GENRE
	RPG
	DEVELOPER
	Monolith Soft
	PUBLISHER
	Namco
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	no
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	only-gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	Fall 2004
	BUY NOW AT

One thing I hear a lot these days is that the GameCube doesn’t have many good RPG’s. That is quickly changing as we’ve seen the release of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and we have Harvest Moon arriving in March and Tales of Symphonia due out in June. However, none of these games show as much promise as Baten Kaitos does.

Released in Japan late last year, Baten Kaitos has received praise and accolades (not to mention, great retail success) in the East which has so thrilled Namco that they have decided to share it with the rest of the world. RPG starved GameCube owners are in for a treat as Namco prepares their highly acclaimed and well-received Baten Kaitos for North American localization.

media

impressions

Namco, father of Pac-Man and Galaga, isn’t traditionally known for making top-notch RPG’s. Recently, however, with the release of Xenosaga and the numerous games in the “Tales of…” series, Namco is beginning to show the industry that it can in fact produce top-notch role-playing experiences. Developed by the same developer as Xenosaga, Monolith Soft, Baten Kaitos features excellent graphics and sound in addition to a top-notch card based battle system.

The graphics are very reminiscent of Chrono Cross. Gamers who’ve played the Square-made RPG know that this is a very good thing as both games feature bright colors and stunning art directions. Monolith Soft decided to use pre-rendered backgrounds with full 3D characters in Baten Kaitos and it works great. There’s lots of background movement in the game from the realistic swaying of trees to some amazing cloud effects. The FMV cinema scenes are fantastic; they really are gorgeous to watch. It is apparent from screenshots and video clips that a lot of time has been put into making the presentation of the game something special in itself. This is one slick puppy. To top it all off, Baten Kaitos will also feature a fully orchestrated soundtrack to accompany to stunning visuals.

For the most part, Baten Kaitos contains traditional RPG gameplay elements. It has towns to visit, airships to fly and an evil empires bent on world domination. However, one thing that distinguished itself from most RPG’s out there is the unique card system. Players will use “Magna Essence” cards in almost every aspect of the game. Magna Essence, or Magnus for short, is the “true nature” of all things in the world. Weapons, armor, spells and even your money are a form of Magnus and are stored on cards, ready to be played as the need arises.

The battle system takes the narrow road and places enemies visible on the screen. This eliminates random battles, which in turn eliminates headaches. Battles in Baten Kaitos are card-based and there are in fact, no battle menus. Players attack, defend and recover health by using cards. Different card combinations produce different results and a lot of in-depth strategy comes into play during battles. Players “play” a series of cards to attack the enemy. The enemy then counters your attacks by playing cards of its own. When the enemy attacks, the roles are reversed with you trying to play the cards that will best defend against the enemy’s attacks. It is similar to a poker game with each side trying to fake-out the opposing side. Gamers can look forward to a very deep battle system.

word on the street

Namco is expecting Baten Kaitos to sell at least half-a-million copies in Japan alone. Clearly, they believe they have something special on their hands. This is not surprising considering the praise the game has received from the Japanese media thus far. The deep card system looks intimidating but the word from those who have played Baten Kaitos is that it is very easy to pick up, even without reading the instruction manual. The biggest thing North American gamers have to worry about is the localization – often times poor localization has destroyed great RPG’s. However, given Namco’s solid record regarding the translation process, there shouldn’t be much to worry about here.

press release notes

• Exclusive RPG for the GameCube from the creators of Xenosaga.
• Features stunning visuals and a fully orchestrated soundtrack.
• Classic RPG action with a twist! Features a unique card based battle system. Players use decks of cards featuring various number values, elemental properties and suits to defeat enemies.
• Partake in a story full of intrigue and surprises. Journey to a distant land where everything you know no longer applies.
• Critically acclaimed RPG available Fall 2004.

overall

Baten Kaitos is shaping up to be a sure-fire hit. Combining great graphics and sound with a top-notch card based battle system; it has a lot going for it. It is currently scheduled for a fall 2004 release, probably sometime around Christmas. Gamers looking for a high-quality RPG with plenty of originality should look no further than Baten Kaitos. Unfortunately, the wait is going to hurt. Trust me though; this game is going to be worth the wait.