Is the game specifically aimed at a western audience though, or is it aimed at Japanese gamers first and foremost?!

Japanese first and foremost of course. This needs to help sell the 360 in Japan. But I also hear Sakaguchi wants to localizations to be of a high quality too, which is a good thing. I hate it when I have to listen to dubbing that makes me want to tear my ears off.

I' m with Rampage on this one. Turn based combat is generally what defines a JRPG experience for me. Can' t wait to play it.

It' s like you people seem to forget this is a traditional Japnese RPG. If you weren' t expecting tun based combat with random battles you' re kinda dumb. It' s a straight up 100% classic style JRPG. That' s what people have been wanting on the freaking Xbox since day one. Being a fan of that style of gameplay I' m super excited about this game.

I' m all for JRPGs, and sure, turn-based battles, that' s what they' re all about.

But you know, there is something to be said about how you go about doing it.

I just replayed FFVII, and for some reason, THAT was WAY more exciting than what I' m seeing here. Sweeping camera angles, cinematic attacks etc.

Maybe cos we' re only getting ONE character at first, and the beginning of this game isn' t going for something super exciting just yet. It better ramp up to something good...

On the other hand, I love Blue Dragon' s battle system Hopefully, once Mistwalker gets as close to launching Lost Odyssey as they are for Blue Dragon, we' re get to see just as exciting battles and bosses...

Oh, and Majik, you liar ! Badass troglodytes, right -.- This video' s an extension OF the video where they only show the last battle to demonstrate magic-usage, bah!

We need more characters! AND SUMMONS!

I just can' t do it anymore. Many people have railed about the stagnation in the FPS genre but when it comes to lack of innovation, turn based rpgs take all the laurels.

I know, I know these games are about story and character development but that doesn' t excuse Square and jrpg developers in general from re-hashing the same-old tired gameplay cliches.

Look, Lost Oddesey looks beautiful but other than the graphics nothing I see say' s Next-Gen to me. I played turn based rpgs back in the day when that meant pencil, paper and dice, I want an RPG video game, not interactive anime. I fell in love with the original Phantasy Star on SEGA Master System but other than graphics what has improved since, let' s say, FF VII? Selecting from a menu system to affect a static (albeit pretty) battlefield just bores me now.

Bethesda' s latest opus may not have the most exciting combat ever but at least I feel I' m actively interacting with the medium as opposed to passively watching the outcome of my nail-biteing menu selections. I guess I just don' t understand the attraction, to all those who do I encourage you to demand some real and significant gameplay innovations from developers. If all you want is story and character, they' re called books.

Did japanese developers not notice that Bioware has re-invigorated the genre with their real time, tactical, pauseable gameplay? The foundation for the future of these games was laid out for them in Knights of the Old Republic but with typical arogance they' ve snubbed their collective noses at the upstart Canadian developer. A quick blast of my patriotic horn here, games currently in development in Canada: Mass Effect
Assasin' s Creed
Army of Two
Splinter Cell 5
Rainbow 6 Vegas
Too Human

O Canada! Not bad for a country of 30 million. (salutes)

And people worry about Microsoft' s Lack of Japanese support! Add these games to a list of those developed in the States (Gears, Halo 3 anyone?) and who cares. In the 80' s and early 90' s nobody came close to the skill of japanese developers, times have changed. The japanese can keep their interactive anime and their sleazy marketing just keep giving me solid North American support like this and I won' t complain.

here endeth the rant.

I know, I know these games are about story and character development but that doesn' t excuse Square and jrpg developers in general from re-hashing the same-old tired gameplay cliches.

I disagree, I think the RPG genre is one of the more creative genres. Yes, the majority have random, turn-based combat, but many offer very different methods of character growth. There' s some very cleverly designed battle systems around too.

Back on topic: Lost Odyssey is easily one of my most wanted 360 games. The concept is intriguing, and it looks amazing, I just hope it plays as well as it looks.

ORIGINAL: Icarus75

rant...

You need to realize Japanese gamers think exactly the same way about the Western developed games you rave about. It simply comes down to different tastes. The Japanese love their turn based RPG' s, but think FPS' s/western RPG' s are boring. Microsoft has failed in Japan in the past because it went on a mentality similar to yours.

So while you may be laughing at them and all their boring JRPG' s, rest assured, they' re laughing at you and your western RPG' s.

I still think its funny,how games like ff13 that gonna use the same system gets away with it,or every previous ff game sakaguchi done,but now its on 360,so menu battle and random battle is a pain in the ass apparently.

I still think its funny,how games like ff13 that gonna use the same system gets away with it,or every previous ff game sakaguchi done,but now its on 360,so menu battle and random battle is a pain in the ass apparently.

I don' t have any probs with the menu battle system, only that the battles looked really uninspiring. Previous FF games have tried different things to make the battles more exciting (if but mostly graphically), the best example being with FF12 and it' s Online style battlesystem (which I have come to hate by now). Also, I honestly thought the FF13 battles shown in the e3 trailer looked way more exciting... from the little they showed.

I dunno, it might just be me having played to much JRPGs lately, but I wish to see something new and fresh in the genre, but L.O doesn' t seem to be it.

Also, random battles have always been a pain! Bring on Chrono Trigger!

Lo is not something new and fresh,but it has a more darker feeling.
Not these boys that look like girls running around on a beach.

I love LO art style.

BD doesnt use random battles,i dont get why he skipped it there.

Not these boys that look like girls running around on a beach.

But it DOES have boys (at least one) that looks like girlsl... Dunno about any beaches though...
In fact I though the main character of this game looked far more " gay" than any FF character I had ever seen... Except perhaps the one in the beginning of FF12... The one wearing a leather bra [&:

And even though I prefer " dark stories" I think I' ll have a lot more fun with BD. Can' t say for sure though as I haven naught kept a close eye on the game.

Flat out, turn based seems archaic to me. It' s an interactive medium-- so let us interact with it. Is there a place for turn based rpgs of? Of course, but a little innovation wouldn' t hurt.

Once again I look at what Bioware is accomplishing with character interaction and multiple pathways based on moral decision making in Mass Effect. Or what they did with battle tactics in Knights of the Old Republic, in the end you were still ultimately making menu selections but it felt fresh and new. It just looks ridiculous to me to see a character walk up to the enemy, slash at them with a weapon and then walk back to where he was standing before. Enemy' s turn. Repeat.

So while you may be laughing at them and all their boring JRPG' s, rest assured, they' re laughing at you and your western RPG' s.

Thanks for letting me know, I can' t hear them; we' re a market of 330 million people laughing. They might want to stifle their snickers and think about selling to the largest videogame market in the world. They are in business to make money, aren' t they?

Yes, it does come down to taste. Innovative games are to my taste. Cheers to Nintendo, an always innovative and creative Japanese developer. Not too many traditional turn based rpgs there. They are well aware that stagnation is the death kiss of the industry and that the strength of the medium is interactivity. We will see about Lost Odessey, if it gets high ratings I' ll probably give it a shot but nothing I' ve seen (besides graphics, it is pretty!) makes me think WOW! A truely next-gen title!

You think 330 million in west plays western rpgs?

Nice gfx. Very poor animation. It' s usually the other way around for good jap rpgs...

I want so much for LO to be good though. Perhaps there' ll be a good story...

I just can' t do it anymore. Many people have railed about the stagnation in the FPS genre but when it comes to lack of innovation, turn based rpgs take all the laurels.

FPS is assuredly not stagnant...WW2 FPS is...however I think FPS is becoming more innovative than previously. RPG wise...yeah, same stuff. I completely agree that the battles don' t attract me...but realistically Enchanted Arms' battles attracted me and they sucked...big time. We just have to wait...like a majority of 2.5 generation 360 games we have to be patient for the cooler stuff.

I don' t have any probs with the menu battle system, only that the battles looked really uninspiring.

Exactly, FFVII had more exciting battles in the beginning of game even.

Also, I really don' t get HOW you can see Kaim as gay! I mean, no homosexual man is going to be caught DEAD in that outfit.

The only thing is he resembles the Chinese comic artstyle more than Japanese manga style...prolly cause he' s proportional...

Sephiroth looks way gayer...Vidal Sassoon ad hair and I swear he' s weraing eye-liner, maybe kohl. Especially in the end when he takes his shirt off FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON...other than to make his final battle with Cloud (and gang) hotter but that' s about it...

Maybe you should take some stuff from Vagrant Story, like you choose body parts to hit? Still turn-based but at least it isn' t just hack-hack-hack.

There' s a place for BOTH kinds of RPGs, I think. If we only had one or the other then THAT would be bad. For people who like turned-based, then this game looks awesome. For those who like realtime battles, then Mass Effect looks just as great. Personally, I like a little variety, so I' ll be checking both of them out.

Does anybody know whether LO has a party system, or is this dude always by himself?

No.no ff7 only had cool battles because the story made them so,for ex when we hear the hectiv music and see Avalanche assult the reactor the battles feels intensive and cool,and you' re into it,same with Lost odyssey battle during the start from the demo.
But when its out in the worldmap it wasn' t.same as in LO.

But people dont buy them for that.

You think 330 million in west plays western rpgs?

It' s called hyperbole.

The point was to illustrate that dismissing and/or snubbing the tastes of the world' s largest market for your product might not add up to the best business strategy.

Heck, I didin' t even include Mexico in that figure of North American population.

Those in mexico only buy illegal stuff.

Those in mexico only buy illegal stuff.

I chuckled at that, don' t know why. LO looks like it could work...like I said earlier...give it time, allow for more Gameplay trailers and then judge.