Here’s 5 reasons Lost Odyssey should be the next RPG you play on Xbox One

Last week, one of the greatest JRPG games ever made received backwards compatibility to the Xbox One. Lost Odyssey is a 9-year old role playing game that Hironobu Sakaguchi, the famed creator of the Final Fantasy series, and Nobuo Uematsu, the name behind the music of the greatest JRPG games of our generation, released exclusively on Xbox 360. Without receiving much in advertising, Lost Odyssey performed quite well for a new IP on sales charts but quickly faded into oblivion.

For JRPG fans, Lost Odyssey may easily be the best “Final Fantasy“-style game since the release of Final Fantasy X, which makes sense since the minds that made the series great are behind this as well. What makes Lost Odyssey so different is the way the story is told and the mechanics of combat. It feels unapologetically old-school, yet includes elements that haven’t been used in JRPGs since their inclusion. So let’s take a look at why you can cool your hype for Final Fantasy XV and jump into Lost Odyssey right now.lost-odyssey

An incredible story that unfolds brilliantly as you play

Kaim, the main character of Lost Odyssey, is an immortal being that has honed his incredible combat skills throughout the annals of human conflict. He initially seems to carry repressed memories that are revisited as he sleeps but seems cold and distant as the relationships he builds are only temporary to him. This changes after being tasked to investigate a disaster that wipes out the armies of two nations and he learns he isn’t the only immortal being on the planet. The story focuses quite a lot on mortality and memory. It’s incredibly well done.

Lost Odyssey takes an interesting spin on traditional combat

Lost Odyssey‘s combat system is simple, yet complex enough to keep you entertained. Melee combat allows you to use “rings” which let the attacker do extra damage with a well-timed button press. Of course there is magic and special skills that can be used as well but these can only initially be learned by mortal party members. Immortal characters can’t directly learn skills and abilities but instead learn them by linking with mortal characters or equipping accessories. This allows a lot of different nuances in battle and can really let you customize your party for particular fights.

lost_odyssey_x360_03Amazing soundtrack

Nobuo Uematsu is a legend when it comes to creating game soundtracks. Lost Odyssey is no exception with a masterfully orchestrated soundtrack. Oddly enough, there are several points in this game where the atmosphere becomes significantly more like Final Fantasy due to some familiarity in Nobou’s soundtrack. As a bonus, the battle themes are also great, which is handy since you’ll hear them a lot.

A ton of content

Lost Odyssey is a 4 disc game, when installed on the Xbox One, the total install is about 23 gigabytes. This isn’t just empty fluff either. The main game takes about 70 hours to complete and about an additional 30 of side quests and item hunts. Battles can also be quite cerebral, so there will be many times you may need to stop and work on tactics too. Mix that with a traditional overworld map and lots of exploring and you’ll find yourself busy until the major releases of the holiday are upon us.

40741320070903_141609_0_bigProbably the best “Final Fantasy” experience since Final Fantasy X

With all the info I’ve already discussed, along with nuanced things as simple as menu operation, Lost Odyssey absolutely feels like an unofficial Final Fantasy game. Everything blends together well enough to create nostalgia for longtime RPG players, but doesn’t alienate players that aren’t familiar with older RPG titles.

Going back and playing through the beginning of the game again, I’m shocked that as old as Lost Odyssey is, it still looks pretty great. I’m hoping that the new attention the game should receive now that it can be played on Xbox One will convince Microsoft to encourage some sort of sequel. This game alone does enough to create an awesome world in which there are so many stories to be told. You’ll need to get your hands on the discs right now though, as Lost Odyssey currently isn’t available in any digital formal… yet.

What do you think about Lost Odyssey? Let us know in the comments, RGM Forums or on Twitter!