope you didn't just spoil anything for me as I'm still on disc one right now.
@Tazar
Yea I actually like him alot, but once again great for a video game but could be soooo much better. Acting has a bit to do with this but so do the writing.
Don't get me wrong I've laughed and been touched by the game but it's so clear that could be even better.
I can't wait till my 360 comes back so I can play this. I'm not sure how I'll feel about the walls of text, but I'll probably enjoy them as long as I'm gripped enough by the story before the first one appears.
Loving the game and ya I was surprise at first by the text only memories, but they are written very well and really do bring out your own imagination. Good stuff.
"Hannah's Departure" made me cry. I was hooked forthwith.
Yea, I enjoy the reams a lot. Actually, I was hoping that someone would have the guts to release a "game" based on something like the dreams; that is to say a story, that has those little nuances one sees in the dreams, like a falling letter here, a sudden sound effect there.
It looks so good i hope it wont let me down been awhile since a game made me cry can it do the job i hope so
This is the best RPG and the best Story I have played in years. I feel something for the characters, and the short story Little Liar made me tear up a bit. In fact several stories made me tear up a bit.
Too bad my 360 died the next morning after I stayed up til 3 am to play it. Now I got to wait to get my 360 back. :(
@ Colette
You lost me at "words" :)
Now if Geddy Lee SUNG the words...
<img src="http://s264.photobucket.com/albums/ii173/NoahinAsia/?action=view¤t=lo.jpg">
<img src="http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii173/NoahinAsia/lo.jpg">
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...there we go....that was my first picture post ever....sorry about that
Agreed.
I spent some time on the subject myself. Personally, I find the TYoD sequences to be well constructed.
http://thefundamental.net/2008/02/14/lost-odyssey-part-1/
They're not possible any other way.
an immortal character, who can't die, in search of his past... learning what it is to be alive.... does he have a goal where he's trying to gain the ability to finally just die? has he asked himself "what can change the nature of a man?"
hmm, I think that I've played this game before.
It's a top notch RPG. I haven't enjoyed a new RPG in some time, but Lost Odyssey is really quite good. The text dream sequences are mostly very interesting and worth reading as well. Morality is a tough concept for a genre where your characters might "die" in battle hundreds of times and be resurrected, but Lost Odyssey's take on it works.
my favwotist part of the big grown up story is when the pwincess and hero who has amnesia join forces with the magic children in the haunted house.
The dream called "The Upstreamers" boggled my mind. I couldn't believe Mistwalker would go into such detail with these stories. It's very touching. The last few RPGs I've played have been underwhelming, lacking the element of emotion. Lost Odyssey has captured that element and brought it to my TV screen. I czn't wait for my progression in this game..
Also, who doesn't love Jansen? He's hilarious! I haven't seen a character like him before.
The game is FREAKING AMAZING!!!!
Hannah's departure was amazing, that pretty much hooked me, the rest of the dreams sealed the deal with how touching they are, some really sad but other with a good ending like the little liar.
Fantastic RPG.
@Mr. Glider
Seriously, Hannah's Departure was heavy.
@Allisonaxe: holy crap that's like the 5th reference i've heard to that game in the last week.
I've heard the text in this game is extremely tedious. I mean, i started reading the codecs in Mass Effect but then i think that what lead to me putting it down and it's eventual dusty demise.
Also, should i finish FFXII or start this?
@TheToiletDuck
Not only does this game have a very emotional backdrop, but it also matches the political intrigue of FF XII,and perhaps even outdoes the Final Fantasy title. Like the guys at 1UP said, had Sakaguchi stayed at SquareEnixe, Lost Odyssey would be FF X. It's something to think about.
But yes, drop FF XII for now.
...did I just say that....
stop making me want this game.
Even though I bought it first day and it's sitting on my floor, I'm still waiting for a new case design before I stick it in. There's no way in hell I'm playing a game with a fourth disc in a paper sleeve.
PUH LEASE!!!
Best thing since goat rape? Damn, I wish I had more time for gaming...
This is by far the most enjoyable RPG I have played (apart from FFIII/VI on the Super Nes).
I am still on disc 1 (been waiting for that 12+ hour weekend day that I can sit down to have a good session again) and I am just amazed at how good this game is. So many people put it down before it was even released.... they are a little silly to think this game is trash.
One of my favourite games of all time. Hands down
Wow I kind of want to play this game now.
I WANTS IT!
I love this game! It's games like this that make me lose my personal life, and make me want to call out from work.
I really need either a 360 or a PC port of this.
Great article, Colette. I wish I could get this game soon.
Great read. If I had the time I would love to dive into this game.
I look forward to checking it out when it comes out on the PC :|
Well this game is one of the best Final fantasy games ever.
Ooops :)
Anyway, there is only one thing that really pisses me off!
Listen, Mr. Sakaguchi:
I WANT TO SAVE WHEN I WANT
AND I DON'T WANT TO WAIT 90 MINUTES UNTIL I CAN SAVE AGAIN
AND I WANT TO PAUSE CUTSCENES WHEN I WANT
AND I WANT TO WATCH THEM LATER, SHOULD MY CAT HAVE STEPPED ON MY CONTROLLER :)
and I love capslicking... erm locking :)
damn now I'm even more eager to get this game :-) can't wait to play this :-)