Lost Odyssey

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 546 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 449 out of 546
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 546
  3. Negative: 52 out of 546
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  1. ChrisC.
    Feb 16, 2008
    6
    Ugh. Okay, super-high production values, I'll give it credit for that. And that it's one of the only newer RPGs to come out that really feels like it's for grownups. But the came couldn't possibly move any slower. I'm like an hour and a half in and there's been only one fight sequence. The rest of the game has been comprised of wandering around a massive Ugh. Okay, super-high production values, I'll give it credit for that. And that it's one of the only newer RPGs to come out that really feels like it's for grownups. But the came couldn't possibly move any slower. I'm like an hour and a half in and there's been only one fight sequence. The rest of the game has been comprised of wandering around a massive city, trying to find the place you need to go to make the plot advance. The plot is as wordy as Xenogears, Xenosaga, or FFXII, but without the substance to make it remotely interesting. And then there's these 'thousand year dream' sequences, which are basically text slowly appearing on screen for five to ten minutes. Lost Odyssey is possibly the slowest moving game in RPG history.… Expand
  2. JacobH.
    Feb 18, 2008
    10
    This game is JRPG perfection and first great RPG of this generation. Load times are longer than most RPG's but the Retail copy seems fine and it doesn't take away from the experience which is stellar.
  3. PeterS.
    Feb 19, 2008
    8
    As a LONG time player and huge fan of the JRPG genre I have been really enjoying this game. While it does not bring anything new to the table it presents a fun and interesting ride with very little innovation to offer. Storywise I must admit I am slightly disappointed with the overall plot, it seems a little contrived and full of cliches, it does however deliver some of the 'pulse As a LONG time player and huge fan of the JRPG genre I have been really enjoying this game. While it does not bring anything new to the table it presents a fun and interesting ride with very little innovation to offer. Storywise I must admit I am slightly disappointed with the overall plot, it seems a little contrived and full of cliches, it does however deliver some of the 'pulse pounding' moments of fun and adventure that I like in my JRPG's. In terms of its characters and prose-expressed back story the game borders on brilliance, I haven't seen such depth in my heroes outside of full length novels and several of the dream sequences with their well timed musical accompaniment brought a tear or two to my eyes. I DO feel that these are a bit of a cheat though, as a Videogame shouldn't be expressing its story through pure text, being a primarily visual medium. In terms of unfair reviews I was extremely put off by 1Up's review of this game and feel that it was extremely unfair, referencing 'tropes' that don't exist and bringing up 'cliche' titles like Xenogears and the Suikoden Series (which by and large tend to shrug off the storytelling tropes of the Final Fantasy Series). These people do not seem to have their cliche's and tropes straight and clearly need to revisit their old collections before they judge a game based on how 'traditional' it is and how much it bothers them. I have personally not noticed the long load times, though I have noticed some slight frame rate issues, mostly when I'm using the sprint function. I am greatly pleased by the skill system as I am a big fan of this "learning skills from your party members" concept. I was slightly annoyed that for the first 10 you only have one member to learn skills from though, resulting in a pretty uniform party. Overall that takes me back to the RPG's of the millenial cusp, before such massive innovations as Oblivion, FFXII, Mass Effect and others and reminds me how much RPG's have changed since those days. This is not a bad thing however and if Metacritics offered .5 ratings this game would warrant an 8.5 rather than simply an 8.… Expand
  4. JesseS.
    Feb 21, 2008
    10
    Research the gamer tags of the reviewers rating this game 75%. Many of them don't have the "Disc 2 unlocked" achievement, and the game spans four discs. The majority of the game takes place on the 3rd and 4th discs. So be warned, they are offering you an extremely uninformed opinion. My own opinion is that Lost Odyssey is the Final Fantasy killer. I love the series to death, but Research the gamer tags of the reviewers rating this game 75%. Many of them don't have the "Disc 2 unlocked" achievement, and the game spans four discs. The majority of the game takes place on the 3rd and 4th discs. So be warned, they are offering you an extremely uninformed opinion. My own opinion is that Lost Odyssey is the Final Fantasy killer. I love the series to death, but it's been downhill since FFX. It's obvious that Sakaguchi agrees -- Lost Odyssey is the direction Final Fantasy should have taken. Beautiful game, beautiful music, beautiful story. Technical issues are highly exaggerated - framerate never drops outside of the 3 seconds random battles take to load, and even then, it's negligible. This is also the first JRPG since FFIX to offer a true world map with a pilotable airship late in the game -- an element sorely lacking in FFX and FFXII. Combat is engaging and well-balanced, and the ability system doesn't punish the player or necessitate grinding. This is the first JRPG where I've looked forward to random battles, even 40 hours into the game. If you like Japanese RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play this game.… Expand
  5. JB
    Feb 20, 2008
    8
    Lost Odyssey is one thing, if nothing else, and that is it is one epic story. I'm surprised how many reviewers dismissed the narrative of this game. It starts off slowly, but is packed with several heart-wrenching moments and, despite the fact that the story is, at its most basic, of the "villain trying to take over the world" variety, it tells one Hell of a story with its own unique Lost Odyssey is one thing, if nothing else, and that is it is one epic story. I'm surprised how many reviewers dismissed the narrative of this game. It starts off slowly, but is packed with several heart-wrenching moments and, despite the fact that the story is, at its most basic, of the "villain trying to take over the world" variety, it tells one Hell of a story with its own unique twists. Once the motivations of the villain and his connection to everyone else is revealed, the story has quite the moral dilemma at stake. What is an RPG without the megalomaniac villain anyway? What is the alternative? A 30-hour quest back home because your character left the oven on? The battle formula is tried and true, and works fantastically. It's deep and challenging, allowing for ample strategy, and pulls off being challenging without relying heavily on cheap monster tactics (most of the time.) The visuals are superb, and I can't say I've noticed terribly much slowdown at all, even in the most detailed field maps. The obvious reason that there's a brief hitch at the start of battles is because...well, they have to load in the monsters somehow. And all these people seem to forget that UE3-based games are PLAGUED by load-ins, visible LOD/Texture swaps, and streaming hitches, almost universally across all games that use it. In closing, Lost Odyssey is the epitome of a great jRPG. There;s a fantastic story, and the fantastic visuals that can now rival the best of our imagination had to offer us in years past shows hope that even the most rudimentary and well-used styles of gaming still have a place in this next generation world.… Expand
  6. TomW.
    Feb 23, 2008
    9
    Great game with some very emotional moments. Gameplay is fun and the story is engaging. And the cherry on top is one of your teammates, Jansen, one of the funniest game characters in gaming history.
  7. MikaL.
    Feb 24, 2008
    10
    This game is already a legend. Great, deep story and all.
  8. OsemG.
    Feb 26, 2008
    10
    An excellent game no one should miss it.
  9. Jay
    Feb 3, 2008
    9
    A brilliant game with some technical flaws... the story and the gameplay are quite fun.. while there is nothing new to be seen as far as innovation is concerned and the graphics are not as good as blue dragon in my mind this game is exceptionally great.... its a got a story as good as if not better then mass effect... please do your self a favor and overlook the technical flaws buy this A brilliant game with some technical flaws... the story and the gameplay are quite fun.. while there is nothing new to be seen as far as innovation is concerned and the graphics are not as good as blue dragon in my mind this game is exceptionally great.... its a got a story as good as if not better then mass effect... please do your self a favor and overlook the technical flaws buy this game and enjoy the story because you wont see another on as good as this for a long time... does anyone remember final fantasy 3 Us 6JP.. or even panzer dragoon saga.. the story is that good....… Expand
  10. JonW.
    Feb 6, 2008
    10
    Amazing RPG, competes w/ FFVII.
  11. SamM.
    Mar 1, 2008
    10
    Amazing RPG, I believe the reviewers rated it unfairly certainly deserves more.
  12. TomG.
    Mar 1, 2008
    9
    After the somewhat disappointing Blue Dragon, Mistwalker Studios have released a solid title in the form of Lost Odyssey. While the traditional turnbased combat system may put off a few people, the system is tweaked enough to make it interesting and enjoyable to play all the way to the games conclusion. The 'Thousand Years of Dreams' are a joy to read and provide a new and After the somewhat disappointing Blue Dragon, Mistwalker Studios have released a solid title in the form of Lost Odyssey. While the traditional turnbased combat system may put off a few people, the system is tweaked enough to make it interesting and enjoyable to play all the way to the games conclusion. The 'Thousand Years of Dreams' are a joy to read and provide a new and interesting way of presenting the backstory to the main protagonists. In my opinion the game only suffers in that a few of the playable characters are often frustrating to use and ultimately unnecessary in the long run. Still, this game is damned good fun and one of the best RPG's i've played in a long time.… Expand
  13. KevinA.
    Mar 13, 2008
    9
    While the game may start off slowly, it really gets going after disc 2 and I couldn't stop playing it. Any fan of Final Fantasy and JRPGs will love this game. I would have given it a ten if they kids had been left out and the framerate was a bit more steady with less load times.
  14. ChockLo
    Mar 18, 2008
    9
    Absolutely stunning - the game that FF12 should have been. Story, battle, link system are perfectly tuned using tried and tested formulas. The only reason why this game doesn't deserve a ten is because of the technical letdowns (framerate issues and load lag leading to 'pop ups').
  15. PaulI.
    Mar 3, 2008
    10
    FANTASTIC! I bought this game on the day of release and I am hooked !! I have to remind myself that I am not playing Final Fantasy 7. Apart from the new ring system, this is exactly like playing one of the FF games (7 onwards). The graphics are awesome. I have noticed a slight bit of slowdown BUT hardly noticeable really. I don't see why people have given it so much stick for that. FANTASTIC! I bought this game on the day of release and I am hooked !! I have to remind myself that I am not playing Final Fantasy 7. Apart from the new ring system, this is exactly like playing one of the FF games (7 onwards). The graphics are awesome. I have noticed a slight bit of slowdown BUT hardly noticeable really. I don't see why people have given it so much stick for that. There are lots of load screens but this is when the fights begin and between areas. Only a couple of seconds each. Imagine Final Fantasy 7with next gen graphics. The characters are great and funny. There is more of an adult theme than Blue Dragon (i.e. near the beginning, you come across one of your characters coming out of a building totally drunk with a girl on each arm asking you if he can have another 15 minutes alone with each of them!!). I cannot think of a bad word to say about this game. For any JRPG or FF fan, they will love it. Gotta go - gotta get back to the action!… Expand
  16. WestRunner
    Mar 3, 2008
    10
    This will be the standard by which FFXIII is judged. Truly flawless from start to finish. I don't know if some 360s are just about to red ring, but this game's loading times are negligible at best. Mass Effect Elevators were like nineteen times as long. Great story, great characters, great art, great gameplay, random battles were actually really fun. Loved it. Only negative is This will be the standard by which FFXIII is judged. Truly flawless from start to finish. I don't know if some 360s are just about to red ring, but this game's loading times are negligible at best. Mass Effect Elevators were like nineteen times as long. Great story, great characters, great art, great gameplay, random battles were actually really fun. Loved it. Only negative is that treasure collecting achievement may be the most difficult 20 points ever.… Expand
  17. TedE.
    Mar 8, 2008
    7
    A decent game that falls short of it's big brother, Final Fantasy. Complaints about frame rate issues, constant loading, and monotonous combat are all valid. I find the character designs/outfits a bit goofy, though I certainly appreciate the abundance of cleavage. The deal-breaker for me is the constant CRASHING. Save at every opportunity, because you never know when the next Disk A decent game that falls short of it's big brother, Final Fantasy. Complaints about frame rate issues, constant loading, and monotonous combat are all valid. I find the character designs/outfits a bit goofy, though I certainly appreciate the abundance of cleavage. The deal-breaker for me is the constant CRASHING. Save at every opportunity, because you never know when the next Disk Read Error will pop up. Ignoring that major flaw, it's a solid RPG that doesn't break any new ground. BTW, the GameDaily review should probably be ignored - It doesn't look like he even played the game beyond maybe the first couple hours. His puzzling complaints about the "point system" and "not having the right points in the right spots" suggests that he might not have even played the game at all.… Expand
  18. Guy
    Jun 12, 2008
    9
    Lost Odyssey is a fantastic JRPG. The graphics are killer, the characters and monsters are rendered with great detail, the locations are greatly varied and beautifully constructed, the music is beautifully orchestrated and it does well to match the mood, the whole Immortal and Mortal concept gives leveling up a different spin then other JRPGs and the game is also deeply engaging thanks to Lost Odyssey is a fantastic JRPG. The graphics are killer, the characters and monsters are rendered with great detail, the locations are greatly varied and beautifully constructed, the music is beautifully orchestrated and it does well to match the mood, the whole Immortal and Mortal concept gives leveling up a different spin then other JRPGs and the game is also deeply engaging thanks to the plot and the way it is told. Now, onto the worst things about Lost Odyssey. Random Battles get very irritating if they are placed in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadly, this is true with Lost Odyssey. It is horrible frustrating to end a random battle while trying to solve a puzzle and then to take literally 2 steps forward to complete the puzzle and fall into another random battle. Another big problem with Lost Odyssey is that the Save Points are sometimes unforgiving. One example of this would be on Disc 3 in the Experimental Staff. The save points are an hour and a half of gameplay away in that area. Very irksome indeed... One thing that I find silly to complain about is how Lost Odyssey is very similar to the JRPGs that came before it such as FF-X. Sure the plots are similar, some of the characters are cookie-cut outs and the battle system doesn't really innovate so much. But, you dont need innovation for a great game. Mistwalker took the best elements from previous JRPG's and incorporated it into their own game. They also added in some of their own things to make the game as good as possible. It is very hard to innovate an almost perfect genre so I dont blame Mistwalker. You really have to play Lost Odyssey for yourself and formulate your own opinion. I'm sure that if you loved Final Fantasy X, you'll love Lost Odyssey. Even if you didn't like FF-X and you adore JRPGs, I still highly recommend that you try it out. Now I hear many people complaining about the disc packaging problem and I agree with them. In the US, the discs are horrible packaged and stacked on top of each other. For those of you buying the game in the US, remember to shake the box before you purchase the game to make sure that no discs are loose!… Expand
  19. MikeV
    Jul 25, 2008
    9
    Real good game, of course it's not for everyone as you can see by the reviews, it was being criticized for being a turn-based RPG like older JRPG's. But there's nothing wrong with this style and it's great. Most people would agree, this is a very underrated game.
  20. [ANONYMOUS]
    Oct 11, 2009
    9
    A real JRPG, no awful gimmicks, decent gameplay, decent story and all-round high production value. Loading times could be improved but they don't ruin the experience. Highly under-rated game, if it was called Final Fantasy 13, it would've sold millions and've had rave reviews.
  21. RazzioP
    Aug 31, 2009
    10
    This game is a great traditional RPG experience. If you don't like the traditional RPG experience, it is not the games fault and does not deserve a bad score because the game was not made to suit you. The characters are all excellent (Especially Jansen), and I found the story to be engaging. The graphics might not be the best but they are perfectly acceptable and don't detract This game is a great traditional RPG experience. If you don't like the traditional RPG experience, it is not the games fault and does not deserve a bad score because the game was not made to suit you. The characters are all excellent (Especially Jansen), and I found the story to be engaging. The graphics might not be the best but they are perfectly acceptable and don't detract from the game experience. The sound track has nothing wrong with it and the battle system is fine. If you don't like the turn based battle system, that is your problem, not the games. The dream sequences are superbly written. And yes, the written language is still a perfectly acceptable way to convey a message. I feel a voice actor or cut scene would have had too much oppurtunity to ruin the impact of the dreams. You can skip most of them too so it is not like the game forces you to watch them. (Some are mandatory though). Awesome tradional RPG, avoid it if you think an RPG is an MMORPG.… Expand
  22. PhilipF.
    Aug 9, 2009
    10
    Lost Odyssey is a certainly a classic within it's genre, i can honestly say that this is the best turn-based RPG made within the last 10 years. yeah, it's sort of the same JRPG molding as Fantasy VII, VIII, or IX; but it makes up for it with it's fantastic characters, scenery, and storyline. As for those who insist that this game is too hard, i really feel sorry for them Lost Odyssey is a certainly a classic within it's genre, i can honestly say that this is the best turn-based RPG made within the last 10 years. yeah, it's sort of the same JRPG molding as Fantasy VII, VIII, or IX; but it makes up for it with it's fantastic characters, scenery, and storyline. As for those who insist that this game is too hard, i really feel sorry for them that they didn't give it a better chance. yeah, the first couple of bosses in this game are insanely hard, but this is just a relapse from RPG gamers being hand fed battle wins over the last 10 years; usually just spamming their A or X buttons on every single fight. if you enjoy going through some very small thought processes for your kills, this game is for you.… Expand
  23. jaredf
    Sep 13, 2009
    9
    It's like watching an anime movie. It's so frickin emotional too. Love the gameplay and graphics are beautiful. I hope they keep coming out with strictly turn based fighting RPG's I can deal with the whole aim ring thing. First RPG in a long time where I can say the boss fights are tough. I like this.
  24. YitánTribal
    Jan 22, 2010
    10
    The game is great, the story is incredibly well told, the characters and their relationships are superb. The gameplay is traditional but delicious, with an interaction in the spectacular setting. The OST is the best that has calved Nobuo his past works, and the design is brilliant!!
  25. NiggleW.
    Feb 11, 2008
    10
    The full package for anyone looking for something like FFVI-IX!
  26. JustinN.
    Feb 13, 2008
    8
    Its a great turned based RPG if you like that type of game. I'm a fan of the Final Fantasy series, except 12, Breath of Fire series, and Chrono Trigger. The only problem with the game is that the voice acting is a little annoying, especially the main character, and the graphics could be better. Great game if you like Japanese style RPGs.
  27. SekouW.
    Feb 14, 2008
    9
    Great traditional turn based action with an amazing story.
  28. DarrenK.
    Feb 14, 2008
    10
    This game is amazing and has really been sold short by reviewers. The world is very immersing and the character design for the immortals is beautifully done. The game doesn't really pick up until the end of the first disk (kind of like ff7) but after that, it doesn't stop delivering a top-notch story. All in all, I think its a great counterpoint to the fail that squeenix has This game is amazing and has really been sold short by reviewers. The world is very immersing and the character design for the immortals is beautifully done. The game doesn't really pick up until the end of the first disk (kind of like ff7) but after that, it doesn't stop delivering a top-notch story. All in all, I think its a great counterpoint to the fail that squeenix has been producing lately.… Expand
  29. TravisD.
    Feb 15, 2008
    5
    Doesn't live up to the hype. Many hours of playtime only made to feel longer by slow gameplay.
  30. EmilieT.
    Feb 16, 2008
    9
    The graphics are really good and the combat systems is different.
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Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
9
#9 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
4
#4 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 68 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 68
  3. Negative: 0 out of 68
  1. IGN AU
    80
    It's staggeringly gorgeous, and looks and plays like a Final Fantasy title. It rarely steps away from the origins of the genre – instead playing with the 'me too!' mentality of a company that desperately wants to show the world that Square Enix can be bested.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    82
    It may not be in the same class as "Mass Effect," but for a system in desperate need for more quality RPGs, Lost Odyssey fits nicely into the 360 library.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpy
    50
    We have immense respect for what Lost Odyssey tries to do: be a back-to-basics JRPG with modern technological trimmings on the 360. Unfortunately, it's less a celebration of what made older RPGs great and more a crude relic of their past.
    Read full review
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