The Last Story

 Wii
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 239 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 239
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 239
  3. Negative: 15 out of 239
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. f_type
    Aug 15, 2012
    8
    The Last Story is a very good, if flawed, JRPG. It's a traditional RPG at its roots but it plays out more like an action game with its varied and mission based gameplay. The game's key selling point is the creative real time combat system which combines quick combat with strategy. You will need to micro-manage multiple elements on the battle field and your own party members in order toThe Last Story is a very good, if flawed, JRPG. It's a traditional RPG at its roots but it plays out more like an action game with its varied and mission based gameplay. The game's key selling point is the creative real time combat system which combines quick combat with strategy. You will need to micro-manage multiple elements on the battle field and your own party members in order to overcome some hectic battles. The game also boosts a fantastic musical score and art direction, but the game is hindered by frequent by slowdown (which is especially annoying during combat). The story is enjoyable but a tad too predictable. The cast is fairly deep and well developed. The voice work is excellent but the dialogue is very cheesy. Even with all of these complaints, something about this game often put a smile on my face. It only lasts about 20-25 hours and is a bit on the easy side, but it's a heartfelt and enjoyable adventure. *PS* I played the original PAL (UK) release, and because the US release is the same exact game, I figured I'd provide my insights on the game for early adopters (especially since I actually played and beat it).… Expand
  2. Happymonk
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Last Story is an awesome game, from it's great gameplay to it's brilliant musical score. It is very much a traditional JRPG at heart, with the kinds of characters that you'd expect from any Final Fantasy doing the rounds. But it does differentiate itself rather well from the traditional "young man or woman with amnesia" style of character: the way the characters all interact with each other is fantastic and really adds a human layer to the proceedings, leading the way to a climatic ending where Zael (the main protagonist of the piece) has to battle against everything he knows to be right and wrong. And that is what the game is really about, a man's struggle to find his place in the world, challenging what he knows while making (and losing) friends along the way. The combat system is also a breath of fresh air when it comes to JRPGs, it is not turn based, but real-time and actually relatively strategic. It's not perfect, but it could really come alive with a sequel. The musical score (as you'd expect) is fantastic and really fits the mood of the game well. But it doesn't deserve a "ten" for a few reasons, the graphics, while great, are occasionally jarring with some parts looking fantastic and others looking like a (high end) game from the last generation; which is a little disappointing. It is also just a tad short (clocking in at just over 20 hours depending on skill) for me, it seemed as though it should not have ended that early, I would have happily played a further 10-15 hours. To sum it up, this is a fantastic game that does almost everything right, 90/100.… Expand
  3. RecoveryRx
    Nov 29, 2013
    9
    It's been quite a while since I enjoyed an rpg all the way through like I did this one. For the Wii the graphics are pretty good and it's just a blast in my opinion. It's not a perfect rpg, but it is very well done. Here are some thoughts:

    Pro's: - While not extremely deep or complex, the storyline is enjoyable - Fantastic cast of characters around the main protagonist - Very    It's been quite a while since I enjoyed an rpg all the way through like I did this one. For the Wii the graphics are pretty good and it's just a blast in my opinion. It's not a perfect rpg, but it is very well done. Here are some thoughts:

    Pro's:
    - While not extremely deep or complex, the storyline is enjoyable
    - Fantastic cast of characters around the main protagonist
    - Very amusing with funny banter frequently
    - Some adult themes occasionally which were pretty amusing
    - Lots of little side things to do throughout town that continue to pop up throughout the game over time
    - Battle system is original and fun
    - Weapon upgrade system is fun and not too complex
    - Quite a few optional story missions and dungeons
    - New game +

    Cons:
    - Very linear game
    - Not open world, you are pretty much stuck to the city the whole time.
    - Other characters in the party, while fun and amusing, could use more back story
    - Somewhat short for an rpg    … Expand
  4. CorazonAzul
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    Slowly immerses the player into a caliber of story-telling from the golden age. Pushing capabilities and a combat system worth its weight make The Last Story another truly delivering experience from the veterans.
  5. Bustergundam4
    Dec 24, 2013
    10
    Plot Summary:
    In this captivating game you play as male name Zeal and his 6 mercenary comrades Yurick (the pyromancer),Syrenne (the hearty drinker),Dagran(the helpful friend),Lowell(the cryomancer/flirt),Calista(the dreamer),and Mirania (the healer stomach of 10 men) as you band together to save the world from a deteriorating fate.While playing this game, I have felt captivated by the    Plot Summary:
    In this captivating game you play as male name Zeal and his 6 mercenary comrades Yurick (the pyromancer),Syrenne (the hearty drinker),Dagran(the helpful friend),Lowell(the cryomancer/flirt),Calista(the dreamer),and Mirania (the healer stomach of 10 men) as you band together to save the world from a deteriorating fate.While playing this game, I have felt captivated by the game's articulate use of scenery and vocabulary.I was also pleased with the relative character personalities.    … Expand
  6. Vicentan91
    Aug 21, 2013
    10
    Personally i think this game is the best that WII as to offer, it got amazing graphics(it's a WII, so don't expect more than what it can handle lol), but the game play is the best this game has to offer, i got so addicted to the story i just had to finish it, couldn't play anything else until i finished it first. the last battles are really difficult, at less for me eh eh, i give it a 10,Personally i think this game is the best that WII as to offer, it got amazing graphics(it's a WII, so don't expect more than what it can handle lol), but the game play is the best this game has to offer, i got so addicted to the story i just had to finish it, couldn't play anything else until i finished it first. the last battles are really difficult, at less for me eh eh, i give it a 10, because this game for me is one of the few that really makes me think that owning a wii isn't so bad. :D… Expand
  7. Vandral007
    Nov 27, 2012
    8
    The Last Story is a great send-off to Wii! Despite working with outdated hardware, the game looks and sounds fantastic. The characters are well rounded, the voice acting for the most part is quite well done. The story kept me hooked throughout the game, and how many RPG's come with an online mode? Not many. The only thing hampering this game is some performance issues I ran into and aThe Last Story is a great send-off to Wii! Despite working with outdated hardware, the game looks and sounds fantastic. The characters are well rounded, the voice acting for the most part is quite well done. The story kept me hooked throughout the game, and how many RPG's come with an online mode? Not many. The only thing hampering this game is some performance issues I ran into and a somewhat lackluster ending to an otherwise fantastic story.… Expand
  8. SnowDay
    Aug 12, 2015
    8
    The Last Story is the game Final Fantasy XII wanted to be. The battle system is intriguing and different, while the game's presentation seems all too familiar.
  9. Carlitoxic
    Jan 14, 2013
    9
    Hironobu Sakaguchi makes a great Rpg for this generation. Good and beautiful music from N. Uematsu, great battle system and entertaiment history, not good, not bad, but passable. One of the biggest RPG of this poor generation in this genre.
  10. KillaRiku
    Aug 13, 2013
    9
    Good graphics, good gameplay, good music, good story, good game. Is there anything more to say?
    No! It is a really good game on Wii so buy it, if you can!
  11. JackieCruise69
    Jan 7, 2014
    10
    Another amazing game that came late to the Wii's life was this one. I wish I knew about it sooner, because I completely regret not being able to buy the special edition for this game. The game has beautiful art direction and the music is just as good. The characters are very well done and the game itself is just fun and definitely fits in right beside Xenoblade Chronicles for my favoriteAnother amazing game that came late to the Wii's life was this one. I wish I knew about it sooner, because I completely regret not being able to buy the special edition for this game. The game has beautiful art direction and the music is just as good. The characters are very well done and the game itself is just fun and definitely fits in right beside Xenoblade Chronicles for my favorite games.
    The Last Story is another beautiful game made by the man who kicked off the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy, and it definitely shows.
    The last Story has like-able characters, funny dialogue, unique game play, and surprisingly good graphics for the Wii.
    It obviously has it's small flaws, but overall this game is well done despite being made by a smaller company. This is definitely a game that needs support, so I'd definitely recommend to dust your Wii off or play on Wii U, because this game is another must-have for JRPG owners.    … Expand
  12. BAG-GOMEZ
    Mar 22, 2014
    10
    Nintendo's done it again. After the SUPER MARIO GALAXY games, THE LAST STORY is the best Nintendo game for the Wii, and one of the best games on the Wii overall. Unique gameplay, graphics comparable to an HD game, clever characters, classic and well-written Fantasy storyline finally made interesting, and witty humor coming from every turn, and the only thing to complain about are theNintendo's done it again. After the SUPER MARIO GALAXY games, THE LAST STORY is the best Nintendo game for the Wii, and one of the best games on the Wii overall. Unique gameplay, graphics comparable to an HD game, clever characters, classic and well-written Fantasy storyline finally made interesting, and witty humor coming from every turn, and the only thing to complain about are the character models' poor facial feature and bad lip syncing (though the latter clears up around the middle of the game). This game easily gives even SQUARE ENIX's FINAL FANTASY and Disney's KINGDOM HEARTS franchises a run for a run for their money in the Fantasy department. Would love to see Nintendo make a Wii U remake of this game (and publish it themselves, they own this game after all). Bravo to THE LAST STORY.… Expand
  13. Sephiroth_X
    Jan 7, 2015
    8
    Im putting an 8 just because the game kicked ass in the final moments, but truly deserves a 7.5 being generous.

    The last story is a nice story with its faults of narrative, sometimes you feel they missed some spots to make the story more believable, but it also compensates by giving some sweet moments that immerse you in the tale. Expect some bidimensional antagonists and some surprises    Im putting an 8 just because the game kicked ass in the final moments, but truly deserves a 7.5 being generous.

    The last story is a nice story with its faults of narrative, sometimes you feel they missed some spots to make the story more believable, but it also compensates by giving some sweet moments that immerse you in the tale. Expect some bidimensional antagonists and some surprises as well.

    Battle system, when you get the hang of things is great, too bad the game is TOO EASY! practically plays by itself. It is also very linear and short but those things i dont mind really. Last 2 bosses are challenging enough specially if you come under leveled (there's no need to grind in this game at all!)

    Characters are nice except for the main one, voice acting is ok, music is alright with some nice tunes near the end as well.

    Dont expect a masterpiece, take the game for what it is and youll enjoy it! A nice experience not to be missed by RPG fans and non alike, specially since is a good game to introduce anyone to the genre, is THAT easy.    … Expand
  14. Steyraus
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    For me this game is an almost perfect JRPG. It has the beautiful story and magical settings, but without the boring hit {A} for 150 hours until you win game play most JRPGs have. The combat keeps you involved and allows you to pull of cool attacks and defense with timing and character placement. It has to be one of the nicest looking games on the Wii, which dosent say much as the hardwareFor me this game is an almost perfect JRPG. It has the beautiful story and magical settings, but without the boring hit {A} for 150 hours until you win game play most JRPGs have. The combat keeps you involved and allows you to pull of cool attacks and defense with timing and character placement. It has to be one of the nicest looking games on the Wii, which dosent say much as the hardware was very limited, but is still beautiful.. The game is paced Perfectly, its not 20 hours of grinding for 2 hours of story. Something interesting is always happening as you make your way through the story.… Expand
  15. drmaemo
    Jul 19, 2016
    10
    I gave The Last Story a high mark because the exceeded my expectations. I liked The Last Story because (a) it has a strong story and (b) unique game play elements.

    Story: The Last Story has a wonderful story to tell and the story is told in a way that kept my interest. The game kept me wanting to see what happens next. I played this game for 4-8 hours in a session. The voice acting is    I gave The Last Story a high mark because the exceeded my expectations. I liked The Last Story because (a) it has a strong story and (b) unique game play elements.

    Story: The Last Story has a wonderful story to tell and the story is told in a way that kept my interest. The game kept me wanting to see what happens next. I played this game for 4-8 hours in a session. The voice acting is very good, with each character voice exhibiting unique personality. My favorite character personality was Syrenne and her chick phrases. Although some background textures can be quite poor; I found the environments and art style to be perfect for the story and its surrounding. The music is very good that adds a great element to the story (especially in the later chapters), as well as, non-story parts.

    Gameplay: The game has several unique game play elements that are fun, and one that takes quite a bit of adjustment. Having to press a button to reset the camera took me quite a bit of time to adjust. However, what I did like about the game play was (a) great mix of real-time combat offense and defense abilities, (b) story is at your own pace and offers player non-story activities like exploration and a variety of side quests, (c) side quests are more like dungeons that can be replayed multiple times to gain experience, (d) an upgrade system for weapons and armor.

    The game does a great job of adjusting the difficulty to suite the ability of the player. Early boss battles are not all that difficult, and boss battles progressively become more difficult as the player progresses through the story. Defeating some bosses are quite challenging because it takes several deaths to learn the weakness of some of the bosses. The difficulty of all enemies and bosses increases progressively and significantly when replaying the dungeons.

    I was not expecting The Last Story to be a good as I experienced. It did take about 5 hours to get hooked, but once I was hooked, it was a very rewarding experience. I spent approximately 40 hrs playing this game completing nearly all of the side quests and replaying the dungeons numerous times. The Last Story has a lot to offer for games who likes an engaging story, real time combat, adaptable to new/unique control mechanics, and some role playing elements.    … Expand
  16. Daze072401
    Dec 26, 2018
    10
    By no means flawless, The Last Story served as the Wii's swansong- it was the Wii's last story, true to its name. Some will get hung up by the games' abysmal framerate; others, it's janky default settings. But those willing to go along the ride like I did will find the utterly beautiful narrative, majestic soundtrack, excellent art style, and addicting combat more than make up for itsBy no means flawless, The Last Story served as the Wii's swansong- it was the Wii's last story, true to its name. Some will get hung up by the games' abysmal framerate; others, it's janky default settings. But those willing to go along the ride like I did will find the utterly beautiful narrative, majestic soundtrack, excellent art style, and addicting combat more than make up for its flaws, culminating in the most criminally underrated RPG out there. Of the JRPG trinity Operation Rainfall gave Americans, The Last Story is the greatest of them.… Expand
  17. Olzar
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    I've never played an action RPG that plays like this. All the options on how you can approach enemies is really interesting and fun. And the game is beautiful and sounds great. I truly hope this becomes an ongoing series
  18. Cholulo
    Sep 1, 2012
    10
    What an amazing game. it is worth every penny. it is one of the best j rpgs of all time and i think its close to xenoblade. had a great story. i did not finish the game yet but so far its been a great experience. good graphics for the wii and had great gameplay
  19. dharma
    Aug 16, 2012
    9
    The Wii's last hurrah is also one of its best. JRPG's are renowned for being repetitive, with lots and lots of padding in the guise of 'leveling up'. This is not the case with this fast paced adventure, Sakaguchi's best since, well..Final Fantasy! It gives you the great storyline and characterization that JRPG's are renowned for, minus all the weaknesses that this genre has suffered forThe Wii's last hurrah is also one of its best. JRPG's are renowned for being repetitive, with lots and lots of padding in the guise of 'leveling up'. This is not the case with this fast paced adventure, Sakaguchi's best since, well..Final Fantasy! It gives you the great storyline and characterization that JRPG's are renowned for, minus all the weaknesses that this genre has suffered for at least a decade. Great, interactive combat system that is strategic and exciting (hullo...Kingdom Hearts). It has great music and despite having low res graphics, it is still a beautiful game. Dust off your Wii and prepare for one of the best JRPG from the true master.… Expand
  20. jhujhubahr
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    ive only played this game for about a week maybe im about half way through it. i have to say i love everything the graphics are well done the characters are well done the weapon choice is great the story itself is amazing one of the best stories ive ever played the JRPG styled format of the game is amazingly done the enemies are superb as are the classes im constantly guessing who did it?ive only played this game for about a week maybe im about half way through it. i have to say i love everything the graphics are well done the characters are well done the weapon choice is great the story itself is amazing one of the best stories ive ever played the JRPG styled format of the game is amazingly done the enemies are superb as are the classes im constantly guessing who did it? i cant wait to get to the end im sure that ill be disappointed that it is over. id say that this game is as good as any Legend of Zelda game on the market and that it is completely worth every penny i spent for it. i know that when i finish this game i will play it again this is the best game for the wii console ive seen in awhile certaintly better than many supposedly great games. no doubt this game deserves the highest score possible certaintly though there are moments where i feel like crying due to the story line, i wont let any of the story i know out of the bag but this is an amazing game and i encourage anyone who has a wii to buy this game if they love a great story… Expand
  21. Esfar
    Apr 29, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have played so many Rpgs in this 7th generation era but I will have to say one thing that this game is certainly one of my top 5 game and 3rd best Jrpg after Ninokuni and Xenoblade.

    Story: Story and character is just to fantastic for any game..I cared about Zoel and his Band of mercenaries.Characters have deep emotional touch with beautiful stories and the main protagonist is one of the best i the RPG genere.

    Graphics: Even though frame rate issue was there i was always wondering how did the old Wii manage to produce such a beautiful game.

    Gameplay: Just 10 out of 10. Blend of RPG strategy and action.    … Expand
  22. lsrngb
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    This review is based on a completed run through of the game.
    It's been a long time since I have played a game like this. This is how Final Fantasy should have been over the last 10 years or so. Most of the complaints that I have about this game would be problems with the wii. I hated the fact that I couldn't see these wonderful characters in HD. I wish I could have used a better    This review is based on a completed run through of the game.
    It's been a long time since I have played a game like this. This is how Final Fantasy should have been over the last 10 years or so. Most of the complaints that I have about this game would be problems with the wii. I hated the fact that I couldn't see these wonderful characters in HD. I wish I could have used a better controller, but that being said, Mistwalker really avoided having useless controller waggle forced into the game. The sound, the game play, the story, the characters were all very enjoyable. I just wish that the game would have been on a grander scale (there is only one town) I wish it would have been longer. My play through took about 36 hours to complete the story, side quests, and epilogue. If you do play, I would recommend playing the co-op in the beginning. The weapons that you win in the co-op mode are very useful in the first half of the game but not so much toward the end. I highly this as the last great wii game.    … Expand
  23. theamity9
    Feb 13, 2013
    10
    An absolute beautiful game. Just what you would expect from the genius behind early Final Fantasy games and the man behind the majority of Final Fantasy's OSTs.

    I just want to get the two bad things out of the way: 1. It's too short. I finished it in 19 hours, which isn't short. But for a game which such a great story you just wish it was longer. 2. This one is a funny one, because    An absolute beautiful game. Just what you would expect from the genius behind early Final Fantasy games and the man behind the majority of Final Fantasy's OSTs.

    I just want to get the two bad things out of the way:
    1. It's too short. I finished it in 19 hours, which isn't short. But for a game which such a great story you just wish it was longer.
    2. This one is a funny one, because it's also one of the best parts about it the battle system. It can get a bit clunky when trying to move while surrounded enemies.

    About from that. The characters reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy X's, but that's a good thing. They feel different enough to not be a copy. Vast majority of the game takes place in 1 town, which might seem like a bit of a bore, but the story flows so brilliantly that it will not bother you.

    Like most JRPGs of the PS2/GC PS3/Wii generation the game is rather linear. But the story is so beautiful and the characters feel so life-like and are totally lovable that you will not care for the linear factor. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII, the linear aspect here works in The Last Story's favor.

    I did want to give it a high 9, as it does have some flaws. But it's more worthy of a 10 as oppose to a 9. Go out and buy this if you have a Wii. It's cheap and worth every dolllar.    … Expand
  24. benji232
    Nov 1, 2012
    9
    This is another great jrpg on the wii. With a few plot twists, lovable characters and a great combat system, this is another must buy for any jrpg fans or wii owners. 8.5/10
  25. ovoon7
    Jan 8, 2014
    10
    I wrote a review of this game August 14th when it was released, and while my score doesn't differ, my opinion does.

    I hadn't completed the game when I wrote the review, but when I finally did, I realized just how much I loved this game and will remember it for years to come. The Last Story and Lost Odyssey really show Mistwalker's talent, and I hope they come out with something new soon.
  26. zeldass
    Aug 14, 2012
    10
    What an amazing game. it is worth every penny. it is one of the best j rpgs of all time and i think its close to xenoblade. had a great story. i did not finish the game yet but so far its been a great experience. good graphics for the wii and had great gameplay
  27. EchosMyron
    Aug 16, 2012
    10
    this game is cool, I like it, |I also think it's good and fun and nice.| When I| played this game it made me feel happy like when I eat ice cream or poop.
  28. Stampede
    Apr 7, 2013
    9
    The characters in this game hook you in before the story even begins to fall into place. There may be missteps, yet that's welcomed when tackling the JRPG genre with a new style of gameplay and battle mechanics. When playing this game I experienced as though I progressed through more of an actual story as oppossed to a campaign with no soul. Truly a one of a kind gem in the Wii libraryThe characters in this game hook you in before the story even begins to fall into place. There may be missteps, yet that's welcomed when tackling the JRPG genre with a new style of gameplay and battle mechanics. When playing this game I experienced as though I progressed through more of an actual story as oppossed to a campaign with no soul. Truly a one of a kind gem in the Wii library that shines brightly.… Expand
  29. periquayo
    Mar 12, 2015
    6
    Overrated.

    Maybe a 7, I give it a 6 because of the hype, and I'm thinking in a 5 as I write... Good things: Great graphics, cool design of characters and world, great start of the story. Bad things: Mainly it becomes very boring. The scenes become boring because of the lack of expression of the character's faces and the voices. The music is not bad but after playing Xenoblade...    Overrated.

    Maybe a 7, I give it a 6 because of the hype, and I'm thinking in a 5 as I write...

    Good things: Great graphics, cool design of characters and world, great start of the story.

    Bad things: Mainly it becomes very boring. The scenes become boring because of the lack of expression of the character's faces and the voices. The music is not bad but after playing Xenoblade... It is not amazing... the same song repeats over an over and it is not that good. I didn't feel any emotion in any of the scenes or the story after the beggining, so the story did not engage me.

    About the gameplay...The battles seem original at the beggining but become very boring, basically you move your character near the enemies to kill them, covering sometimes... And from time to time you have to shoot with the croosbow. The strategy of the battles is so poor, no challenge at all... Summarizing... Fun the first hours of the game, then so boring...

    It could have been a great game with better music, better face expressions to give climax to scenes, more challeging battles and better leveling system. Maybe too many things to become a great game. I'm a bit...

    Dissapointed.    … Expand
  30. Hikarigami
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    Astonishingly mediocre. Everything from the gameplay to the graphics to the music to the story are mediocre. It's not terrible or anything, it's just you'd expect so much more from all the hype it was given. The voice acting is awful, a lot of the characters are idiots, ,and while the story does have its occasional high points, it's marred by its abysmal low points. Overall, a mediocreAstonishingly mediocre. Everything from the gameplay to the graphics to the music to the story are mediocre. It's not terrible or anything, it's just you'd expect so much more from all the hype it was given. The voice acting is awful, a lot of the characters are idiots, ,and while the story does have its occasional high points, it's marred by its abysmal low points. Overall, a mediocre game. Don't bother; go play Xenoblade again.… Expand
  31. Shinjiro
    Aug 14, 2012
    5
    The Last Story - A game from RPG mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi. Sounds good, right? Sadly, "The Last Story" is the exact opposite - A game with horrible gameplay and an underwhelming story where only the characters shine... And only at very few, certain moments of the game and without doing sidequests, this 15 hour game has not much time to show you those moments anyway.

    The main    The Last Story - A game from RPG mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi. Sounds good, right? Sadly, "The Last Story" is the exact opposite - A game with horrible gameplay and an underwhelming story where only the characters shine... And only at very few, certain moments of the game and without doing sidequests, this 15 hour game has not much time to show you those moments anyway.

    The main character of the game is Elza (Zeal in the PAL and NTSC/US version), who's part of Quarks (Dagran) mercenaries and always dreams about becoming a knight, since mercenaries are looked down to in the world of The Last Story (among other things).

    After the first battle in the game, you probably hope and expect that the gameplay offers more... WAY more, correct? Sadly, besides positioning yourself before the battle, how you start it (killing the enemies healer, using your crossbow or sword or destroying a pillar or bridge), there's not much to control in the battle. Do you expect to get to control the whole party, use lots of skills and items, among other BASIC aspects of the genre? That with 7 mercenaries and a party out of up to 6 characters that you can at least CHOOSE which character you want to control? Yes? Well, to bad, there's NOTHING like that. No items, the amount of skills and the amount of strategy is a joke. Yes, you read right. That's pretty much your WHOLE strategy. In every single battle. If you expected lots of strategy because you're playing an RPG, you'll get disappointed. Gameplay-wise, The Last Story resembles more an Hack'n'Slay.

    During battle, when your bar is full, you can give your party orders. But not even then you have much of a "choice". Every character has ONE skill (left), ONE special attack (up) and 2 other commands. At least something, right? Again: No. With the exception of Manamia (Mirania) and Kanan (Calista), the special attacks are THE SAME as their normal skills, just stronger. For example: Jackal (Lowell): He uses ice magic and if it's diffused, the enemies slip on it. His special attack? A stronger ice attack. That's it. Manamia can resurrect (giving your characters an additional life) and Kanan can create a barrier. The often ridiculously bad AI sometimes forces you to use the command option as often as possible, especially if you fight enemies which get healed by ice magic and Jackal / Lowell ONLY uses his magic. (To name an example)

    The story is below-average at the very best. It's obvious when playing that Mistwalker tried to make something more original, but the execution is done VERY badly. Thankfully(?), you don't have to endure it for a longer amount of time since the story (without doing sidequests) is only 15 hours long - Less than 1/3 of what you expect from an AVERAGE RPG. But even WITH sidequests... which are few, don't take long and aren't much fun anyway, you'll be VERY lucky to hit the 20 hour mark.

    Upgrading is a joke. The armor differs between a "heavy" type with more defense, but less magic defense, a "balanced" type with the same amount of defense and magic defense and a "light" type, which offers more magic defense, but less physical one. And their boni often only differs WHEN you get it (e.g. at +6 or +7).

    The online mode offers boss fights and PvP. Whereas the 1st one is rather challenging at first, it gets boring and annoying REALLY fast, since most people (IF you find someone online) prefer to use their physical attackers (like Elza). And having a party out of 6 different Elzas results in a very quick Game Over. Why? Simple: If just a single player loses all his/her lives, you have 30 seconds to finish the battle. If you didn't, your whole party loses. No drops, no anything. Having the option to yell stuff like "Someone diffuse that magic!" doesn't help since nobody listens to it anyway.
    PvP works different, but it's even less fun. The balance in PvP is non-existent. You either enter a map where magic users can and WILL one-shot you EVERY SINGLE TIME or a map where they have no chance at all. Also, if you don't "dodge" magic or hide behind a boulder or wall, you CAN'T survive magic. Even dodging or hiding results in high damage.

    Long story short: The Last Story gameplay is below-average at the very best, the story is way too short and the story-telling isn't very good either. The characters themselves are pretty good (Besides Elza), but since the focus is on him ALONE, you'll barely experience anything interesting about your other party members anyway. The soundtrack isn't bad, but you expect WAY more from Uematsu. The world is tiny, brown and doesn't offer much anyway. The online mode is just plain bad and the replay-value is practically zero, so if you're planning on purchasing it, don't expect anything better than a short, mediocre game.    … Expand
  32. Bulbotrax
    Aug 26, 2014
    0
    this game is just beyond crap.... lame gampeplay (the stealth sections is a total embarassement), a silly story, no exploration... and the framerate is a joke.... no interest at all... what a shame for sakaguchi....
  33. partyintheback
    Oct 14, 2012
    10
    The Last Story has finally hit the United States and I couldn't be happier. From people who worked on most notably Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, The Last Story is their next JRPG and first exclusive on the Wii. Regardless of the Wii's technical prowess, The Last Story does a lot more to advance JRPGs than the competition on HD platforms. It's a beautiful and stunning JRPG with someThe Last Story has finally hit the United States and I couldn't be happier. From people who worked on most notably Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, The Last Story is their next JRPG and first exclusive on the Wii. Regardless of the Wii's technical prowess, The Last Story does a lot more to advance JRPGs than the competition on HD platforms. It's a beautiful and stunning JRPG with some western design influences that brings the genre into 2012. Personally, I feel it's a better game than Xenoblade Chronicles, which I felt went on for way too long and the quests weren't unique or interesting enough. In addition to getting this magnificent game, you also receive an outer cardboard box that houses the game, an art book, and early buyers also receive a soundtrack. It's a gorgeous package.

    Graphics - This is a Wii game, so you'd assume it won't quite match games on the HD systems, which you'd be right about in some cases, but this is a gorgeous game. Characters look great and their faces animate with emotion. The environments are meticulously detailed with good looking water, beautiful architecture, etc.

    Story - The story of The Last Story is beautifully crafted. Unlike many other JRPGs with voice acting and character designs that can be somewhat grating on the nerves, The Last Story feels more mature in both areas. The voice acting is fantastic and very British, while the characters all look unique and are wonderfully designed. For example, Syrenne, who likes to drink and has pretty much no manners, is a nice change of pace for a JRPG.

    Soundtrack - It's so finely crafted. As you'd expect from Noduo Uematsu, The Last Story soundtrack is lovely.

    Gameplay - Maintaining most elements that make a JRPG, The Last Story adds in western influence, which benefits the game and makes it feel like an evolution for the genre. Combining a cover system with combat that you're accustomed to, The Last Story is a real treat to play. Using the cover system, you go into cover and you can pop out from cover to use ranged attacks, then you can leap over cover and use sword-focused melee combat. It all feels very seamless and fluid. While were on the topic of this game's combat, make sure you go to the options menu and change the combat style to 'Manual'.

    Online Deathmatch & Co-op - Somewhat strange for a game of its kind, The Last Story features network play via a 'Deathmatch' mode that has you fighting up to 6 people online, while the 'Co-op' mode allows you to join with them to defeat a boss. While the single player portion is the meat & potatoes of The Last Story, it's a nice little addition to have some online play thrown into the mix. From my experience, the online parts ran fine for me and lag-free.

    The Last Story is a beautiful title that defines a new era of JRPGs. Bringing together gameplay mechanics from the East and West, this game can appeal to just about anyone who likes a good RPG. Let's hope this truly isn't the last story.    … Expand
  34. TheTriscut
    Aug 30, 2012
    3
    If I wanted to recommend an RPG to someone this would be at the bottom of my list. The story line is short, there is virtually no character, or weapon customization besides linear upgrades. You spend a majority of the game doing random town gathering quests, the in town arena is the same couple of battles over and over again. There is very little exploring, there is only one town in theIf I wanted to recommend an RPG to someone this would be at the bottom of my list. The story line is short, there is virtually no character, or weapon customization besides linear upgrades. You spend a majority of the game doing random town gathering quests, the in town arena is the same couple of battles over and over again. There is very little exploring, there is only one town in the game and then story-line quests outside of town. The only reason I continued playing was the hope that it would expand the more I played, but it didn't.… Expand
  35. Regal4point1
    Aug 21, 2012
    6
    The gameplay is fun, and never gets dull, but its such a shame that there isn't nearly anything to tweak with in usual RPG fashion. Each character has two moves each, both of which are not customizable and upgradable. Additionally, you only control one character throughout the game. This wouldn't be such a deterrence if you were given a lot of control of your party members like MassThe gameplay is fun, and never gets dull, but its such a shame that there isn't nearly anything to tweak with in usual RPG fashion. Each character has two moves each, both of which are not customizable and upgradable. Additionally, you only control one character throughout the game. This wouldn't be such a deterrence if you were given a lot of control of your party members like Mass Effect, but you're limited to filling up a gauge to tell them which arts to cast. In this way you'll never get lost in the gameplay like you would with a deeper structure. The story is only decent. While good for the JRPG sub-genre, I shouldn't excuse its cringe-worthy lines and lack of subtlety just because the genre is known for bad stories. It also hits cliches at every turn within the narrative, which is perhaps why this game feels as though it has a lack of verve and intrigue. Mistwalker proves it is inept at creating tension and drive, because the story always seems rather meh.
    The characters, while likable in their own right, are fairly one-dimensional. The protagonist is simply a virtuous do-gooder, there's a princess with special powers, a drunk, a ladies man, a quiet girl. You know, everything you've seen before. This one-characteristic approach to the characters makes them forgettable and unnecessary to the plot. The best thing I can say about it is its pacing. The game flows incredibly well, and never makes you sick of any of its features. This is especially notable because all party members are introduced within the first few hours. The battle system does get new gimmicks to pique your interest at a nice pace, and the difficulty curve is nice (although it is rather easy at the beginning). The game will only take you about 15-20 hours, but its brevity is actually one of its strengths. It does value this time, and the result is a nice flow that is rather addictive and hard to pull away from. The voice work isn't fantastic, but the dialogue isn't that great either. Expect awkward phrases, lectures, and overly long motivational speeches when playing this game. You know, the usual JRPG nonsense. The score is good for background noise, but its hardly memorable aside from the main theme. Unlike other games, when listening to the soundtrack I couldn't remember where it had come from. Despite these gripes, Nobuo did a nice job.
    The game's lack of customization, verve, and weak story make this hard to fully recommend. I would buy at price drop, but new (to support Mistwalker). It is worth your time though.    … Expand
  36. Mattaclysm
    Aug 24, 2012
    7
    The Last Story is a pretty good but flawed game. Graphically speaking it's by far the best looking game I've seen so far on the WII, because so it does tend to get choppy and gets frequent frame rate drops at times but usually doesn't last more then thirty seconds. Controls are actually somewhat straightforward and somewhat difficult to figure out. I found myself being confused trying toThe Last Story is a pretty good but flawed game. Graphically speaking it's by far the best looking game I've seen so far on the WII, because so it does tend to get choppy and gets frequent frame rate drops at times but usually doesn't last more then thirty seconds. Controls are actually somewhat straightforward and somewhat difficult to figure out. I found myself being confused trying to use certain skills at times but other then that it was easy all you pretty much had to do to attack was run into enemies and the player you control would automatically attack. The story isn't bad and there are a few side quests to help you enjoy the game more, at the time of the games end I had clocked in around 28 hours. There were some boring parts in the game but still it was enjoyable. Music and sounds were awesome and characters were unique and interesting. This game is actually good and I had more fun with it then I did with Xenoblade, but there were some aspects that left me wishing there was more ways to customize my characters or maybe more ways to change the outcome. Still this is one of the best looking games on the WII and one worth playing for RPG fans.… Expand
  37. SkiT
    Jan 16, 2013
    6
    Flawed, but enjoyable. The story has potential, but is not explained enough in detail. At times confusing. Questions left unanswered. Also the story can be a bit predictable. It took me 22 hours to beat, so you could say it's a bit short. The combat is action-packed and fun for the most part. You unlock new moves and skills at a nice pace. You can manage and upgrade equipment and weapons,Flawed, but enjoyable. The story has potential, but is not explained enough in detail. At times confusing. Questions left unanswered. Also the story can be a bit predictable. It took me 22 hours to beat, so you could say it's a bit short. The combat is action-packed and fun for the most part. You unlock new moves and skills at a nice pace. You can manage and upgrade equipment and weapons, this is however very shallow. No quest journal(!!!) Silly dialogue, compensated by good voice acting. The most stereotypical characters I have ever experienced in a game. Nice graphics, and overall design of the world. Good variation of locations. Great soundtrack. I could probably go on forever. The fact is, there are many small ups and downs, a mixed bag. I was left a bit disappointed when it was over, but I can't deny the fact that I enjoyed it while it lasted.… Expand
  38. Whitney
    Feb 22, 2013
    0
    I was really disappointing in this game. I know the Wii isn't known for its good graphics but this was terrible. The story line was predictable and the characters were also. Also the controls are whack, probably due to it being on the Wii. I was excited about this game when I skimmed over the back of the case and through the guide booklet, but in game the textures on the towns, forests,I was really disappointing in this game. I know the Wii isn't known for its good graphics but this was terrible. The story line was predictable and the characters were also. Also the controls are whack, probably due to it being on the Wii. I was excited about this game when I skimmed over the back of the case and through the guide booklet, but in game the textures on the towns, forests, and even the people was just low res pixels. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.… Expand
  39. LionSilverWolf
    Aug 21, 2016
    0
    The game is terrible, it's a cheap Final Fantasy ripoff with janky controls, poor combat mechanics, and a cliche story. To attack you literally run into the enemies, there is no attack button. The story railroads you hard, there's almost no way to spend time doing what you WANT to do. The game suffers massive slowdown just running around town. The story explains nothing. Not in an 'oohThe game is terrible, it's a cheap Final Fantasy ripoff with janky controls, poor combat mechanics, and a cliche story. To attack you literally run into the enemies, there is no attack button. The story railroads you hard, there's almost no way to spend time doing what you WANT to do. The game suffers massive slowdown just running around town. The story explains nothing. Not in an 'ooh mystery' way, but in a 'okay why are we actually doing any of this?' way.

    The only reason we play it is because we paid full price, and we won't get rid of it because we don't want anyone else to accidentally buy it.    … Expand
  40. MichlKyubji
    Sep 8, 2015
    10
    The Last Story is the game with most graphics for Wii. It has a linear story and a battle system centered on action and strategy. It is one of the best RPG of his generation.
  41. A_Fnord
    Oct 27, 2016
    3
    The Last story is an utterly medicore game turned bad due to hardware limitations.

    The Last Story is a JRPG made by some of the veterans of the genre, with music composed by the almost legendary Nobuo Uematsu. This is a game that "should" have been good, considering the people behind it. The story in The Last Story is actually somewhat interesting. There's a backdrop of some grand    The Last story is an utterly medicore game turned bad due to hardware limitations.

    The Last Story is a JRPG made by some of the veterans of the genre, with music composed by the almost legendary Nobuo Uematsu. This is a game that "should" have been good, considering the people behind it.

    The story in The Last Story is actually somewhat interesting. There's a backdrop of some grand sweeping events, with a big war between two people brewing, but instead of focusing on this war, the game focuses on the more personal relationship between a few characters, and their goals & aspirations in life. In terms of structure, the game actually spends a large portion of its time on the buildup (act 1 in most movies) than more or less any other RPG, J or otherwise, that I've ever played, and it's not an unwelcome change of pace. Sadly, while I kinda liked the main characters, I found the villains to be bland and boring, and the conflict to be uninteresting.

    For a game with music by Mobuo Uematsu, the music is surprisingly forgettable. It's never terrible, but most of the tracks feel generic, with only one or two actually being good.
    The voice acting, while never great, at least has a lot of personality to it, for the good guys at least. The voice actors all have distinct voices that makes the characters easy to tell apart, even when you can't see them. Sadly, the villains fare a lot worse here, with unimpressive voice acting that make them hard to take seriously. In terms of sound effects, the game is utterly alright. Nothing more to say about it, the sound effects do what they need to do, and little else.

    In terms of graphics, the Wii hardware do show its limitations. Some areas look really nice, due to good art design, but a lot of the details look muddy and dark. What's far worse is that the game is pushing the Wii's humble hardware far beyond what it can take. Early on in the game, it's not too bad, but towards the second half, there's just too much going on at any given time that the framerate not only dips down into the single digits, but stays there. It's like a slideshow, and it seriously hurts the game.

    Gameplay is a bit different from what you would expect from a JRPG. Combat is in real time, and you're expected to use the environment to your advantage, by taking cover, shooting at weak points and so on. Sadly, while the combat shows potential, the game feels incredibly simplistic to play, with the vast majority of the battles requiring no skill what so ever. It might be a good thing that combat is simple & simplistic though, considering the frame rate. It would have been a pain to play a game with a more involved system with such poor performance.

    Overall, had The Last Story been released on a system with more powerful hardware, any system with more powerful hardware, it would have been a lot better. It still would have been an utterly mediocre game, but it would have been a lot better than what we got.    … Expand
  42. Phuz
    Feb 27, 2023
    10
    First few minutes was a bit much, then as I got my head round the controls, I really enjoyed it. Looks great. The control scheme is a tad difficult to get used to. Only just started but great first impressions. Big Wii and WiiU fan though, so I might be biased.
  43. Hij45g
    May 30, 2020
    10
    A great jrpg brings back the final fantasy days when they were really good and the same creator directed it
  44. DreamEaglr
    Jul 9, 2018
    7
    Good game with great combat system, but very boring and easy at the beginning.

    Первая половина игры очень простая и скучная, а вот вторая становится довольно сложной в плане боёвки и интересной в плане сюжета. В плане музыки одна из самых невзрачных работ Уемацу, запомнил от силы три трека. 7/10 за хорошую вторую половину игры, которая скрасила очень блеклое начало + за интересную    Good game with great combat system, but very boring and easy at the beginning.

    Первая половина игры очень простая и скучная, а вот вторая становится довольно сложной в плане боёвки и интересной в плане сюжета.

    В плане музыки одна из самых невзрачных работ Уемацу, запомнил от силы три трека.

    7/10 за хорошую вторую половину игры, которая скрасила очень блеклое начало + за интересную боевую систему и внимание к деталям.

    Пройдена за 23 часа.    … Expand
  45. Robinvalmoris
    May 22, 2019
    10
    Francamente The Last Story es de esos juegos que nunca quieres que termine, desde que lo comencé a jugar lo amé. Es demasiado bueno, me encanta la historia, su soundtrack precioso y sus personajes, que para ser sincero, realmente son muy difíciles de olvidar.
    Ojalá todos le dieran la oportunidad, porque de verdad vale muchísimo la pena. Simplemente, una joya de los videojuegos.
  46. mattlarrubia
    Sep 24, 2020
    8
    Very good game on a system that lacks proper RPGs, besides the obvious that everybody knows. The score by Uematsu is stellar as always, and the gameplay is nice and different. I didn't like the story very much, but it's a short game, so it didn't bother me.
  47. Terrounus
    Aug 25, 2022
    8
    Great game with more Final Fantasy-feeling then any game post Final Fantasy X. Good, albeit not perfect, voice acting and engageing battles.
    What I cannot understand is why you cant sim with your wii-mote? Defeats the purpose of playing the game om Wii.
  48. LORDTIKIDCANCER
    Mar 17, 2023
    10
    masterpiece
    gorgeous art escenarios world
    story mode enjoyning with a perfect duration and rythm of game
    strategic missions and uniche game system with good challanges and fun optional missions
  49. GameMan2005
    Aug 29, 2023
    10
    This game is incredible, great graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay. Should get a modern port or a remaster of some sort.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Wii Game of 2012
3
#3 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2012
3
#3 Most Shared Wii Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 61
  3. Negative: 1 out of 61
  1. Game Revolution
    Sep 4, 2012
    90
    This game is the product of a true master.
    Read full review
  2. GameCritics
    Aug 28, 2012
    50
    The Last Story feels like a JRPG that took incomplete notes as it tried to learn from Western design. The simplistic implementation of massively multiplayer online (MMO) combat motifs makes battles boring or frustrating. The character customizability, though wonderful, is purely cosmetic, never really extending into the play or storytelling. Worst of all, the gameplay and story might as well be two ships passing in the night. While Zael confronts the game's real antagonists in cutscenes, the player simply sits on the sidelines. In games, that's the last way you should try to tell a story. Ra
    Read full review
  3. NintendoWorldReport
    Aug 28, 2012
    80
    While my review may seem overly positive, the game's small number of flaws are incredibly frustrating at times. That said, if you feel you can look past a few missed opportunities and a flawed but fun combat system, I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy The Last Story. Just don't expect it to be as genre defining as previous Sakaguchi titles.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »