February 25, 2008 - Hironubu Sakaguchi is a legend among game developers.

The man responsible for putting the Final Fantasy series on the map has been doing his own thing recently by making games for the Xbox 360 under the Mistwalker moniker. Mistwalker’s first title, Blue Dragon, was an interesting, yet ultimately unfulfilling adventure that was too immature and sugary sweet to hold most adult Xbox gamers’ attention. However, if Blue Dragon left you feeling blue, you may want to give Lost Odyssey a try.

Lost Odyssey is an affectionate tribute to the RPGs of yesteryear, specifically those from the PlayStation era. The turn based battle system, random encounters, largely text based storyline are all lovingly recreated for the Xbox generation. If you grew up playing Final Fantasy on the Super NES and PlayStation, then you are in for a real treat with Lost Odyssey.

The game begins with the armies of Uhra and Khent clashing on a battlefield. These armies have been at war for many years, and with the discovery of magic, their wars have taken a brutal turn. It is here that we are introduced to our hero Kaim, an immortal who has lived for 1,000 years and counting. It’s obvious that he’s picked up some fighting skill over his lifetime, which is put on full display in the stunning opening cinematic. As Kaim is kicking ass, a giant meteor appears over the battlefield, wiping out both armies in a smattering of lava and hellfire. Since Kaim is immortal, however, he survives the encounter, with no memory of the past 1,000 years. The Uhra government wants to know what caused the meteor, and demands that Kaim investigate the Grand Staff, a malfunctioning magical tower. He is given some support in Seth, another immortal survivor of the clash, and Jansen; a wisecracking, womanizing, mortal magic user. All the while, Gongora, the resident magician for the Uhra is placed under house arrest by the Uhra government.

The question of Gongora’s affiliation with the meteor and Uhra’s clashes with other kingdoms is what drives the narrative forward, but to be honest, the plot is inconsequential. If you’ve played any Final Fantasy title before, you’ll recognize many different clichés here and be able to predict most of the plot twists before the game actually reveals them. You’ll witness your characters get imprisoned, be double crossed by villains in disguise, be joined by twin magic users, and have to take part in simple mini-games as you progress, and lots of other events just like every other Final Fantasy title.

No, the reason you’ll actually want to keep playing is to find out what happens to the fantastically developed characters, especially Kaim. Kaim is a fantastic protagonist who at first seems shallow and detached much like Final Fantasy VIII’s emotional leader, Squall. However, by the end of the first disc, Kaim is revealed to be more of a badass with a heart of gold, who has seen much suffering, sorrow, and joy in his never-ending life. Kaim’s back story is revealed throughout the game in dream sequences called “A Thousand Years of Dreams.” As you play through the game and witness occurrences that trigger Kaim’s memories, the screen will go blurry and ask you if you want to hear about Kaim’s past. These occurrences can be as simple as walking in the rain or watching children at play. A Thousand Years of Dreams, more than anything else in this game, shows that this is an adult storyline at play here.

Once you choose to view his dreams, be prepared for some reading. Rather than present his memories in overdone cutscenes, the sequences are presented like an interactive novel. The developers brought in an honest-to-god novelist to write these portions, and each one reads like a carefully crafted short story. It is in these sequences that the true strength of the story shines through, and I defy you not to get a lump in your throat at a few of these emotional powerhouses. While you do have to do lots of reading, the sequences are still visually and acoustically stimulating, with animated fonts and Nobuo Uematsu’s stunning soundtrack upping the emotional quotient.

The other characters in the game aren’t quite as well developed as Kaim is, but they are all endearing and a pleasure to explore with. Jansen is an absolute hoot, and makes for fantastic comic relief. Seth makes for a good conscience for the other characters with her forgiving spirit. Mack and Cooke are a pair of magic using twins that are far less annoying than you’d expect. Eventually you’ll also be joined by a kind-hearted Queen, an airship operator named Sed, and a half dozen other characters. All the characters are endearing, and none constitute cannon fodder.