Genre: RPG
Year: 2006
Developed by: Monolith Soft
Published by: Nintendo
Platforms: GameCube, Switch
#42
Feeling Like: Doubling down
As you’ve already found out, or will find out soon, I absolutely adored Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. The circumstances could not have been more perfect: I was in my early 20s, I love/loved role playing games from Japan, I had a GameCube, I had disposable income, I was not overly interested in getting my homework done, and I had a roommate who would play alongside me every step of the way. I initially scorned the game when I heard it was “card-based”. How foolish I was; deck-building games of any kind are now my drug of choice. Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean had some rough patches, but a few standout plot moments alongside the heavenly graphics and audio allowed it to rise above virtually every game I’d ever played.
Baten Kaitos Origins is just about as good, as close as you can get without entirely replicating the experience. Many of the mechanics are streamlined, but I couldn’t tell you what they exactly are. The party size was drastically reduced, down to three. Other than Resonance of Fate, I can’t remember another RPG with a party size this small. Initially, this seemed like a bummer since part of the fun of a massive, epic JRPG is the interactions with the colorful characters that band together to right wrongs and undo evil. With a smaller group, those connections can feel limited.
Well I was a moron to be worried, but only because I didn’t know about Guillo.
Guillo is a weird robot thing. Or a magic puppet. Or a female and male arcane sorcerer merged together. Or a device built to kill a God. Or all of the above. I’m not entirely certain, it’s all very dense and outlandish, true to form for an RPG of this type. However, Guillo is a titan in combat, whipping its (its? their? If Origins was released today, I think most would label Guillo as trans) noodle arms around and conjuring all types of magic. Guillo’s dialogue is even more hilarious. How do they thank Milly, the third party member for rescuing them? By frequently calling her a wench and threatening to eat her. Every time Guillo spoke up, it was usually some revealing exposition, or an insult out of nowhere. Anytime they opened their mouth, I paid attention. Even the visual design is otherworldly: high heels, feathers, blades, leggings that leave little to the imagination and every shade of purple and blue you can think of. Guillo is the highlight of the game and is personally responsible for Baten Kaitos Origins being so high on the 500.
There’s more to it than just Guillo, naturally. The fixed camera with pre-rendered backgrounds may be a thing of the past, but they’re present here and boy did Monolith Soft push the GameCube’s hardware to the limits. There are so many screens that forced me to pause, and soak it all in. Whether it was purple clouds cascading over buildings, or decaying swamps, or rigidly militaristic areas, I always wanted to seek out every corner to see what the developers had cooked up for me. I also find it far easier to navigate, even in the more labyrinthian dungeons. What can I say? As soon as I’m in control of the camera, I get aggressively confused and/or lost.
The vibe is right up my alley. Everything is taken very seriously, and the soundtrack always seems to have a harp playing or powerful vocals indicating that shit is about to go down. Also, you’re in the sky and everybody has wings. I don’t know why I love this so much, but as soon as combatants flash their wings open to prepare for combat, I get a rush. And in Baten Kaitos Origins, the developers even remembered that Sagi has wings leading to some fun little platforming leaps and descents. There are treasures everywhere. In every capacity, it’s worth exploring this entire world.
The hits keep on coming. One of Baten Kaitos’ trademarks is the existence of the Guardian Spirit. That’s you. You don’t play as Sagi, the main character. You play his conscious, or rather an invisible guide that tells him where to go and how to fight. There are even sections of dialogue where you’re making a selection of what to say, not as Sagi, but as you. The player. You converse with the group, and if Sagi approves of what you say, it can aid your abilities during fights. It can be very fourth wall breaking, but it can also lead to some really funny moments as well as some fascinating narrative flexibility. I’ve never seen a series do this before, or since, not to this level. You’ll know what I mean more if you read the Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean entry.
Another thing I loved about Origins was the loot. Because your attacks, defensive options and healing items are all represented as cards in a deck, you have a ton of freedom on how you build your combat arsenal. Because there are so many choices and ample opportunity to build your deck, nearly every treasure you get has the potential to be a new addition. It’s not just Milly with her clubs, it’s Milly with seven or eight club attacks. Get a new card, hey! A new Milly attack! Sure, it’s not my most powerful, but it’s more powerful than number 7. So in you go. This hand-me-down style is something I relish in games; very few things frustrate me more than useless loot. If I’m going to scour crevices and take on optional fights, I want a worthwhile reward, thank you very much.
Combat really is thrilling, as long as you don’t mind of a bit of randomness thrown in. Instead of a menu asking you if you’d like to attack, or run away, you have a lineup of cards that are randomly generated from your deck. There is a very finite time limit to pick one, then another, then another. If you do it in order of increasingly powerful cards, you can string together some incredible combos and, hopefully, some secret spells. It’s a mad dash to select not just the right card, but the right cards in sequence. Sure, sometimes I got unlucky, but I was fine with a little bit of bad luck. Anyway, aren’t other RPGs subject to the same RNG as a Baten Kaitos? I know you’ve all been fighting a boss and yelling at it NOT to do a certain move…when of course it then goes on to do that very move. To me, that’s part of the fun. Maybe it’s the gambler in me. You win some, you lose some.
The story is really well paced, and if you’re a fan of the original Baten Kaitos: Etern…ug, you know, typing out that whole title is ridiculous. I’ll just say Baten Kaitos. If you’re a fan of Baten Kaitos, you’ll see more than a few familiar faces here, despite it being set 20 years in the past. I didn’t think it was possible, but Origins pulls even with the original with its amazing storyline twist. I was floored, just like I was with Baten Kaitos’ major twist. It’s not quite as meta this time, but seeing how the evil god Malpercio came to be left Fuzz and I stunned. Monolith Soft was never afraid to swing big, and never pulled their punches. Great stuff.
I lament missing out on the HD remakes. They were released a few months ago, which…I mean the timing could not be worse. This year is relentless with terrific titles, both remasters of classics and originals. I got cast in a play and I need to spend those 100+ hours I would normally dedicate towards JRPGs to learning my lines. I’m nearing the finish line of the 500, and there’s no stopping this train. But looking at the screenshot above…by Malpercio, it’s tempting.
There were a few frustrations; remember when I said Monolith Soft doesn’t pull its punches? Well they should have with the HoloHolo Bird. This nasty bastard is in an area where you can’t grind for more levels, and you better hope you have multiple saves so you can backtrack. Painting yourself into a corner with this aviary asshole is quite possible. I must have died at least ten times to Mr. I’m a Jackass who keeps spawning baby Holoholo birds before finally, miraculously winning. Wouldn’t have done it without Fuzz’s help. Actually, I’m still not convinced I ever beat it…it was very likely Fuzz who did it in the end. Good to have friends in low places.
I’ve gone 1500 words without mentioning the soundtrack, which has to be a record on the 500. Unsurprisingly, it’s terrific. There’s a great mix of hard rock themes for boss battles, and soothing melodies to remind you how safe you are. “Boundary Between the Wind and Earth” is an absolute stunner, stopped me in my tracks. Combine that with a gorgeous World Map and you’ve added another layer of deliciousness to this giant pile of JRPG nachos.
It’s one of my favorite JRPGs I’ve ever played, and if you’ve read more than a few posts on the blog, you’ll know by now that it’s the genre that hooks me in more than any other. Guillo is a hysterical, psychotic character that I’ll never forget. The backdrops look like paintings in motion, some are pristine works of art. The combat system is fast and furious, and I’m always a fan of a system that outright punishes button mashing. I’m not always on board for prequels, but here’s one of the best examples.
The 500 