It seems every time a game Final Fantasy newly released, the first criticism is always that it is losing the “essence” of the series. And while every new title will have new lovers and defenders, there’s no denying that since the series’ creator, Hironobu Sakaguchileft after 2000’s Final Fantasy IX, something just wasn’t the same.
Let’s play Lost Odyssey by Hironobu Sakaguchi, released in 2007, to clearly feel what that “no longer the same” thing is. It’s basically a Final Fantasy game with all the core elements of the series, except for the name. Right now, the game is being sold on Xbox for only about 200,000 VND.
Lost Odyssey feels like a mainstream Final Fantasy game in every way. That comes mainly from the people who created it, with Sakaguchi writing the story and legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uemetsu arranging the music. The title also retains the turn-based combat of previous Final Fantasy games, at a time when Square Enix was trying new ways to take the IP beyond its roots in Final Fantasy’s MMO-like combat XII.
Combat in Lost Odyssey isn’t just about throwing punches. The introduction of new systems that require players to be more conscious of spell casting times or the risk of enemies delaying their actions brings a sense of danger to each encounter. Similar systems can be seen in more recent RPGs such as Octopath Traveler, as they avoid the weaknesses of turn-based combat systems of being too slow or not engaging enough.
Of course, Lost Odyssey’s biggest draw is the chance to explore a whole new world from Sakaguchi’s mind, and this might be his best ever. There are familiar, Final Fantasy-style elements like the industrialization of magic in the world and how that new technology contributes to war between nations, but there’s also a fresh perspective. to these widely adopted ideas.
At the heart of Lost Odyssey’s story is protagonist Kaim, an immortal man who has lived so long that he begins to lose his memories because his brain cannot contain his entire life. This expands into a story that raises truly moving questions about the value of remembering the best and worst moments of our lives. A fascinating cast of characters led by Kaim makes the story incredibly engaging, a very Hironobu Sakaguchi trait.
Despite its engaging gameplay and engaging storyline, Lost Odyssey did not receive the success worthy of its excellent quality, largely because the game was released exclusively on Xbox 360. However, Thanks to backward compatibility, the game is now playable on Xbox One and Series X/S, for just a little more than 200,000 VND. If you are a longtime fan of Final Fantasy and are missing the old times of this game series and also own an Xbox, then don’t wait any longer and play Sakaguchi’s forgotten masterpiece right away.
