reviewerrob's Full Review: Baten Kaitos for GameCube
Baten Kaitos is a great roleplaying game that's exclusive to the GameCube. In my opinion, it's one of the best RPGs for the system.
Story
A god has gotten rid of the ocean, which has forced the people of the world to move into the clouds. This god was banished into five cards by a group of heroes. Kalas is a young boy that has only one real wing, that has lost his grandfather and brother. He is on a quest for revenge for their deaths. When you start the game, Kalas is found and taken to a village with little memory of his past.
Along the way, several other characters join Kalas in his quest. They range from a young girl named Xelha, that plays the role of the stubborn heroine that doesn't always agree with Kalas. There is also an older fisherman, a wizard and more. Each character has a different personality, so it's not all just bland characters with little or no emotions.
There is lots of twists and turns in the story as you progress, which makes it an interesting story. This certainly isn't a game where you should skip the text, just because it's too long.
Gameplay
You technically are playing two characters in the game: Kalas and his guardian spirit. Kalas asks his spirit (you) questions throughout the game, which help determine your fate at times. This was an interesting twist, but wasn't needed in my view.
The game revolves around cards called magnus. You use magnus to fight in battles, heal outside of battle and they are used in sidequests as well. You start off with a small deck, and collect more cards as you advance through the game. You win magnus from battles, earn it through sidequests and find it by searching just about everywhere as well. You can also combine magnus in battle to make better magnus. Selling magnus is the primary way to earn money, so it's good to get rid of magnus you don't need anymore. Some magnus change over time, some will improve while others will decrease in value. There is a magnus collection screen that shows you all the magnus you've owned so far. This is a good feature for people that like to get 100 percent in games.
As Kalas, you travel to various locations, trying to unravel several mysteries going on. There is usually a shop you can buy things at, or rest at. You can also talk to people to advance the story, or do a side quest.
In other locations, you must do battle with enemies. This is where magnus cards will come into play the most. There is a turn for attacking, and also for defending. A number of cards are dealt to you, and you must use them to your best ability to win the battle. The cards dealt to you are random, which means you need to make sure your deck is well balanced with attack and defense cards. It's turn based: so you take a turn, then the enemy does. When you win the battle, you get experience and sometimes a bonus card for the win. Overall, if you know what you are doing, battles aren't a huge problem to win. The only issue I have with the battles is: you can't see the health of the enemy. So you either to have just do the battle, or look at a guide to find out.
One feature that is a hassle is the saving feature. You must find a blue or red flower. A blue flower is for the church and saving, while the red flower is only for saving. They are almost everywhere, so finding them isn't the problem. In battles, you gain experience and once you have enough you must go to the church to level up. The problem is you must go to a church to level up, as you don't level up from battles itself. If you are playing, and forget to go to the church: you can lose a battle due to being weak. A good percent of RPGs use leveling up systems after battle, Baten Kaitos shouldn't have been any different.
The game involves some puzzles and thinking as well. Sometimes people will ask you to give them something, and you will need to look a while to find it. The puzzles aren't too complex, but some are frustrating and might take a few tries.
Graphics and sound
The graphics are colorful and nice for the most part. My main complaint is sometimes things are too dark, so you can't see if it's something you have to check or not. Due to this, you have to walk by just about everything if you want to find hidden cards.
As for sound, it's decent but lacking. The voice actors lack a variety of lines after a battle. This isn't a huge deal, as you can hear the voice while reading the text on the screen. So you can mute the television if it annoys you too much.
Replay value
The game spans 2 discs, with each disc taking at least 15 or more hours to complete. On top of that, there is many sidequests to do which adds a lot of replay. One good example of replay: there is over 1000 total magnus to find. However, some things aren't easily found, so you will need to look at a guide often if you want to complete the game 100 percent. If you want 100 percent, it will take you a good 40 hours or more. It's certainly a long game, and has plenty of replay value.
Please read the entire auction :o) I ONLY SHIP ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS!!! New Factory sealed from my personal collection, Yfold seal, shrink wrap in ...More at eBay
A breed apart from other RPGs - Its unconventional battle system, leveling system and compelling narrative offer a new kind of deep role-playing exper...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.