When it comes to RPGs, Final Fantasy is right there at the forefront. The series has gained all kinds of recognition throughout many countries, and the man behind it all was creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. His new development studio, Mistwalker, set out to create yet another great RPG with Blue Dragon. Released last year, it was a moderate success, but failed to appeal to a wide audience. Now Sakaguchi's latest effort, Lost Odyssey, is here - and it seems to strike all the right chords. It's not a revolutionary game by any means, but it does enough to set itself apart from any other next-gen Japanese RPG.

The game begins with Kaim Argonar, an immortal soldier who's right in the thick of a large scale battle on the Highlands of Wohl. After a short period of time, a large meteor rains down from the sky and strikes the battlefield, killing everyone except Kaim (and another immortal who will later join you). It is thought that the meteor was caused by Grand Staff, a large magical structure. Now it is up to Kaim to discover the mysteries behind Grand Staff and stop the person who wants control of it, gaining various companions along the way. Although 'big' is a good adjective for the story, the plot is fairly generic and the game gets off to a slow start. Fortunately, the story really picks up after a little while and, despite Lost Odyssey not differentiating itself a whole lot from the crowd in terms of its story, it makes up for it by featuring a great cast of characters.

Lost Odyssey is full of interesting personalities that really bring the story to life. The variety of people you'll come across in the game is substantial, including a former pirate who's lost her memory, a king who's never had to resort to combat and a couple of energetic kids. One particular standout is Jansen, a charismatic ladies' man who loves to drink and has an interest in Ming, the Queen of Numara. Lost Odyssey doesn't aim for a light-hearted tone all the time, but Jansen provides plenty of laughs with his sly remarks. The main character, Kaim, is a quiet man who always has a serious face on, but he ends up becoming a well-developed character due to the dream sequences you'll experience along the way.

Having lived for one thousand years, Kaim is full of memories, but they've been sealed away. He gradually regains them as you progress in the game and they're presented through dream sequences. These basically serve as short stories, where the text is accompanied by painted scenes and beautiful background music. Although the sequences feature a lot of reading, it's worth it, as each of Kaim's memories is a story of hope, anger, sadness and joy, or a mix of these emotions. Every one of them is wonderfully written and they don't break up the pacing of the game too much, instead providing an insight into Kaim's personality, giving us a better idea of who he really is.

Story and characters are a vital element when it comes to RPGs, but the gameplay is equally as important. With each passing year we see less and less of the basic turn-based battle system that put RPGs on the map, but Lost Odyssey does a great job of adding its own twist to the formula. The basic setup is the same; you and your enemy take turns and you have the choice to attack, use an item, defend, or use magic and/or skills. What makes things interesting however is the ring system. There are rings that can be found or made from other materials, which act as accessories. Each ring has a unique effect, such as raising your attack, inflicting elemental damage, absorbing MP with each hit and so on. When attacking in battle, two circles appear onscreen, one of which is static while the other is slowly shrinking. The trick is to pull the right trigger when the two circles are the same size and getting the timing right makes your attack more effective, while getting it wrong limits its impact. Becoming familiar with the system really pays off during the latter stages of the game, where the battles can be quite challenging. The ring system isn't a huge deal, but it works well and should keep you entertained during battles.

Another unique gameplay element is the skill link system. In Lost Odyssey there's a mix of immortal and mortal characters, but the immortals can't use magic and other skills unless they're linked with a mortal character. So, if you want Kaim to use black magic, you'll have to have him skill-linked to someone else, such as Jansen. After a few battles Kaim will learn the ability, but he can only use it in battle if Jansen is in the party with him. This adds a strategic element to the gameplay, since you'll want your immortals to learn particular skills, but this may force you to use a character in battle that you don't necessarily want to include. This allows for experimentation to find a combination that suits your preferences, resulting in some mixing and matching every now and then. The system never becomes tedious and it's a nice departure from the traditional class system.

The formation of your party must be taken into consideration when in battle as well. You can position your characters in the front or back and those characters at the back are protected - to an extent. There's a defensive bar at the top of the screen and the only way it can be depleted is from the characters in the front line being attacked. This works both ways though; going into battle and attacking the enemies in the back first doesn't do any good. This forces you to strategize even more, which is important, because the game can be tough.

One aspect of Lost Odyssey that doesn't work so well is the attempt to incorporate different gameplay elements outside of battle, which include mundane tasks such as collecting flowers and lighting torches. There's even a stealth section that just ends up being boring. I commend the developers for trying something different, but these small parts just shouldn't have been included in the game. Another glaring problem is the lack of creativity. The skill link and ring systems are welcome additions, but they aren't very expansive. Compared to the freedom and customization of recent RPGs like Mass Effect and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Lost Odyssey falls short. Also, it's very similar to other RPGs, such as the Final Fantasy series - but that certainly shouldn't come as a surprise. Nevertheless, all of this doesn't serve as too much of a problem, because Lost Odyssey isn't trying to reshape the genre, but rather to play to its strengths - and overall it does so very well.

Although Lost Odyssey doesn't use the full power of a next-gen system, it does look very good. Environments are varied, from ominous caves to serene beaches and the character design is fully realized; each ally that joins your party is nicely detailed and the facial animations are impressive. Despite this, it's hard not to feel that the game could have looked even better when compared to other next-gen games. Still, there are some amazing cut scenes to enjoy, so overall the game is visually appealing. The audio is arguably even better, thanks to legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu; it seems like he's never hit the wrong note and Lost Odyssey is no exception. There's a nice mix of upbeat pieces and slower songs for the more emotional scenes. The score is very similar to Uematsu's previous work, but more of the same can be a good thing. Sometimes we see some RPGs butchering their voice acting, but the voiceovers are solid all around. There are weak spots, such as the boisterous Cooke and Mack, but these are accompanied by some wonderful voiceovers, such as those for Jansen and Seth. There is the option for the Japanese voice cast with subtitles, but most people should enjoy the English cast.

Lost Odyssey features four discs' worth of gameplay! Okay, that's not completely true, as there are a lot of cut scenes crammed onto those discs, but it'll take you a good forty hours or so to complete the game. Side quests are almost nonexistent until the latter parts of the game, after which you will discover quite a few, adding a few more hours to the experience. Put simply, Lost Odyssey will keep you entertained for a long while - and there are sure to be many who will look forward to playing through the game a second or even third time.

Lost Odyssey isn't an RPG classic. It doesn't break new ground and it has its problems, but that doesn't keep it from being great. Everything that makes a successful RPG is here; the epic storyline, a colorful cast of characters, interesting gameplay and a lengthy lifespan. It takes the traditional turn-based RPG and adds something new to separate itself from the crowd. If you're looking for something revolutionary then Lost Odyssey may fall short of your expectations, but it you're after an entertaining next-gen Japanese RPG then you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed by Anthony LaBella for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).