Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

This month Namco is ready to bat once more.  The console: same as before, Nintendo GameCube.  The genre: also the same, RPG.  The game: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean.  You probably won't pronounce it correctly on your first try.  But when gamers get their hands on it, they won't need to worry about names.  All you'll need to do is refer to it as Namco's other great RPG and everyone will know what you're talking about.

Baten Kaitos is not at all what you're expecting.  GameZone reviewers can't see into the minds of our readers, however, we can presume your thoughts based on our own.

As you've likely heard, Baten Kaitos uses a card-based system for attacking.  "Oh, I get it.  Your cards are like Materia."  Wrong.  "They must be for enhancing weaponry then.  Or magic spells."  Wrong again.  "Summon monsters?  Mini-games?  Tell me, what are the cards used for!"  Three strikes, you're out! 

In Baten Kaitos, every card is equal to a battle function.  Cards are selected before battle (at least they should be – failing to do so is a great way to guarantee your execution).  Once in a battle, three cards appear on the screen.  Cards with a weapon on the front: a sword, a knife, etc., indicate that it is a weapon card.  Select it to cut your enemy a slice of pain.  Cards with a vest or helmet indicate that it is a defense item.  There are also cards that are not easily read, such as a banana, which looks like a health recovery item.  In actuality it is a weak projectile attack.

The interesting thing is that none of the cards disappear after using them in battle.  After making your attack, all weapon cards turn gray.  You can select gray cards, but it's a waste.  They won't affect a deadly monster in the least bit.

The defense cards stay colored (assuming you haven't already selected one).  This is where some of the game's strategic elements come into play.  Namco made the monsters in this game very tough.  I know there are some Final Fantasy Tactics masters out there who will disagree, but the rest of us will surely feel Namco's wrath.

Monsters attack as soon as it's their turn.  You could be in the middle of selecting a defense card and receive a deadly blow.  If you had been a second faster, the defense card would have been selected and the enemy's attack power would have been lessened.  The amount of attack power that's reduced is determined by the power of your defense card.  You can't be choosy though.  When a defense card appears, select it!  Wait and suffer the consequences. 

This took some getting used to.  The world doesn't see many RPGs that defy what we're used to, all that we know about the genre.

Interestingly, this isn't the only place where Baten Kaitos stands out from the crowd.  Unlike the crowd, this RPG doesn't reward you with gold every time you win a battle.

How can this be?  How can you win a battle and not win gold?

The answer is photography.  Photography has crept its way into many video games as a side feature, even the Gran Turismo series.  Here it's the only way to make money.  Take pictures of any monsters that are encountered, wait for them to fully develop, then take it to a local merchant.  If the merchant likes your work, he/or she will pay you considerably for the photograph.  They'll do this willingly knowing that you're likely to give them back what they spent in exchange for items.  It's the vicious merchant circle.  It can't be changed, so why bother trying?

Going back to the days of Final Fantasy VII, where grown men cried and young teens found another excuse not to shower, Baten Kaitos has computer generated (pre-rendered) backgrounds.  As with more recent RPGs, some of the backgrounds are slightly animated, but they can't directly interact with the player.  I'm still waiting for the day when that'll be possible.  For now I'm in awe of what the artists have done for this game.  It'd be great to see more RPGs use CG backgrounds that are as bright and detailed as these. 

Add up all the good (all of the above), take away the bad (the story is a little weak in comparison to other top-of-the-line RPGs), and Baten Kaitos is the perfect bait to lure an RPG fan to GameCube.  Don't rent it or borrow it from a friend – that wouldn't do the game justice.  There's a lot of secrets to unearth, a lot of battles to fight, and a lot of entertainment to be had.  Don't miss a second of it by limiting yourself to the amount of time you'll have with this exciting RPG.

Gameplay: 8.5
The most rewarding part of the game.  Baten Kaitos is living proof that you can teach an old dog (the RPG genre) new tricks.  Or just replace the old dog with a brand-new puppy as this game did.

The card system is excellent.  It has the random intensity and unpredictability of a real card game mixed with elements of real- and turn-based RPGs.

Graphics: 8.5
Gorgeous.  Beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds, solid characters, and dozens of monsters nearly comparable to Final Fantasy.

Sound: 8
Baten Kaitos has a great, epic soundtrack.  It's not the most original music I've heard, but that didn't stop me from loving it.

The voice-overs didn't fare as well.  They sound like they were made for a kiddie game.

Difficulty: Medium
Knowing what you know now, it shouldn't take you more than a few minutes to get the hang of Baten Kaitos's unique gameplay aspects.  But master it in a day you will not do, that is for certain.

Concept: 8.6
Namco has done it again.  A new battle system (and a new way of earning money) from the developer who reinvented the fighting game genre with Tekken and Soul Calibur.

Overall: 8.5
For the first time since Sony entered the console gaming market, the year's best RPGs are not on PSone or PS2 – they're on GameCube.  Tales of Symphonia, Paper Mario and now Baten Kaitos.  All three are unique in story, music, and gameplay.  All three have that certain something that makes an RPG a great RPG, something that makes you want to forget about sleep and just keep playing.

Over the years there have been plenty of RPGs that were worth experiencing.  But this game – this game is a must-play for everyone who loves the genre.  Don't own a GameCube?  Rent one.  Better yet, buy one.  It's worth it for Baten Kaitos alone, never mind the other must-have RPGs.