The Last Remnant

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 267 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 193 out of 267
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 267
  3. Negative: 27 out of 267
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. LieChenZhou
    Mar 6, 2013
    7
    After I read how the reviews has no balance whatsoever (some as low as 1 while others as high as 10), I decided to pitch in.
    First of all total time spent on this game 100hours. Although sadly I haven't complete the game cause I needed to reinstall Windows and I forgot to back-up my save (the save is at the final dungeon ).
    Here is my review breakdown : Visual 8 The diversity of    After I read how the reviews has no balance whatsoever (some as low as 1 while others as high as 10), I decided to pitch in.
    First of all total time spent on this game 100hours. Although sadly I haven't complete the game cause I needed to reinstall Windows and I forgot to back-up my save (the save is at the final dungeon ).
    Here is my review breakdown :
    Visual 8 The diversity of enemy sizes, model are very nice. You can tell you are in trouble when you see your team need to look up to a big dragon-like monster. Since this is ported of course some find the visual lacking, as the area resembles FFXII.
    Gameplay 8 I admit it is confusing at first, cause you need to think of your squad just like an RTS. It is not just about squad level and equipment but who you put in the Formation, Flanking position, and other matter. A good combination in your squad means you could unleash devastating attacks while failure to combine means your squad could spend time doing worthless things (i.e magicians keep using physical attacks also causes the magician to learn physical attacks instead of magics- becoming a worthless magician A good logic in placing who goes with who is needed.
    AI 9 You'll regret button mashing against Last Remnant AI. They'll flank you, they'll kill your weakest team, they'll try to match their best formation against your weakest link. The AI is good for a challenge.
    And that's just the normal enemies, Boss are different matter altogether. There are several rare enemies appearing also in the same field as normal enemies. Avoid these until you are ready. These rare enemies are like sub-boss in MMO. tough and hard hitting. And they are not just the buffed type from the normal enemies, If you see a Devil among those bees you usually 1-hit kill, that's a rare enemy. These guys will be the reason you return to your starting town from time to time.
    Sound 6 quite okay. Nothing catchy IMO.
    Story 6 the story aren't well thought to be honest. Can't say too much that won't be a spoiler but its simply quite cliché. It's just alright story but it worsened by a certain factor, keep reading Character 3 Well, here's lies the weakest chain Let's see :
    The side character are bad ass, a bad ass scarred female knight, a Duke who can summoned a Cannon, a silent 4-handed assassin/warrior bad ass, you can recruit various bad ass mercenaries right from the beginning. And the Enemy is bigger Bad Ass than those guys. The SIDE Characters are Bad Asses.
    The MAIN Character however, is an annoying, childish, stupid, sister complex, disrespectful brat. I don't know how can someone created a stupid character like Rush and place him as the main character. Rush likes to nag, and he does it a lot. He asked for help, he nags, he wanted to move to another area, he nags, he is warned to stay invisible, guess what he shows up in front of the enemies "Naruto-Style" (shouting and screaming) only to nag. His nagging is the sole reason I dislike the cinematic. Whether you will buy it or not is up to you, it's best to try the game first. Last Remnant is not for everyone, but for some it will be a 100hours+ game    … Expand
  2. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    6
    Great improvement from the 360 version with better optimization and less bugs. Loaded with secrets and has a Suikoden-sized cast of party members. The PC version works great as long as you force v-sync and use JP dub with subs because the english voice acting is awful. The combat is... "unique", to put it nicely. Early on it is frustrating because it feels slow with small squads and laterGreat improvement from the 360 version with better optimization and less bugs. Loaded with secrets and has a Suikoden-sized cast of party members. The PC version works great as long as you force v-sync and use JP dub with subs because the english voice acting is awful. The combat is... "unique", to put it nicely. Early on it is frustrating because it feels slow with small squads and later it feels frustrating because your units like to do stupid things if you don't micro between fights. So basically, combat is uniquely rage inducing and worth playing just for that. Combat scales based on your average level except for certain storyline bosses. Difficulty is all over the place but challenging when you expect it to be. Overall this is a decent JRPG/strategy game but definitely not for everyone.… Expand
  3. galstaff
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    The developers came up with unique and engaging battle system. At the same time, they did everything to alienate players from the game. Incredibly stupid story with ridiculous characters (a bunch of 15 y.o. kids, supported by 6 y.o. kid straight out of kindergarten, are running around pretending to save the world or something). Absence of tutorial other than for some very basic stuff; theThe developers came up with unique and engaging battle system. At the same time, they did everything to alienate players from the game. Incredibly stupid story with ridiculous characters (a bunch of 15 y.o. kids, supported by 6 y.o. kid straight out of kindergarten, are running around pretending to save the world or something). Absence of tutorial other than for some very basic stuff; the game doesn't even try to explain meaning of key concepts such as battle rank, character class, or chain count. Tons of important character stats are hidden, and the players are presented with just four or five, which leaves full impression that the game plays itself. That said, I quite liked the game. Huge open world, a lot of dungeon crawling and challenging battles. And the game's combat system really shines once you invested some time into figuring out how it works. I'd say, if you feel like you can overlook game's ugly sides, give it a try… Expand
  4. not_good
    Jan 30, 2013
    6
    Alright so there isn't a lot of decent jrpg's out for the pc and this is an example of why. It seems alright at first, the battle mechanic seems cool at first with your squads and everything, but ultimately with limited control over their growth you feel like you're just depending on luck more than skill to beat fights.
  5. [Anonymous]
    Mar 29, 2009
    5
    Square-Enix has always done a pretty good job with story telling in their RPGs and they only get better with each new game they produce. However, aside from beautiful graphics and new combat system, I am still left with a "been there, done that" feeling. Unfortunately Square-Enix games still fall into the time-sink traps with things like stopping to level your character or having to click Square-Enix has always done a pretty good job with story telling in their RPGs and they only get better with each new game they produce. However, aside from beautiful graphics and new combat system, I am still left with a "been there, done that" feeling. Unfortunately Square-Enix games still fall into the time-sink traps with things like stopping to level your character or having to click 27 times on a single node to gather all of the stuff from it. If your OCD must be satiated or your idea of playing "hardcore" is repetitive motions in a beautifully rendered environment then this game is worth a play for you. However at $40, don't say you weren't warned that there is nothing ground breaking about this title.… Expand
  6. DanD
    Dec 16, 2009
    6
    The battle system is why I bought this game. Obviously it's different from most other RPG battle systems, difficult but fun. The one thing I didn't like about the battle system is you can't choose which attacks for you union members directly. Alot of attacks your party members use are effected by union moral and available AP (similar to MP). The story is a little weak and The battle system is why I bought this game. Obviously it's different from most other RPG battle systems, difficult but fun. The one thing I didn't like about the battle system is you can't choose which attacks for you union members directly. Alot of attacks your party members use are effected by union moral and available AP (similar to MP). The story is a little weak and the size of the world map are definate cons. Overall [The Last Remnant] was a decent middle-of-the-road RPG. There are better RPG's out there… Expand
  7. Chapa9dj
    Jan 23, 2012
    7
    The only half decent RPG game Square-enix managed to create so far. Donâ
  8. Trypsinogen
    Apr 1, 2014
    7
    Loved this game. Went into it not really expecting to like it and was pleasantly surprised. The combat is fun. You do lack micro control of individual units and instead control small groups which can be a annoying when you can't get the command set you want. The soundtrack is great, the environments and exploration are enjoyable, the story is good enough, and the characters are good enough.
  9. lotsati
    Dec 23, 2013
    5
    This game had the potential to be great, but it just seems incomplete and rushed. Just finished my game at 60 hours, and I can honestly say I only enjoyed 5 or so of those hours played. The game is worth buying on a steam sale when you have nothing else to play.

    Pros: - Some of the boss/rare monster battles are awesome. You really do have to setup the unions and characters the right    This game had the potential to be great, but it just seems incomplete and rushed. Just finished my game at 60 hours, and I can honestly say I only enjoyed 5 or so of those hours played. The game is worth buying on a steam sale when you have nothing else to play.

    Pros:
    - Some of the boss/rare monster battles are awesome. You really do have to setup the unions and characters the right way and use strategy. Unfortunately there aren't that many battles like this...
    -The world and its different species of humanoids are pretty cool. The areas to explore aren't that big, but there is variety and it feels good to explore.
    -The voice acting (Japanese) was awesome. Torgal sounds like a total badass along with other unique leaders.
    - There aren't that many tracks in the games soundtrack, but when they are played its appropriate and pleasing.
    -Some of the sidequests are great. I actually liked the story in them more than the main story...

    Cons:
    -The story stucks. Or at least its incomplete. If they provided more explanations in what remnants are and some backstory for the side characters (bad guys too), it could have been really good.
    -For the most part, the battle system is awful. Some really cool ideas like morale and unions.. but really most of the time it just ends up being "choose the option that has the most arts in it". Some boss battles require thinking, but 90% of the game battles are just you being brain dead and watching your guys go at it. If there was no turbo mode I don't think I could have beaten this game.
    -Upgrading equipment is a nightmare. Hunting for components takes hours and your teammates don't take items unless they are participating in the fight that it drops in. Some drops are 5-15% and the monster doesn't always spawn in the area.
    -Controlling class development. If you play the game naturally, a lot of characters will end up as total garbage.
    -No tutorials. For a game that has a complex battle system and development system.. its insane.
    -Flow of battle. 90% of the time you spend in battle, you're just watching the actions happen. This was interesting for the first 10 hours of the game, but afterwards it was torture. If you've played fire emblem and didn't mind it the battle animations, you'll be okay with it.
    -Luck. Even with a perfect setup and strategy, sometimes you just get unlucky. You can manipulate what arts your guys will perform by good setups, but sometimes you just won't get the options you need when you need them. AOE damage is random as hell too. Sometimes it will do no damage, and sometimes it will wipe out everyone on the board.
    -Enemy variety. I think there are 30 or less enemy models in the game. Skins and arts are all re-used EVERYWHERE.

    The game looks like total after all of those cons... but it is possible to enjoy it.

    Some tips for enjoying the game:
    -Buy it on PC for Turbo mode and having all unique leaders.
    -Learn how to develop characters appropriately. Put all combat users together and all mystic users together. Generally, do not try to make combat/mystic hybrid characters (unless the mystic part is just healing).
    -Don't worry about upgrading your party members equipment. It's not fun and you can beat the game without doing it.
    -Ignore most of the monsters in the game. The fights are boring and you can beat the game at a low BR.
    -If you are absolutely stuck and too weak to progress, try the "Bai Ze or PC ultimate grind". Just grind enough to get you past impossible battles.
    -Do the sidequests. Some of them are interesting and will be a good pacing tool for leveling up if you're ignoring most monsters.    … Expand
  10. dyspeptic
    Dec 8, 2014
    6
    Last Played: Dec 2014 (XBOX Controller)

    PROS: +Story fairly interesting +Combat concept is cool CONS: -Even on PC version, character growth is opaque –Prepare for GRINDING –Worst character animations REVIEW: I played the demo and decided to give this game a chance. Why? Because I was interested in the idea of giving generic orders to groups and having them decide what that meant.    Last Played: Dec 2014 (XBOX Controller)

    PROS: +Story fairly interesting +Combat concept is cool

    CONS: -Even on PC version, character growth is opaque –Prepare for GRINDING –Worst character animations

    REVIEW: I played the demo and decided to give this game a chance. Why? Because I was interested in the idea of giving generic orders to groups and having them decide what that meant. In its way, this game really does deliver on this mechanic, though by the end you’ll be well aware of the limitations it brings along with it. The story is fairly standard JRPG fare: save the world from bad nutty people in an 80+ hour quest. The voice acting (English) is not as bad as I was led to believe, it is on par with most English dubbed anime. If you have a problem with English dubbing, you might be better off playing other games anyways. What was unnecessary was the terrible character animations—the models jerk around like marionettes on strings while they are talking which is pretty darn annoying by the end of the first scene, much less the whole game (the combat animations look fine, though).

    Where this game really fails is mostly on the same mechanic that drew me in in the first place. There are times, especially during boss battles, when you want characters to use a particular spell or move, but simply cannot get them to use it. You can disable attacks/spells (PC only) that you never want the character to use, but unless you disable all but one for the leader (leader determine the attacks available) sometimes they just won’t have the option to do what you want. You can preview what the characters will do (also on PC version) which helps, but this doesn’t always guarantee that they won’t change their minds and do something stupid to get killed (on occasion resulting in a game over). Needless to say, this is frustrating. Character growth is also totally opaque, as is the class change system. There is no way to predict when a character will learn a new skill, improve in stats, or change class—even if you look up the mechanics on the wiki (you can influence class change by knowing what skills are required and grinding them, though). All of this means that YOU WILL SPEND TIME GRINDING. If you could whip through the quests without this, you could probably cut game time in half, but after 40+ hours I decided to start using Cheat Engine to expedite the process** If you won’t cheat, prepare to spend even more boring hours trying in vain to get your characters to learn the right skill so you can move on.

    Can I recommend this game? Yes, with the provisos that you be prepared to wait for a good sale (I paid less than $3 USD) and you be ready to cheat.

    **GUIDE TO USING CHEAT ENGINE: the Last Remnant uses new registers to record game information every time you load a save game. This means that you will have to look for the right registers every time you play.

    Since character growth is linked to the “battle chains” number, you should do an “exact value” search for whatever your current chain number is. Kill a monster to increase the chain count, and do another “exact value” search for your new chain number. Repeat until you isolate the two registers which contain this information, and set them to be greater than 325 (growth speeds up above this value). You’ll still have to grind, but it will be faster than before.    … Expand
  11. leSange
    Jan 19, 2019
    7
    +Сначала было дико интересно, катсцены хорошо сделаны, сюжет захватывает
    +Jrpg для ленивых
    +Герои сами прокачиваются, сами просят шмот, сами улучшают шмот, удобно, даже интересно до чего они докачаются +Как то поудобнее чем в FFXIII, хоть и не так графонисто -Половину фитч узнал прочитав в интернете -Можно профтыкать куда сказали идти в последнем диалоге и бегай по миру ищи куда тебе    +Сначала было дико интересно, катсцены хорошо сделаны, сюжет захватывает
    +Jrpg для ленивых
    +Герои сами прокачиваются, сами просят шмот, сами улучшают шмот, удобно, даже интересно до чего они докачаются
    +Как то поудобнее чем в FFXIII, хоть и не так графонисто
    -Половину фитч узнал прочитав в интернете
    -Можно профтыкать куда сказали идти в последнем диалоге и бегай по миру ищи куда тебе надо, в журнале только сайд квесты
    -Часто сложно, нужно гриндить
    -После 30ти часов надоедает однообразие    … Expand
  12. VayaRollito
    Apr 19, 2016
    6
    La historia no engancha mucho y la jugabilidad es normalita pero en general está bien, podíamos decir que es decente para pagar 10 euros por él, pero no llega a ser tan bueno como otros títulos como Pandoras Tower o Xenoblade Chronicles.
  13. Manzanetti
    Aug 10, 2020
    5
    A little disappointed with the game overall. Didn't get the character progression system 100% (it may be my problem) and the story felt quite underwhelming. It's entertaining at least.
  14. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    6
    The combat is REALLY fun but the rest of the game sucks hard.

    The main appeal of the game is that rather than playing as a JRPG party of 6 characters, you instead lead a warband of 5 parties of 5 characters each. You lead a small army of humans, fat fishmen with giant axes, little frog people, and four armed lynxes in cinematic turn based combat while awesome powermetal music is    The combat is REALLY fun but the rest of the game sucks hard.

    The main appeal of the game is that rather than playing as a JRPG party of 6 characters, you instead lead a warband of 5 parties of 5 characters each. You lead a small army of humans, fat fishmen with giant axes, little frog people, and four armed lynxes in cinematic turn based combat while awesome powermetal music is playing. On that note, the game is great.

    The rest of the game is bad. The game does not explain its mechanics very well and you need to consult a wiki or a walkthrough to understand what is going on. The main story is about 20 hours long, and there is 80 hours of optional sidequests. The vast majority of the sidequests disappear if you progress the plot, so you need to consult the wiki or a walkthrough to figure out when to do each sidequest and where to go. Most of the sidequests are tedious "collect bear asses", and that brings me to the game's awful layers of RNG upon layers of RNG. Whenever you load into a zone, the game rolls a dice to determine which enemies spawn. Sometimes you might have to spend several minutes running through a zone to a monster's spawn spot to see if it spawn or not. Then you have to reload, and keep doing it over and over until the monster spawns. Then, if you kill the monster, there is a chance for it to drop the item you need. And then you need to do this several times until you collect enough of the items for turn in... about 50-60% of my total 100 hours of playtime was wasted on this.

    I would strongly recommend playing this game using a cheat program called TLRplanner, as you can force spawn the quest enemy and guarantee that it will drop its entire loot table. It also allows you to just straight up teleport to the monster and get to the fun battles part. You will enjoy the game so much more.

    Story: the setting is interesting on paper, but the actual story we get ingame is rather barebones. The English voice acting for the main characters and the villain is good, but ranges from "okay" to hilariously bad for everyone else.

    I played the PC port with an AMD graphics card and got screentearing. There was no option to stop it. I tried using the Borderless Gaming program to get rid of it, to no avail. I eventually just gave up and endured it.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
13
#13 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23
  1. 3DJuegos
    76
    The promising The Last Remnant gets its best on PC thanks to a technical polish that's far better than the Xbox 360 version. Square Enix achieves an occasional enjoyment in its proposal, with an interesting story and a long term fascinating combat system.
    Read full review
  2. Gamers.at
    71
    Why does Square Enix port a mediocre game like Last Remnant and not a hit like Final Fantasy?! Why do I need a Gamepad for perfect control?! We recommend Last Remnant only to those select few J-RPG-Fans, who don't own a console… which should probably be about 10 people worldwide.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    80
    The PC version of this fun and fascinating role-playing game is far superior to its Xbox 360 counterpart.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »