Kaim's Immortal Quest

In the mud-spattered Highlands of Wohl, a battle rages between armor-clad infantry and siege weapons, between the heroes of Uhra and the villains of Khent. Alone among the countless thousands fights the immortal Kaim, bound by grief and battle hardened by a thousand years of experience. He dispatches his enemies swiftly, surely and without emotion or care. With the battle at its peak and the balance of power uncertain, a molten meteor powered by magic and intent on destruction lays waste to both armies. Kaim survives.

Looks like a fair fight.

Such is our introduction to Lost Odyssey™, our hero Kaim and the game's magic-laden world, a world fashioned by not one but four distinct masters of their craft. Legendary game designer Hironobu Sakaguchi and his Mistwalker studio helmed the Lost Odyssey project, while Nobuo Uematsu composed the game's mournful and touching soundtrack. Meanwhile, highly respected manga artist Takehiko Inoue helped guide the game's exquisitely detailed and fantastic visuals.

We are treated to some of gaming's most touching
writing, short stories that simultaneously define
Kaim's character while helping us understand his
natural reserve and quiet grief.

Perhaps most remarkable though is Sakaguchi-san's willingness to reach well beyond the boundaries of the games industry to tap renowned Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu to pen the game's dream sequences, Kaim's lost and often heart-wrenching memories.

Initial Intrigue

With Kaim's mysterious survival at the meteor's crash site, and the subsequent revelation of his immortal status, the High Council of Uhra taps our hero to investigate the magical/industrial site Grand Staff, overseen by fellow High Council member Gongora. The council fears an uncontrolled magical burst may have caused the calamity, and in light of their theory, they order Gongora placed under house arrest.

It's from this moment that we begin to unravel the political unrest that surrounds the nation of Uhra and its enemies, as well as uncover bits and pieces of Kaim's troubled past.

What will Grand Staff reveal?

Ring Battle

Fans of the classic role-playing game genre should feel right at home as Lost Odyssey operates from a familiar turn-based foundation. However, the game's mechanics add a few much appreciated tweaks and refinements.

The ring system adds both a welcome interactive element to combat as well as tactical customization. Any standard attack taken by a player sporting a crafted ring offers the opportunity for increased damage courtesy of a well-timed button press. Hold down the Right Trigger when the attack begins, and a circular "ring" will begin to close in on the targeted enemy, themselves surrounded by a second ring. When the first ring overlaps the second, you release the trigger for a more powerful attack.

The rings themselves are forged by the player using components found throughout the world as well as in battle, with each ring boasting a unique characteristic.

Immortal Evolution

A character's gradual increase in power as they reach new levels is a feature as old as the genre itself, but here again Lost Odyssey offers a unique perspective on a familiar mechanic. While the mortal members of your party earn new spells and skills as they level up, Kaim and other immortals can only learn new abilities by deliberately linking with a mortal comrade in active battle.

Don't forget to time your ring attack.

For example, Kaim can only learn White Magic from the always humorously flippant Jansen, only if he links himself to Jansen and the aforementioned spells, and places Jansen in active combat with the group.

A Thousand Years of Dreams

The immortal hero Kaim has lived for a thousand years, but most of his memories have become mysteriously locked away, frustratingly beyond his reach. However, in what has become Lost Odyssey's most talked about feature, both the player and Kaim begin to slowly unravel his sorrowful past throughout the game.

Key moments trigger Kaim's memory, and when they do, we are treated to some of gaming's most touching writing, short stories that simultaneously define Kaim's character while helping us understand his natural reserve and quiet grief. Embroidering Kiyoshi Shigematsu's written word are soft, almost ethereal background "paintings" as well as Nobuo Uematsu's often haunting soundtrack. The end results are rare moments of contemplation in an otherwise action-driven story.

Lost Odyssey spans dozens of hours of high-fantasy role-playing gaming, gaming that celebrates the genre's well-trodden past while giving seasoned gamers and newcomers alike unique mechanics and a refreshingly touching story. Time now to experience Kaim's journey for yourselves.

Article by Ryan Treit