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
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  1. 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
  2. rafaelavelino
    Nov 28, 2020
    8
    Embora ao jogar pela primeira vez possa causar estranhamento pelo sistema de batalha, depois de insistir um pouco você acaba colocando ele na sua prateleira de clássicos favoritos.

    Não é um tipo de jogo que esteve ou estará, com sua versão remasterizada, entre os melhores do ano, mas também não pode ser ignorado. https://t.co/yAptVkoq0c?amp=1
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. Ratel44
    Sep 26, 2018
    8
    I'm not a fan of, so-called JRPG but man, best combat system i ever saw. characters are pretty ool too. But my favourite combat system.
  6. Sawlyn
    Sep 21, 2018
    10
    || Review in English and Portuguese. $// Analise em Inglês e Português. ||
    || Review in English - Score: 9 ||
    It's an excellent game, greatly underestimated because of lazy reviews that said it was too hard (I imagine Dark Souls would have it with these critics...), at least for me it was not that monster they talked about, it was worth paddling against tide and play it... Good story,    || Review in English and Portuguese. $// Analise em Inglês e Português. ||
    || Review in English - Score: 9 ||
    It's an excellent game, greatly underestimated because of lazy reviews that said it was too hard (I imagine Dark Souls would have it with these critics...), at least for me it was not that monster they talked about, it was worth paddling against tide and play it...
    Good story, great characters, perfect soundtrack, great graphics; secondary missions, challenges and secrets that leave nothing to be desired; the battle system is a bit tricky for beginners, but as soon as you catch the flow it's one of the most interesting gaming experiences I've ever had.
    If you like strategy RPGs, this is one that you have to play!!

    || Analise em Português - Nota: 9 ||
    É um excelente jogo, muito subestimado por causa de reviews preguiçosas que falavam que era difícil demais (imagino que nota Dark Souls teria com esses críticos...), pelo menos para mim não foi esse monstro que falavam, valeu a pena remar contra a maré e jogá-lo...
    Boa história, ótimos personagens, trilha sonora perfeita, ótimos gráficos; missões secundarias, desafios e segredos que não deixam a deseja; o sistema de batalha é um pouco complicado para iniciantes, mas assim que você pega o fluxo é uma das experiências de jogo mais interessantes que já tive
    Se você gosta de RPGs de estratégia, esse é um dos que você tem que jogar!!    … Expand
  7. Marius2099
    Jun 16, 2016
    8
    this game is very simple yet complex at the same time there are about if not more than 100 different formations with the variations depending on who you put into each squad and where you put them you can unlock the variations if you do it right..you start off with1 group but you can have up to 5 groups after a while and you can use 3 for killing enemies and 2 for support/healing (withthis game is very simple yet complex at the same time there are about if not more than 100 different formations with the variations depending on who you put into each squad and where you put them you can unlock the variations if you do it right..you start off with1 group but you can have up to 5 groups after a while and you can use 3 for killing enemies and 2 for support/healing (with damage dealers to keep themselves alive) with the right formations you will have powerhouse groups even at low levels, if 3 or more members of a squad use certain magic arts in order you permanently unlock ultimate magic arts that will pop every now and again in battle by the person who learned them, if you do a lot of battles and don't get suprise attacked you build up a chain gage the higher you get that the faster your battle rank goes up the higher your battle rank the higher or more difficult the enemies will be and this is where people run into problems with this game they try to get into a lot of battles to try to level up to make things easier but only make things harder because of this leveling system.
    on another note you can shut off all abilities you don't want your character or any party members using so they can build up other abilities on the PC, consoles don't have that option for some reason.

    visuals are great for it being a port although there is a bit of clipping with the clothing especially on Rush

    the story is good although the main character is kind of simple

    the only real problem I had with this game was that when you try to hire characters late game they are really weak compared to the people you have had since the beginning so you have to level them up a bit if you want to use them    … Expand
  8. kusman
    May 26, 2016
    4
    This game is actually has a lot of potential. it has great music, artstyle, and decent story. for that alone i'll give it 9.
    Sadly the core gameplay is total mess, it lack of control & strategy, therefore combat outcome is HIGHLY dependant on luck. and this game love to punish you for not being lucky. trust me, you'll get to see a lot of undeserved game over screen.
  9. 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.
  10. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 15, 2016
    4
    Ok storyline, Ok world, Ok music, Ok characters, but... extremely horrible combat system. This is supposed to be a new generation tactic rpg? now where's the tactic? There's literally no tactic at all in the fights, then what do you have? Extremely long figths where you click 2 buttons and you just wait 20 hours for everything to happen.
  11. Dyarkulus
    Feb 8, 2015
    10
    A misunderstood game, that gets negative reviews basically by people who didn't understood how the game work. Similar to someone rating with negative punctuation a chess game because they don't know how the pieces move.
    Story and voice work could be better. Still, one of the most addictive games I have ever experienced, essentially due to its battle system. Probably the best battle system    A misunderstood game, that gets negative reviews basically by people who didn't understood how the game work. Similar to someone rating with negative punctuation a chess game because they don't know how the pieces move.
    Story and voice work could be better. Still, one of the most addictive games I have ever experienced, essentially due to its battle system. Probably the best battle system of all JRPG's that have been released so far.    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. Dark_wizzie
    Aug 7, 2014
    8
    Gameplay: Very novel, steep learning curve. Mashing random commands gets you killed in tough boss fights. Overall game is a challenge, a refreshing change to all the "casual", easy games nowadays. You control unions, which are groups of soldiers. You will not find a more thought-out and different battle system anywhere. Even though this game is clearly aimed for more hardcore players, thatGameplay: Very novel, steep learning curve. Mashing random commands gets you killed in tough boss fights. Overall game is a challenge, a refreshing change to all the "casual", easy games nowadays. You control unions, which are groups of soldiers. You will not find a more thought-out and different battle system anywhere. Even though this game is clearly aimed for more hardcore players, that doesn't mean the game needs to leave the player in the dark about most parts of the mechanics. The keys shown ingame are Xbox buttons, not keyboard buttons, which is not good. There are things I learn about the game mechanics and I've finished the game 3 times. It speaks to the depth of the battle mechanics but also just how little the game guides you. Some people accuse the battle-system of being too luck based. This is not true. It only seems luck based because you don't understand the game mechanics enough so you're assuming all the battle commands are random. It's not. And the veterans of the game knows this, so they create ridiculously powerful, low-level run-throughs that can beat DLC bosses. Every single review you see where the player complains that the game is "too hard" or "luck based", you should ignore, because they don't understand the game and how to play it. There are countless weapons you can make and/or customize. With the PC version you can now finally manually equip the members of your union with whatever you want, even units that isn't Rush. (Doable via ini tweak) This opens up the doors for more serious customization of each character.

    Quests - Weak to average. Could use some more drama. Didn't feel too involved. Main quest is better, but story needs some work. The worst are the cutscene animations. But I find that JRPG cutscenes all tend to leave me squirming at the desk. Would have liked all dialogue to be voiced. Mouth animations sometimes don't perfectly match the dialogue spoken. Also, some quests are very easily missable and will be disappear without the player knowing if the player continues to story too far. This can lead to some serious consequences: For example, you must defeat the large-ass bird to later get the chance to defeat the Fallen, so that you can access the DLC dungeon. The player has no way to know this without checking a guide. I also dislike how the final boss's difficult scales based on how many quests you've done. Having a final boss feel easier to beat than the major boss midway in the game is unsettling - it hints that the battles were improperly balanced. But it's not significant enough for me to really feel this way. I still feel the final boss should have been made more difficult. However, the DLC bosses will surely give you a run for your money.

    Character Design - Very good. Monster designs are recycled a bit too much for my tastes.

    Performance - Framerate issues on Xbox is over on the PC. PC version has many updates compared to the Xbox version. The turbo mode is a must-have for seasoned TLR players. Free DLC. New Game+ that is on hard mode. Graphics are so-so but easy to run on a weak machine. Texture pop-in remains a problem but I managed to cut it down to only 2 seconds or less.

    Soundtrack - Kick-ass.

    And holy **** people on the internet are absolute morons. 1/10 rating is what you reserve for a game like Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing, not a game like The Last Remnant. Just hows how immature, impatient, and patently stupid some reviewers are. This game can be bought very cheaply. Because of this, I recommend grabbing it on Steam sale if you can, just know that you won't fully enjoy it unless you really spend time on the game.

    If you're a very story-orientated or graphics-orientated player or one just looking for a casual game to waste some time, you will probably not like this game. Subconsciously subtract 2-3 points from my rating if that's the case. If you're a hardcore JRPG type of person and you take on grinding and foreign mechanics and difficult bosses as "challenge accepted", add 1 point to my score.    … Expand
  14. gsninja
    Jul 21, 2014
    8
    Arguably one of the most underappreciated, if flawed, games of the past decade or so. That being said, it's not a game for everyone, but a product that's far better than what the hack critics said it is.
  15. AnonXD
    Jun 21, 2014
    10
    Thank you steam summer sale for putting this game on my radar. I payed $2.50 for this game, and having played it extensively, I would have bought it for full price in a heartbeat.

    The story is genuinely engaging and the visuals hold well even today. The combat is complex, but it's rewarding and, once mastered, is a blast. If you're looking for a JRPG to keep you satisfied for 60+    Thank you steam summer sale for putting this game on my radar. I payed $2.50 for this game, and having played it extensively, I would have bought it for full price in a heartbeat.

    The story is genuinely engaging and the visuals hold well even today.

    The combat is complex, but it's rewarding and, once mastered, is a blast. If you're looking for a JRPG to keep you satisfied for 60+ hours, look no further.    … Expand
  16. 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.
  17. rzrrazer
    Jan 11, 2014
    10
    The last remnant is a game that any grand rpg fan should try. Its battle system at first glaces is a convoluted example of battlefield confusion, however after you get use to it, this game is one of the moat enjoyable gaming experiences ive ever had. After you get use to the battles you uncover a wonderful character development system, crafting system, and an over the top feeling ofThe last remnant is a game that any grand rpg fan should try. Its battle system at first glaces is a convoluted example of battlefield confusion, however after you get use to it, this game is one of the moat enjoyable gaming experiences ive ever had. After you get use to the battles you uncover a wonderful character development system, crafting system, and an over the top feeling of accomplishment when you take on a ron on monster at once and prevail. Highly recommend.… Expand
  18. 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
  19. TastedCorn
    Dec 20, 2013
    10
    The last remnant, while being a relatively old JRPG and slightly complicated understand, is a game that not only has a good story line with fairly well made cut scenes but provides that optimal amount of challenge as well as a non repetitive way to grind in order to beat a challenging boss or complete a chapter of the story.

    Pros: - Good storyline - Well done up cutscenes - Fresh    The last remnant, while being a relatively old JRPG and slightly complicated understand, is a game that not only has a good story line with fairly well made cut scenes but provides that optimal amount of challenge as well as a non repetitive way to grind in order to beat a challenging boss or complete a chapter of the story.

    Pros:
    - Good storyline
    - Well done up cutscenes
    - Fresh concept to rpg team building and combat
    - Many hours of gameplay
    - Good replayability(New Game +)
    - Good spread of characters allow for many hours of trial and error

    Cons:
    - Xbox control based tutorials make it hard to learn to play at the start
    - Certain concepts like upgrading weapons for your team are extremely hard to understand
    - It can become really hard to find or farm for certain items towards the later half of the game
    - Some wrong decisions in game can really cost you

    Despite the Shortfalls, give the game a while and you will come to love it.    … Expand
  20. AlienSpaceBats
    Oct 8, 2013
    4
    I really wanted to like this game. At first, things seemed promising, if a little dumb. At its best, The Last Remnant recalls numerous JRPGs that were released during the PS2's lifespan (in fact it reminds me of a bunch of 6th gen titles); at its worst it is tedious, bland, repetitive, filled with poorly explained mechanics (if at all) and 'walls' (bosses). Also goes against typical JRPGI really wanted to like this game. At first, things seemed promising, if a little dumb. At its best, The Last Remnant recalls numerous JRPGs that were released during the PS2's lifespan (in fact it reminds me of a bunch of 6th gen titles); at its worst it is tedious, bland, repetitive, filled with poorly explained mechanics (if at all) and 'walls' (bosses). Also goes against typical JRPG sensibilities with enemy scaling (grinding levels makes enemies tougher too), combat (which makes up 80% of the game) can be exciting and delivered in a turn based, cinematic manner, though mechanics are randomly unfair, frustrating and broken. Practically automated, the game takes away the majority of decision-making on the part of the player; you can not choose when to use a summon, special attacks, heal specific party members or use spells until the game gives you the option, even then, it chooses which spell that it will use for you. Outside of combat the game is equally obtuse, quests and storylines regularly grind to a halt because the player is not given a single clue about what to do next, just a single, unhelpful sentence in a red-lined speech bubble. Best left alone, The Last Remnant can provide a certain amount of fun for a time (what constitutes "Disc 1" on the 360 version) then you hit one of those walls.… Expand
  21. Omaeka
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    This game is SquareJP's finest work this generation. The story, whilst being somewhat generic is a shining example of how you take a generic concept and make it more than that. In this game, you do not control a few singular characters, instead you have 'unions' which you form with a key character acting as a general so to speak, with bodyguards and special units in the union. You can haveThis game is SquareJP's finest work this generation. The story, whilst being somewhat generic is a shining example of how you take a generic concept and make it more than that. In this game, you do not control a few singular characters, instead you have 'unions' which you form with a key character acting as a general so to speak, with bodyguards and special units in the union. You can have several unions depending on your battle level which allows for some jaw dropping gigantic battles against hostile unions. The traditional Japanese roleplaying elements are heavily modified, with RTS style tactics of engaging and 'deadlocking' enemies in a close combat fight whilst your other unions move around to flank them or intercept enemies who are trying to flank your unions whilst they are in a deadlock. All of this is controlled with a sleek, stylish interface and battle controls identical to a traditional JRPG and is very easy to use whilst having respectable depth. If you think that the game is an actual RTS in the way it handles, and are put off by it, don't be because it isn't. This is a fantastic example of how you can merge two genres together whilst catering to every bodies tastes.

    At £7.99/$9.99, this game is more than worth it, and is a no brainer in a sale. I'm not even a huge JRPG fan at all, and other than Final Fantasy 4, 7, 13 and Lost Odyssey, I have never played any other ones and I have to say this one is easily the best. If like me you were left with a sour taste in your mouth after the latest, awful Final Fantasy games, The Last Remnant is a breath of fresh air, a fantastic new IP and proof that Square have not lost their touch.

    9/10    … Expand
  22. Kenjori
    Aug 6, 2013
    10
    This is a unique game for PC players who love J-RPG games. It has strategy aspect, character building aspect, stat grinding and item farming possibilities and most of all a good story. If you like this genre, this is the best (and the only one for PC) game ever published. Don't mind the hate reviews written by FPS players Again, this is a great game if you like turn based J-RPG genre..
  23. TXTSWORD
    Jul 10, 2013
    10
    This game is incredibly good if you can appreciate the complexity of the union dynamic and the way it relates to individual leaders and their classes/unique stats. Most criticisms of the game seem to stem from a lack of patience or understanding which is fine, if you found the game too complicated you have the right not to like it as long as you understand the system and critique itThis game is incredibly good if you can appreciate the complexity of the union dynamic and the way it relates to individual leaders and their classes/unique stats. Most criticisms of the game seem to stem from a lack of patience or understanding which is fine, if you found the game too complicated you have the right not to like it as long as you understand the system and critique it accurately or admit to not understanding. The story is not something I find very interesting, but the world and aesthetic is something pretty exceptional. I'm choosing not to reduce my score based on the story because I simply find it to be not my taste and thus it's not really fair for me to judge it based on that as well as the fact it doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the game.

    How the combat works is: your unions (max of 5 unions, max of 5 units per union up to a total of 18 units) are something like a single character in an of themselves, but a very complex one. A union is a sort of machine that you must tune to be able to function the way you want it to. You don't get to micromanage and select the exact action of each and every unit in the union, but that's part of the fun. To manipulate the variables that ensure the actions you want, you have to focus your units by answering their questions on how to train, and by using the commands you find most appropriately fit your "role". For example, if you wish to be a combat unit you should avoid using mystic commands. These types of systems are made easier by the PC exclusive ability to entirely turn off certain skills for each unit. In addition to that, the way you use a character will determine their class or title, and classes may have unique commands you can give your union such as the ability to launch into a back attack freely. Unions have aggregate HP, reinforcing the idea that they are sort of a single "character", however it's a misconception that individual units won't die without the death of the entire union. If a single unit in a union is focused on or fails a "curse" check, that individual unit will die. Sometimes that unit is the leader of a union, which creates a situation in which you cannot issue commands to the union. The battle system is complex and interesting and I enjoy the time I spend looking at the wiki when I'm not playing assessing unique leader value and imagining how they might fit into my dream team. Take an honest look at the slow death of the stale JRPG series and then take a second to appreciate games like this one that add a fresh spin (okay well this is 4 years after it's release but whatever) on a once beloved genre. It's unfortunate that games like this one don't see the acclaim I feel they deserve. The JRPG genre had a chance to grow and change and evolve into the current age of relevant gaming and we all dropped the ball. This game is fantastic. Check it out.    … Expand
  24. balvan64
    Jun 23, 2013
    9
    Great Game, not sure why critics gave it such a low score.
    It's a real gem!

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  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. reepo
    Jan 26, 2013
    9
    The Last Remnant has wonderful graphics and a deep story line. As a completionist I found wonderful challenges throughout the game- even after most side quests had been completed, which is rare for most games of this nature. I am excited to try another playthrough.
  28. 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
  29. DrBrogbo
    Nov 14, 2012
    2
    This game is horrible! On paper, the battle system sounds very interesting, with the ability to rush head-on at a unit, flank, counter-attack, etc. The problem is that, with the exception of the quick-time-event countering, combat devolves into a fuster-cluck mish-mash of arbitrary nonsense. Being able to form "unions" (tiny 1-5 man groups of units) and give them tactics sounds appealing,This game is horrible! On paper, the battle system sounds very interesting, with the ability to rush head-on at a unit, flank, counter-attack, etc. The problem is that, with the exception of the quick-time-event countering, combat devolves into a fuster-cluck mish-mash of arbitrary nonsense. Being able to form "unions" (tiny 1-5 man groups of units) and give them tactics sounds appealing, but it isn't. You can't really tell them what to do. You're given a predetermined list of commands (which are supposed to be smartly chosen based on context, but since fully-healed units are given the option to heal themselves, and units at the brink of death are not, it's easy to see the list is random), some of which make no sense, and not all of which are followed by your units. Telling a union to heal will see them charging into battle and attacking more often than not. If you're fighting in a battle of 5 unions or more, prepare to have absolutely no idea who is attacking who, which units are enemies and which are friendly, etc. Even once you've played for a few hours and gotten a hang of the "tactics," the game never becomes fun. Issuing orders to groups of units seems like it would make you feel like a commander (like in an RTS), but the battles are never large enough to feel that way. It simply feels like you're one step removed from combat, almost like you're watching someone else play an RPG. Plus, it seems like combat is either won without any challenge, or your units are wiped out in the first round. There are far too many battles early on where you have one unit in a union facing an enemy union of 3-4 weakling units, which will completely demolish you in one turn. Game over. Repeat ad nauseum. Maybe 14th time is the charm? This game is absolutely not fun in the slightest bit, and if I hadn't gotten this as part of a $10 7-game pack, I would be even more pissed off than I am right now. Avoid at all costs. Play Xenoblade or Last Story if you want a good modern JRPG.… Expand
  30. PrincessSunny
    Aug 9, 2012
    10
    The gameplay in Last Remnant is very unique and seems very much like an experiment, which would help to explain the marmite-ness of the game. Many people detest it, while I absolutely adore it. Other than gameplay, it's a fairly normal JRPG regarding art style and characters - the main character is your standard overexcitable, courageous but a little bit stupid young boy surrounded by aThe gameplay in Last Remnant is very unique and seems very much like an experiment, which would help to explain the marmite-ness of the game. Many people detest it, while I absolutely adore it. Other than gameplay, it's a fairly normal JRPG regarding art style and characters - the main character is your standard overexcitable, courageous but a little bit stupid young boy surrounded by a vibrant and eccentric (and very large) cast of characters. The graphics are INCREDIBLE. The cities are amazingly beautiful, you can see for miles off of cliffs and the graphics stay high standard even in battles. As I said before, gameplay is very unique and may take some time getting used to (or you may just dislike it). You organise your units before the fight starts, putting them into 'unions' of 1-5 people with different setups allowing these unions to have certain strengths depending on how all of the units in it work together. Combat is based a lot on the field and has a certain element of randomness. The commands you can give to your unions are based on things like proximity to enemy, if they're currently in combat as well as depending on the capabilities of the union as well as the special skills the union leader possesses. Several field bonuses are awarded for things like intercepting enemies, attacking in groups or from certain directions which also affects morale. Magic is a bit lacking at the start of the game but at the end you can choose from a large array of interesting healing magic, devastating AoE magic, status-inflicting hexes and magic that can manipulate the field of play and morale. Admittedly, the combat is overall pretty complicated and the game doesn't explain it very well. You have an extremely large cast of characters that you meet throughout the game giving you total customisability of your unions, also all having their own voicing in battle and some many have unique special abilities. There are tonnes of boss-type monsters in the game, some mainstream and some unlockable or side bosses, many incredibly hard to kill. The plot isn't amazing, it feels like the game tries to showcase some amazing storyline while it should have just accepted it's fairly standard, but passable plot. All in all, I enjoyed this game immensely. I really wanted to review it to show my appreciation as I felt bad about the mixed reviews this game constantly gets and I hope that the creators know some people still love this game (literally, my playtime for this game shows 225 hours!). Additionally, in response to some other reviews, you can skip cutscenes easily by pressing Pause/Break on the keyboard and then 'S' I believe. The game should have been clearer about that. I hear the Xbox version sucks eggs.… Expand
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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.
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  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.
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  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
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