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Baten Kaitos Origins
Intro:
It has always been difficult to review one of my favorite games and feel like I have truly done it justice. However, Baten Kaitos Origins is so great in it's beauty that I find myself compelled to describe it in depth nonetheless. This is why, after much deliberation, I have finally decided to write this review (without any plot spoilers).
The Story:
The tale begins twenty years before the original BK title, Eternal wings and the lost ocean. Sagi, the game's main character, is a new member of the empirial army's sinister "Dark Service", working personally for Lord Baeilheit, a Mintakan aristocrat. It is because Sagi is a "Spiriter" (he shares his heart with a guardian spirit) that he was recruited by the Dark Service, and is about to embark on his first mission. Accompanying him in his travels is his childhood friend and companion Guillo. Though Guillo appears to be a Paramachina to most, it takes but a few moments to realize she is much more than a mere mechanical puppet.
Things start to go sour when the kind young man and his partner are given their first assignment: To assassinate Olgan, the Emperor. Sagi, however, is in no position to argue and infiltrates the emperial palace at night, accompanied by Guillo and a host of soldiers. After disabling the palace's defences, Sagi and his team move in for the kill but things go horribly wrong. After overhearing a perplexing discussion between the Emperor and a misterious man named Shanath, the Dark Servicemen enter the empirial chamber. All seems normal, at first. The room is well lit and exquisitely furnished, the emperor sits in his throne-like chair, but things are not as they appear. When Sagi approaches the old man to deal the killing blow, he realises the emperor has already been slain. The moment he warns his fellow men, they are caught amongst headlights and sirens, and being accused of assassinating the emperor by the very man who ordered the deed, their own captain! The only option left for our two heroes is to run.
On their way out, Sagi and Guillo face a monstrous beast of immeasurable power, which propels them into a misterious land where Sagi is Known as Marno. Lost and disoriented, surrounded by strangers, he must face the great mistery to uncover the truth about himself and the world. Mind boggling plot twists and betrayals immerse us, once again in the moving and fascinating world of Baten Kaitos.
Gameplay:
As in the series' first installment, all of the relevant items that can be carried by Sagi are stored in cards known as Magnus. The game controls easily outside of combat, using the control stick to move your character through beautifully illustrated environments, or to browse its many menus. Outside of towns, the display is a world map on which you can travel between towns or save. BK2's menus are diverse, allowing you to customize settings on your Battle Magnus Decks, sound, gameplay and much more at any given time. However, gameplay becomes truly unique when you enter battle. Battles begin when Sagi encounters one of the enemies moving through the game's various areas. Battle is card based. Though you begin the game with only Sagi as a fighting character, you will soon be sharing the battle deck between three characters (Sagi, Guillo, and Milly).
Cards appear more or less randomly in your hand as you use them in battle to attack, defend, or heal your characters. Basic attack Magnus can be used by every character, but armor, weapons, and special attacks are specific to some characters, so you must design your battle deck carefully. Attacks are performed by playing several attack magnus in a row. Cards must be played in ascending order (each has a number). Each character has his or her own life gauge displayed a the top of the screen. Finally, there is the MP gauge. This gauge fills up as you play Magnus and can go up to level 5. Each special attack and Relic Magnus you play will cost 1 or more of these levels. The key to a successful battle is to heal your party regularly, deal massive dammage with long combos, and discard any unwanted cards with the "B" button.
(Battle scene)
Graphics:
The game's artwork is possibly it's strongest point. Each environment is absolutely breathtaking. Illustrated in seemingly hand-drawn sceneries, Baten Kaitos Origins' locales each have their own feel. From the rich warmth of Mintakan homes, to the unsettling home of the Dark Brethren, the game's areas span from the pleasant to the agressive. These truly touching environments help to illustrate the conflict between machines and the human heart that is ever present in the game.
(scene from start menu video)
Sound:
This is where I would say that Origins greatly outdoes it's predecessor.
The music is as majestic and moving as ever, aleays setting the approppriate mood, but the voice acting is much improved. Character emotions are more authentic and believable, immersing the player even more completely in the story. Of course, one of Baten Kaitos' great features is it's music player. Accessible from the in-game menu, the music player allows you to listen to any melodies you may have heard thus far in the game.
Conclusion:
Baten Kaitos Origins is without a doubt the perfect prequel game to its predecessor and leaves every player with a lasting impression. Its various sidequests, 60+ hours of gameplay, and captivating storyline lend it great replay value and immortalize it as one of the best video games to date, bar none.
Score:
1-storyline: 9/10
2-character diversity: 9/10
3-battle system/ gameplay: 8.5/10
4-Graphics/artistic content: 9/10
5-Music/ sound: 9/10
6-originality: 10/10
Overall score: 9.1/10
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