In a surprise move, Microsoft released details and new footage from its second role-playing game from famed developer Hironobu Sakaguchi. While actual gameplay wasn’t shown, Mr. Sakaguchi shared interesting news about Lost Odyssey. Departing from the whimsy of the forthcoming Blue Dragon, the game promises a much more serious, mature role-playing experience.
Lost Odyssey follows the story of five immortal characters that have eclipsed a thousand years of age when you start the game. The world in which these heroes reside is one steeped in magic; the resurrection of magic power led to its combination with industrial technology. As a result, a new energy has emerged and become the basis of a new way of life. This new magical power, however, sets the stage for what will evolve into a dangerous conflict between individuals seeking peace and those with darker ambitions.
From the back story alone, it’s easy to tell Lost Odyssey will definitely offer up a mature experience. Confirming this further was a real-time cinematic depicting three of the game’s main characters. A thin man and busty woman are shown engaged in discussion outside of a seedy tavern. The man explains that before embarking on a mission, they’ll be joined by a new warrior. Suddenly, a drunken samurai burst from the tavern doors with girls under arm. After a heated exchange regarding the necessity of bringing on a womanizing drunkard, the party sets off adventuring leaving the sleazy girls behind.
As much as we would have loved to see the game in action, Mr. Sakaguchi only briefly mentioned aspects of the battle system. Lost Odyssey will employ an enhanced turn-based battle system with limited real-time action elements. Thanks to utilization of Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, the game will not only be able to handle a fast-paced battle system, but also gorgeous visuals. Mr. Sakaguchi went as far as claiming Lost Odyssey will exceed the visual quality of Gears of War. While his assertion might be stunning, so are the visuals from what little we saw. Nevertheless, what has us intrigued is how Lost Odyssey will pan out in terms of gameplay. With a planned launch in Japan at the end of this year and a North American release shortly thereafter, we’ll get the chance to decide for ourselves. - Tracy Erickson.
