The truth about Lost Odyssey and more
Category: Xbox 360, Posted: 01/11/2008 at 04:35PM CST by Andy Groen, Contributor
Keeping up with a game throughout its development can be difficult. There's always rumors and speculation about gameplay feature x and the involvement of company z. Keeping up with the rumors isn't so hard, if you read the daily gaming news, but figuring out which of them were debunked and which were factual can be quite a chore for even the most attentive gaming news hound.
That's why we decided to take this opportunity to sort out exactly what you can expect to see in the imminent RPG opus from Mistwalker Studios, Lost Odyssey.
- Produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who has been credited with involvement in all of the following games: Final Fantasy II-XII (including X-2), Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, Vagrant Story, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, and Blue Dragon. Quite an impressive list.
- Story being written by Kiyoshi Shigematsu. Japanese literature nuts may remember him as the 2001 Naoki Prize winner for his novel Vitamin F.
- Composer Nobuo Uematsu has been brought onboard to score the game. I think we're all familiar enough with his work to make it pointless to list again here. If you're unfamiliar, go pick up Final Fantasy VI.
- Heading up the artistic department is famous Japanese comic artist Takehiko Inoue. Fans of manga might know him for his works Chameleon Jail, Real, and his continued involvement in Shonen Jump magazine. In 2001 he was even awarded an "Excellence Award" from the Japanese Media Arts Foundation...seriously how many of you can say you were awarded an award purely for being, "excellent."
- The story takes place in a world that the author says is on the verge of a, "mystical industrial revolution.
- It follows Kaim, a deathless warrior who has lived for over a millennium. The story will, in many ways, revolve around this plot point, as issues of love, family, and death are explored throughout.
- Powered by Unreal Engine 3
Normally I wouldn't include this next bit, but I simply can't help myself, because the following is quite simply the best PR psychobabble I've ever come across in the games industry. Think of this as an insight into what it's like trying to read press releases on a daily basis. A lot of times it is like you're translating for the Crazy Cat Lady from the Simpsons. Here you are, your moment of Zen:
"Innovative RPG gameplay features. Lost Odyssey blends massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) elements into the game's traditional RPG system, enabling players to make strategic decisions for a more immersive and deep gameplay experience."
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Ow that moment of Zen made my head hurt...
Hmmm, that MMORPG squished into a "traditional RPG system" sounds a little like what was done in the .hack games. It was ok, but I wouldn't say it translated into a "deep gameplay experience." I sure hope LO is a winner. Been waiting for it forever, it seems.
Dude, get your facts straight, sakaguchi wasn't invovle in final fantasy xii, Kiyoshi Shigematsu only did the "1000 years of dreams." Sakaguchi did the main story for lost odyssey. 1000 years dreams and the main plot do not connect together in anyway, it is more of a side quest/story.
Lost odyssey have no mmorpg element at all, what game were you guys playing? Change the title to
"The lies about lost odyssey and more"
Whoa, take it easy Darthpokemon. Allow me to explain. The extra "I" on the end of what was supposed to say FFXI (ELEVEN) was simply a copy editing mistake. You see "Final Fantasy XI" and "Final Fantasy XII" Look extraordinarily similar. Slipped past us. My mistake.
Also, all of the information contained herein comes straight from the mouth of MIstwalker. We decode it, figure out what is info and what is PR psycho babble. Flesh it out with a bit of background research and then pass it along to you guys. If you take issue with any of this information, talk to Mistwalker as it's all somewhat straight from the horses mouth.
I'm just a reporter, if a credible source gives me information then I report on it.
okay then, smart ass. Explain about sakaguchi invovlement in kingdom hearts II, what was his role?
And why isn't the first final fantasy on the list?
in your entire article, you had no truth about lost odyssey, did u know some of the shadow hearts team are working on it? Why not include them? Only misinform, don't report on a game if you hadn't play it!
Darthpokemon - I have an idea, pull that stick out of your arse, its making you a complete douch
He might have been given a honorary title in Kingdom Hearts II, because I wasn't aware of his actual involvement in the project. He was, however, the executive producer for the original.
Whatever factual errors there may be, it's better to politely bring them to the attention of the writer so the proper corrections can be made rather than resort to unnecessary name calling over something so trivial.