The Last Remnant - Gen. Discussion & Info

[AlexKidd]

Been a long running fan of Square RPG's and am pretty anxious about The Last Remnant coming out on the 20th. The appearance (as always with Square) looks amazing and for being a turn based system the battles seem like they get pretty intense. Just curious if anyone else is excited or even interested in this one?

[Ryuukishi]

I thought this looked cool when the first screenshots were released, but the more that gets revealed about the game, the less attractive it looks. The graphics seem kind of plain and the only interesting thing about the character designs is how many of them seem blatantly lifted from other games (Basch from FF12, Frog from Chrono Trigger, etc.). And from what I've read of the battle system, it sounds like a hands-off mix of a traditional turn-based system with an RTS squad-based kind of thing. And then that whole thing about sending the mole guy out on missions to dig up treasure? I have the sense that the developers are trying to combine a lot of disparate ideas but I don't know how coherent the overall package is going to be.

My guess is that this game will turn out similar to Infinite Undiscovery-- fair to middling reviews, some fun to be had for dedicated genre fans, but not particularly outstanding or memorable.

[homeland]

amazon has it for $40 for preorder... That can't be a good sign.

[Spades22]

I thought it looked good initially as well...but lately seeing some vids and reading about the characters/graphics, as well as the story, I won't be buying it for a very long time. I feel like I've played my share of RPGs lately, and this story seems like a combination of the two RPGs I've beaten most recently...
This is one game that even if it got 9's I wouldn't buy it for quite awhile...

[chubbyninja1319]

I want to like this, mostly because I'm an old school Squaresoft sucker. But, something tells me I'm not going to like the battle system. I really truly am an old school JRPG guy. I don't need anything fancy when it comes to battle systems. The graphics look amazing. $40 at Amazon is tempting. But, I'll wait a while and see what kind of buzz this gets on CAG.

[Amelyssan]

It's only a day or so early, but my local Wal-Mart is selling The Last Remnant. There was no little orange sticker with a "Do not sale before date" on the game and the clerk just rung it up.


The game is indeed two discs. If anyone else wants to try to grab a copy, it's the Wal-Mart in Oak Grove, KY. (The pre-order code is from GS.)

http://i38.tinypic.com/25rldf8.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/oohux.jpg

(http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg)

[MSUHitman]

It's only a day or so early, but my local Wal-Mart is selling The Last Remnant. There was no little orange sticker with a "Do not sale before date" on the game and the clerk just rung it up.


The game is indeed two discs. If anyone else wants to try to grab a copy, it's the Wal-Mart in Oak Grove, KY. (The pre-order code is from GS.)

http://i38.tinypic.com/25rldf8.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/oohux.jpg

(http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg)

Thanks OP but I'll take my $40 Amazon copy over a $60 WM copy any day of the week. :)

[Katra]

It's only a day or so early, but my local Wal-Mart is selling The Last Remnant. There was no little orange sticker with a "Do not sale before date" on the game and the clerk just rung it up.


The game is indeed two discs. If anyone else wants to try to grab a copy, it's the Wal-Mart in Oak Grove, KY. (The pre-order code is from GS.)

http://i38.tinypic.com/25rldf8.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/oohux.jpg

(http://i38.tinypic.com/2qk7960.jpg)

Have you tried the game yet? What do you think?

I know I am very excited about picking it up tomorrow. :bouncy:

[nnthomas]

I want this very much. Amazon says it is not shipping until the 25th. The pain hurts.

[Galego23]

Previews

Square vets look west for their next big RPG.
http://www.1up.com/media?id=3633824 (http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=5379721) By Jeremy Parish (http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=5379721) 11/17/2008

http://www.1up.com/images/spacer.gif
I wasn't sure what to expect when Square Enix invited me and Game Developer magazine's Christian Nutt to have dinner with the creators of The Last Remnant (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3159285). Mainly awkwardness, I suppose. It's difficult to have a casual, relaxed conversation with Japanese developers, which is more a matter of cultural barriers than language; Japanese devs tend to be guarded around the press, and Square Enix's creators doubly so. Much to my surprise, though, the men behind Remnant were open and relaxed. Surprisingly, they didn't come to hype their game but rather to engage in a frank, informal discussion about the differences in tastes between the American and Japanese markets. Ironically, though we barely talked about Remnant, by the end of the night I found myself more and more intrigued by -- and excited for -- Square's next major title. And make no mistake, this is a Square title. Even after the better part of a decade, Square Enix is very much two companies, and Remnant has all of the hallmarks of its Square half. It's internally developed, for one; while all Enix properties are created by outside collaborators like tri-Ace and Level 5, this is a strictly in-house project. In fact, at launch it will be Square Enix's first internally made title for the current console generation. It's also Square's first new in-house IP since 2001's The Bouncer (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=2006777). And it's the work of an impressive number of company veterans led by Hiroshi Takai, whose résumé includes a number of SaGa, Mana, and Final Fantasy titles stretching back to his work on Final Fantasy V (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=2018223)'s exceptional combat system.

http://www.1up.com/media?id=3648966&type=lg (http://www.1up.com/do/media?cId=3159285&sec=IMAGES) SCREENS: Click the image above to check out all The Last Remnant screens.

Much of Remnant's staff previously worked on Romancing SaGa and Final Fantasy XII (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=2006397), and it shows through in their work. "We've avoided comparisons to SaGa and FFXII, because this is something completely different," Takai demurs. "We'd like to avoid preconceptions." Later, however, he did admit that he feels Remnant brings together the best aspects of SaGa and FFXII while adding new concepts and refinements. A paternity test would definitely prove the game's Final Fantasy heritage: Remnant's large-scale battle system runs on what art director Yusuke Naora calls "Gambit 1.5," an evolution of FFXII's Gambit system, which allowed for intelligent, automated A.I. control of nonplayer party members. "Players can't actually edit their party A.I.," says Naora, "but during the development process, the team worked with Gambits" -- the tool to define the rules by which the player's party would behave in the finished game.
While many RPG fans may initially find the lack of direct control over their party off-putting, the transparency of Remnant's use of Gambits makes sense. In FFXII, the player controlled a party of three characters drawn from a pool of six; here, the active "party" consists of as many as five Unions, which are groups of five warriors working in unison. Battles can involve as many as 50 combatants. Rather than force players to issue commands at the individual level and transform the game into a toilsome exercise in tactical micromanagement, Remnant zooms back from the macro view and becomes more about overall battlefield dynamics. Each Union's treated as a character might be in another RPG, with individual units within each Union acting according to their predetermined Gambits.
In practice, combat isn't so cut-and-dried as that, though. A character's action in any given round will depend on their skill level, learned abilities, the status of their comrades, the positioning of the character's Union relative to enemy Unions, and the team's overall morale in the current battle. In other words, A.I.-determined actions are highly context-driven. A character with wounded allies is likely to use healing skills -- unless, perhaps, his Union has the drop on an enemy formation and can safely finish off their opponents in that round. In that case, they might go all-out to mop up the rabble instead. Victory in combat seems to be less about the specifics (which are handled intelligently by preset Gambits) and more about general combat strategies, understanding the capabilities of each Union, positioning your team advantageously against the enemy, and knowing your foes' potential abilities. Because the combat system is entirely turn-based and features an extremely detailed interface, players can cycle through possible tactics to choose the most advantageous set of commands available to their Unions; they'll never be forced to guess what their party will do.

http://www.1up.com/media?id=3648968&type=lg (http://www.1up.com/do/media?cId=3159285&sec=IMAGES) SCREENS: Click the image above to check out all The Last Remnant screens.

This is where the SaGa connection comes into play, although abstractly; it's a link that's difficult to express or define in concrete terms. Still, something about Remnant is powerfully reminiscent of the SaGa games, even though the game mechanics are radically different. The character-building system is a part of that. As in the SaGa titles (and Final Fantasy II (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3156437) before them), character stats improve according to skill use, so that characters whose Unions act defensively will be rewarded with added endurance while characters whose Unions focus on special attacks will become more adept with the corresponding abilities. But there's a more nebulous connection as well in the general feel of the game. Early reviews from Japan (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3171265) paint a picture of an RPG with a heavy emphasis on combat, and by all appearances Remnant's battle mechanics are unique and idiosyncratic -- unapologetically so. Maybe that's the SaGa spirit bleeding through: both feature large, seemingly chaotic battles where your characters initially seem to behave with their own minds until, suddenly, everything clicks for you and falls into place.



Still, it's clear that Takai and his team have worked to make Remnant much less of a niche-oriented RPG than the SaGa games. "The problem with SaGa is that it has very passionate fans, but it can't break out beyond them," he laments. "If people see the SaGa connection as a good thing, that's great, but we want to make it clear that this game is much more refined and accessible."
Accessibility seems to be much on the team's mind; most of our conversation over dinner centered on the subject -- and more specifically, how to make a game like Remnant accessible and appealing to Americans. Japanese developers are mindful of the fact that their side of the industry has "lost its edge," to put it in the terms that Square Enix president Yoichi Wada himself used recently (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20573), and Remnant has been designed from the ground up as an RPG targeted just as much toward Western gamers as our Japanese peers. "We did a lot of research into Western tastes, things that Americans want from their games," Naora says. Our meeting was ultimately another step in that process, a chance for the team to field more input about what works here and what doesn't.

http://www.1up.com/media?id=3648969&type=lg (http://www.1up.com/do/media?cId=3159285&sec=IMAGES) SCREENS: Click the image above to check out all The Last Remnant screens.

The tremendous success of Fallout 3 (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3160079) seems to have made a particularly profound impact on Naora. "When we make a game that sells two million copies, that's always seemed like a tremendous success for us," he says. "But now we hear about Fallout 3 selling four million in just a few weeks, and it really surprises us. This is a game that doesn't even look like what we in Japan consider an 'RPG,' yet it's incredibly popular."
"Until about a year ago, we'd never even heard the term 'J-RPG' to distinguish our RPGs from Western games," he admits. Now he seems determined to sort out the defining differences between the two schools of RPG design. Does it mean stronger female characters? A first-person perspective? More realism?
And that's why Remnant is so intriguing. It's one thing for Japanese developers to pay lip service to appealing to Western audiences, but it's something else entirely to make a sincere effort. Naora and Takai appear genuinely interested in pushing their games beyond the limitations of language and culture, and their team is largely comprised of veterans from some of Square's most unconventional and Western-oriented titles. The SaGa titles have always hewed more closely to the structure of 8-bit PC RPGs than any other Japanese franchise; the much-reviled Unlimited Saga (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=2006833) attempted to delve even further into the genre's roots by adopting the style and conventions of a pen-and-paper RPG. Meanwhile, FFXII boldly combined the narrative and character conventions of its series with the trappings and openness of Western MMOs. Hopefully, Remnant's creators will continue to explore the works of developers like BioWare and Bethesda to discover what makes those games tick and incorporate their findings into their own projects -- ideally without compromising the fundamental flavor that their Japanese perspective provides.
Balancing the need to appeal to both American and Japanese audiences is a demanding, difficult task that eludes most developers. Fortunately, Remnant seems like a vital step in the right direction.

[Ryuukishi]

I don't see any specifics in that article about what makes this JRPG more "Western-influenced" or "Western-focused" than any other JRPG. Does anyone know?

[mogshaz]

I don't see any specifics in that article about what makes this JRPG more "Western-influenced" or "Western-focused" than any other JRPG. Does anyone know?

I get what you're saying. Last Remnant definitely doesn't look anymore western influenced than the average JRPG, at least from the previews I have seen. though it looks to have an interesting Battle system.

[Ice2Dragon]

WHAT THE HELL?

AMAZON NOW SHIPPING 25st!?!?!?!?!

Screw you amazon. Seriously.

Im tempted to sell my pre order of the 39.96 and just pick up a copy at best buy tomorrow.. @_@

[Ice2Dragon]

has anyone's order shipped? I changed one day shipping and it still says "expected day 25th to be delivered"...

[Draekon]

WHAT THE HELL?

AMAZON NOW SHIPPING 25st!?!?!?!?!

Screw you amazon. Seriously.

Im tempted to sell my pre order of the 39.96 and just pick up a copy at best buy tomorrow.. @_@


Amazon says: Shipping: Usually ships within 3 - 5 weeks.

Also, changing shipping changes your place in the shipping order, which is initially based off when you order. So you essentially screwwed yourself a bit there. It's stupid I know, but they don't seem intent on changing it.

[Galego23]

has anyone's order shipped? I changed one day shipping and it still says "expected day 25th to be delivered"...

Same here, I have the free 2-Day shipping and it says "November 25th."

[Ice2Dragon]

Amazon says: Shipping: Usually ships within 3 - 5 weeks.

Also, changing shipping changes your place in the shipping order, which is initially based off when you order. So you essentially screwwed yourself a bit there. It's stupid I know, but they don't seem intent on changing it.

I didnt save it, i just tried it to see estimation and it was still the same.

Whats with this "3 to 5" weeks crap? Its been in stores since monday lol :(

[Draekon]

Whats with this "3 to 5" weeks crap? Its been in stores since monday lol :(

Yeah, Amazons game section pretty much sucks on shipping. Oh well, I'll take $20 off and a week late than none at all or waiting two months after the game releases to reach that price or possibly lower.

[Ice2Dragon]

Yeah, Amazons game section pretty much sucks on shipping. Oh well, I'll take $20 off and a week late than none at all or waiting two months after the game releases to reach that price or possibly lower.

Yeah I agree, but I really want to play this.. im bored with left 4 dead (36/50 ach's already...)and have nothing else to really play @_@

[Galego23]

Yeah, Amazons game section pretty much sucks on shipping. Oh well, I'll take $20 off and a week late than none at all or waiting two months after the game releases to reach that price or possibly lower.

I got Left 4 Dead the day it came out.. with 2 Day Free Shipping.. so up until now I never had a problem with it.

[johnmirra]

My preorder on amazon says it will be delivered by the 28th, unfortunatly it still hasent shipped

[Ryuukishi]

Every time I've preordered a video game on Amazon with Super Saver shipping, it's taken about a week from the release date to actually ship out. For the price though, I'm not complaining.

It does seem to be unique to video games though. I preorder a lot of CDs too, and those generally ship out a few days before the release date, even with Super Saver.

[Calamityuponthee]

Any reviews? I'm seriously considering buying this, but not much to go by.

[Ice2Dragon]

i have 25 in reward certificates to burn up at best buy.. im tired of waiting.

[GeorgeCostanza]

Anyone remember what the pre order bonus was with amazon? I wanna say some in game items and a poster possibly? I dont see any info on the site and I forget now.

[Dezuria]

Saw this game in the stores today, anyone buy it yet? I wanna hear some opinions. :)

[Ice2Dragon]

Anyone remember what the pre order bonus was with amazon? I wanna say some in game items and a poster possibly? I dont see any info on the site and I forget now.

three codes for "winning formations"

free poster is at gamestop and target I think.

[Ryuukishi]

Reviews are starting to trickle in on Metacritic. Looks like Famitsu is the only outfit that has really liked the game so far.

[Galego23]

Reviews are starting to trickle in on Metacritic. Looks like Famitsu is the only outfit that has really liked the game so far.

Only 3 reviews I see up are from XBox Mag, Game Informer, and Game Pro... and they're all bad... I never use any of those three for reviews regardless.

[rodeojones903]

Only 3 reviews I see up are from XBox Mag, Game Informer, and Game Pro... and they're all bad... I never use any of those three for reviews regardless.

But its generally because they give bad games good reviews, not the other way around. I have this coming from amazon, but I'm starting to get worried.

[Ryuukishi]

I'm looking forward to 1UP's review, they seem to know what's up when it comes to JRPGs usually. Lately I feel like their reviews are getting shorter though, more quick overview than detailed criticism.

[depascal22]

I'm looking forward to 1UP's review, they seem to know what's up when it comes to JRPGs usually. Lately I feel like their reviews are getting shorter though, more quick overview than detailed criticism.

That's because the internet community as a whole has ADD really bad. Alot of reader email to all websites states that articles are too long. That's why 1Up has almost entirely gone to crappy top ten lists and super short reviews. Chris Fowler on ESPN said as much on his weekly college football article.

[johnmirra]

i think im canceling my order i have a huge backlog and this is getting horible reviews

[squid]

I saw the poster yesterday at GameStop. It's pretty ugly.

Has no one picked it up? Most reviews I've found so far have been average.

[Galego23]

I cancelled my order from Amazon... not worth the wait apparently.

[depascal22]

I cancelled my order from Amazon... not worth the wait apparently.

After all that, you cancelled your pre-order....

[Galego23]

After all that, you cancelled your pre-order....

Facts > Hype

[depascal22]

But you were the one hyping this game up like it was the Second Coming. You couldn't stop going on about Famitsu and all that. Does that review mean nothing now?

[Galego23]

But you were the one hyping this game up like it was the Second Coming. You couldn't stop going on about Famitsu and all that. Does that review mean nothing now?

You've obviously got the wrong person...

I posted a 1UP Article, that is all.

[depascal22]

You didn't say that you'll settle for mediocrity? Or you didn't say that at $20 off this is a must-buy?

[Ice2Dragon]

You didn't say that you'll settle for mediocrity? Or you didn't say that at $20 off this is a must-buy?

Don't feed them depascal.

http://eatourbrains.com/EoB/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/troll.jpg

[Ice2Dragon]

Went and bought it at Best Buy. Shiny case + Free poster is a no win over some crap ass downloadable codes.

Installing to the HDD, ill post some impressions later.

[Ice2Dragon]

Alright, after about 4 hours of playing.

the game has a very steep learning curve.. once you learn it you're golden. it takes a bit getting used to of doing the customization of items and battle techniques as well as forming different parties.

Story is good, graphics are good, load times are NIL when you do the hard drive save... its roughly 7gb.

[robbart914]

Crap I forgot to cancel my Amazon order! At least it's only $40. But then, Lost Odyssey's like ~20 and I've not got around to picking that up yet.

[johnmirra]

Canceled today, too many other great games out right now to blow 40 on an "ok" game

[chubbyninja1319]

More impressions, please!

Even though I have no idea when I'd be able to get to this one. I still have Gears 2 and Fallout 3 waiting for me.

[Ice2Dragon]

So ive played for about 15 hours.

Theres no actual "level" for characters.. its just a battle rank.. everytime it increases by winning battles/encountering enemies you get HP + or strength +.. you get new abilities by using combat arts/mystic/healing.

The game has a HUGE difficulty leap.. the first few bosses are hella easy and can be beaten in no more than 2 rounds, but theres one against a titan where you fight him along with two birds that can cast curse.

Doesnt sound bad, but its the stupidest boss ever. Curse can instantly kill you, if it doesnt, it stops you completely from attacking. Its all about luck.

THe game also limits how many leaders you can use, and since you have at least 7 at the start, you can also use four including Rush. Kinda dumb.

It also forces you to use 3 unions for the boss fights, since otherwise you get flanked repeatedly and your morale drops to zero.

Morale is a great idea, but it blows. Even with full morale the enemy still dodged a decent portion of attacks or got criticals against me.

Bosses also cant be flanked, instead they get "multi deadlocked".

Which is complete bullsheot.

Everytime you attack with a union, it means the boss ALSO GETS AN ATTACK. The bosses have INSANE ATTACKS, most have one that hits the entire party at once. It makes you wonder why thats fair, since some bosses get an additional attack on top of that one they got versus your union.

It takes getting used too.. im roughly 15 hours into it and level 30 or so battle rank.

Its fun, but this game takes A LOT of getting used too..

[m_m23]

So ive played for about 15 hours.

Theres no actual "level" for characters.. its just a battle rank.. everytime it increases by winning battles/encountering enemies you get HP + or strength +.. you get new abilities by using combat arts/mystic/healing.

The game has a HUGE difficulty leap.. the first few bosses are hella easy and can be beaten in no more than 2 rounds, but theres one against a titan where you fight him along with two birds that can cast curse.

Doesnt sound bad, but its the stupidest boss ever. Curse can instantly kill you, if it doesnt, it stops you completely from attacking. Its all about luck.

THe game also limits how many leaders you can use, and since you have at least 7 at the start, you can also use four including Rush. Kinda dumb.

It also forces you to use 3 unions for the boss fights, since otherwise you get flanked repeatedly and your morale drops to zero.


Ah you are talking about the optional sidequest for the female general, I forgot her name, yeah that quest is Very tough, Im currently leveling for it as we speak, and while on the subject of hard battles you Really want to avoid regular mobs called Imp's, they look like werewolves, but I probably dont have to tell you that.:applause:

[TruVisionary]

I haven't really been paying any attention to this game. what's the whole gameplay system like, and what is the story about?

[Ice2Dragon]

I haven't really been paying any attention to this game. what's the whole gameplay system like, and what is the story about?

I have no clue what the storys about. The main story deals with finding your sister, but somehow remnants are involved and some weird guy who kills a bunch of people but the other lords are okay with it.. its very confusing.

[MSUHitman]

So ive played for about 15 hours.

Theres no actual "level" for characters.. its just a battle rank.. everytime it increases by winning battles/encountering enemies you get HP + or strength +.. you get new abilities by using combat arts/mystic/healing.

The game has a HUGE difficulty leap.. the first few bosses are hella easy and can be beaten in no more than 2 rounds, but theres one against a titan where you fight him along with two birds that can cast curse.

Doesnt sound bad, but its the stupidest boss ever. Curse can instantly kill you, if it doesnt, it stops you completely from attacking. Its all about luck.

THe game also limits how many leaders you can use, and since you have at least 7 at the start, you can also use four including Rush. Kinda dumb.

It also forces you to use 3 unions for the boss fights, since otherwise you get flanked repeatedly and your morale drops to zero.

Morale is a great idea, but it blows. Even with full morale the enemy still dodged a decent portion of attacks or got criticals against me.

Bosses also cant be flanked, instead they get "multi deadlocked".

Which is complete bullsheot.

Everytime you attack with a union, it means the boss ALSO GETS AN ATTACK. The bosses have INSANE ATTACKS, most have one that hits the entire party at once. It makes you wonder why thats fair, since some bosses get an additional attack on top of that one they got versus your union.

It takes getting used too.. im roughly 15 hours into it and level 30 or so battle rank.

Its fun, but this game takes A LOT of getting used too..

Sounds like my $40 Amazon copy is getting returned (as it's in shipment.) Hopefully the DLC is seperate from the game so I can keep that when I ship the game back. This, like IU, is a wait until it's $20 game. I've got too much other stuff to play anyway. Thanks IceDragon!

[Ice2Dragon]

Sounds like my $40 Amazon copy is getting returned (as it's in shipment.) Hopefully the DLC is seperate from the game so I can keep that when I ship the game back. This, like IU, is a wait until it's $20 game. I've got too much other stuff to play anyway. Thanks IceDragon!

I believe the code is packaged inside the game, thats what amazon says anyways.

Yes, I agree about the IU being a 20 game. This is a decent game, but its not worth 40 or 60 if you arent a fan of this type of game (check out gameplay videos) then you will get bored easy.

A normal dungeon contains at least 15+ battles of the same thing, and most battles can be ended shortly. Its a nuisance.

I bought the best buy copy since my amazon copy never came yet since I had a review due.

The case is shiny and came with a poster.. no codes.

[Ice2Dragon]

For anyone interested..

I posted a review here (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=204774)

[sleepy180]

Just went and bought this game on a whim today. I am a big fan of Lost Odyssey, i loved that game. So far this game is great. Im loving it. Just beat the first dungeon and can't wait to get back into it.

[Nelo Ice]

GT review
8.0 overall
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/43106.html?type=


The Last Remnant is a hard game to judge. A person's enjoyment of it will be directly related to how much they can tolerate the persistent graphical issues. If you can get past it, there's a lot to enjoy. The smart design decisions and its unique battle system.

[Binturong]

For people who installed the game: How are the "technical issues?" That's really the only thing that's making me consider returning my copy when it comes in, and waiting for the ps3 version. I've read it's pretty solid otherwise. Thanks.

[Ice2Dragon]

For people who installed the game: How are the "technical issues?" That's really the only thing that's making me consider returning my copy when it comes in, and waiting for the ps3 version. I've read it's pretty solid otherwise. Thanks.

Ive had no technical issues.. installing makes the load times nil its well worth it.

[goengland]

three codes for "winning formations"

free poster is at gamestop and target I think.

Does anyboby receive the pre-order bonus from Amazon? How long will it take for them to send out the code?

[Ice2Dragon]

Does anyboby receive the pre-order bonus from Amazon? How long will it take for them to send out the code?

it should be packaged in with the code.

[goengland]

it should be packaged in with the code.

I see. Since i was expecting to get the codes through email.

[Calamityuponthee]

Wow, 5.3 from IGN. That site has no clue how to rate RPG's unless it's a Final Fantasy.

[Monsta Mack]

lol @ Ign's 5.3.

I'm probably gonna put this game on my wishlist but I won't touch it till I play and beat Lost Odyssey which looks to be the best JRPG of the "next gen" systems just behind Valkyrie Chronicles.

[Lions]

lol @ Ign's 5.3.

I'm probably gonna put this game on my wishlist but I won't touch it till I play and beat Lost Odyssey which looks to be the best JRPG of the "next gen" systems just behind Valkyrie Chronicles.
I'd say ToV is better than LO, but that's my personal opinion. LO is emo meets FF, and I can't say I liked any character in the whole game. :/ The story was decent and the graphics and gameplay were great, but I play RPG's for a killer story and the characters and stuff personally, so maybe that's why I didn't care too much about LO.

[Ice2Dragon]

lol @ Ign's 5.3.

I'm probably gonna put this game on my wishlist but I won't touch it till I play and beat Lost Odyssey which looks to be the best JRPG of the "next gen" systems just behind Valkyrie Chronicles.

Im fairly certain the IGn reviewer didnt get very far into the game... @_@ So take it for what its worth.

[Rei no Otaku]

lol @ Ign's 5.3.

I'm probably gonna put this game on my wishlist but I won't touch it till I play and beat Lost Odyssey which looks to be the best JRPG of the "next gen" systems just behind Valkyrie Chronicles.
Tales of Vesperia is far superior to LO.

Anyway, I think this game is pretty damn good. The only problem is the slowdown. Other than that I'm liking everything else about it.

[Katra]

I actually agree with the GameTrailers review:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/933/933121p1.html

Overall they gave it an 8.


I have played for 5 hours so far and I really enjoy the game. It has pretty frequent load screens and some lag, but the lag was fixed for me by installing it on the harddrive. The loading screens still exist but they don't really bother me.

So far, the story is really interesting and I find the battle system really fun.

[YodaEXE]

I'd say ToV is better than LO, but that's my personal opinion. LO is emo meets FF, and I can't say I liked any character in the whole game. :/ The story was decent and the graphics and gameplay were great, but I play RPG's for a killer story and the characters and stuff personally, so maybe that's why I didn't care too much about LO.
See, I found the opposite. I found the story and characters in ToV to be utter crap compared to that of LO. It all depends on what you like. I also had trouble getting past the horrid voices that ToV had in it. I personally loved the story in LO as well.

[bigdaddybruce44]

This has become my new treadmill game (something that I don't need to have quick reflexes for or have to concentrate hard on). I think the GameSpot review pretty much hits the nail on the head. Kind of inexcusable that a game has framerate issues this bad. The story seems interesting, the graphics look good, and the battle mechanics are something different, at least.

[ninja dog]

So...Last Remnant vs. Lost Odyssey. I liked LO, but it didn't quite hit the mark, since the battle system did a feel a bit slow and outdated.


I'm in the mood for a next gen rpg (not Tales of animu or whatever that game is called...)

[Rei no Otaku]

I'd get Last Remnant, but I know I'm in the minority.

Just get Tales of Vesperia, so good...

[FloodsAreUponUS]

So...Last Remnant vs. Lost Odyssey. I liked LO, but it didn't quite hit the mark, since the battle system did a feel a bit slow and outdated.


I'm in the mood for a next gen rpg (not Tales of animu or whatever that game is called...)

Tales is better then anything Square or Mistwalker has shitted out.

[SynGamer]

Tales is better then anything Square or Mistwalker has shitted out.
Personally LO and ToV are completely different in my eyes. LO has a much more serious tone while ToV is obviously built for laughs. Both offer a good story and fun gameplay...on the 360 at least ;)

[Galego23]

Square Enix has quite a bit more content in store for their latest RPG, The Last Remnant (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3159285), with four downloadable packs planned for release in December. Shockingly, three of them will actually be free of charge. Yes, free DLC. What wonders never cease? The first two packs, both free, will hit on December 1, with the third pack (which will cost 100 Microsoft Points) following on December 15, and the last (free) pack on December 22. There is one small catch, though -- all these dates are for Xbox Live Gold members only, as Silver members will have to wait a week later to download each release (December 8 for the first two, 15 for the third, and 29 for the last). Details for all four DLC releases follow:
Challenge Pack 1: "Purgatory's Sins" -- Level up your game with this pack of ultra-challenging guild tasks. Adequate game progression is necessary. "The Key of Ancient Ruins" -- Unlock the gates to the Ancient Ruins with this key, and discover what mysteries lie within its crumbling depths.
"March to War Set" -- Three special unlockable formations (Scatterswarm, Goblet, and Catapult) that will boost your tactical strength during battle.
Challenge Pack 2: "The Price of Lies" -- Add this pack of the most difficult guild tasks yet. Adequate game progression is necessary.
Of course, whether you want to pick up The Last Remnant in the first place remains debatable, so be sure to check out our review (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3171517&p=4&sec=REVIEWS) to find out if Square Enix's latest epic is worth your time.

[MSUHitman]

Yeah they're different tones, but LO and Tales are the best 2 JRPG's this year. I haven't played VC yet, but it's probably up there also from what I've heard. I would put LO/ToV up against FF12 and P3 FES as best JRPG's of the last 3 years. Eternal Sonata is also pretty good, and Blue Dragon is probably on the level of IU and TLR.

Kinda makes me wonder if SE is losing their touch as they're last 2 RPG's have been easily inferior to Persona from Atlus, Mistwalker, and Namco Bandai's offerings.

[FloodsAreUponUS]

Yeah they're different tones, but LO and Tales are the best 2 JRPG's this year. I haven't played VC yet, but it's probably up there also from what I've heard. I would put LO/ToV up against FF12 and P3 FES as best JRPG's of the last 3 years. Eternal Sonata is also pretty good, and Blue Dragon is probably on the level of IU and TLR.

Kinda makes me wonder if SE is losing their touch as they're last 2 RPG's have been easily inferior to Persona from Atlus, Mistwalker, and Namco Bandai's offerings.

FFX-2 was the beginning of the end for SE. They had not had the same level of quality as they had during the PS1 days.

[bigdaddybruce44]

Cool. Free content. Already got the "March to War" formations with my pre-order, though.

[Binturong]

I think the GameSpot review pretty much hits the nail on the head. Kind of inexcusable that a game has framerate issues this bad. The story seems interesting, the graphics look good, and the battle mechanics are something different, at least.

Agreed, it was actually the gamespot review that convinced me to stick with my amazon preorder, saying it's a really good game with really bad technical issues. That is entirely the case so far, though part of me wishes I waited for the ps3 version. Besides the technical issues, there's still an entire lack of polish and some of the cutscene animations are pretty bad. I was anticipating this game for too long to just go back to waiting for a few more months, and I'm really enjoying it.

[johnmirra]

well i dropped to 30 on amazon so i had to bite. Actually lookin forward to playin this.

[TrenoV]

I really love this game, but if someone is going to play it you really need to install it to enjoy it. It has absolutely massive framerate issues and slowdown playing off the disc that will put many people off on this game. Which is a shame because I think it's quite good.

[Calamityuponthee]

I might pick this game up for $30.. half price sounds good to me. Just need to install it.

[ninja dog]

Tales is better then anything Square or Mistwalker has shitted out.

It's a shame the presentation is so awful. The graphics, VA, and constant shouting of move names in battle completely turn me off from it.

[bigdaddybruce44]

I really love this game, but if someone is going to play it you really need to install it to enjoy it. It has absolutely massive framerate issues and slowdown playing off the disc that will put many people off on this game. Which is a shame because I think it's quite good.

I installed the game to the HDD as soon as I got it, and it still has a lot of slowdowns, often to the point that a battle will come to a virtual stop. I would still be playing it, though, if Fallout 3 hadn't sucked me.

[Katra]

Reading the reviews for this game has been interesting. For example:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/thelastremnant/review.html

Basically, they say this game is absolutely amazing, better than sliced bread, but the graphic lags take it down to a 6.5 int he review.

I have not had much trouble playing the game myself. I can forgive some lag times. I actually found the lag in Lost Odyssey to be worse than this game and I really enjoyed that game as well. I think the story and the battle system are good enough that they overcome any small graphical glitches, in my opinion.

Are there any other CAGs enjoying this game or has it flopped because of graphic issues?

[erectiontown]

so what are the chances this thing is gonna patched to fix framerate issues?

[Rei no Otaku]

Reading the reviews for this game has been interesting. For example:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/thelastremnant/review.html

Basically, they say this game is absolutely amazing, better than sliced bread, but the graphic lags take it down to a 6.5 int he review.

I have not had much trouble playing the game myself. I can forgive some lag times. I actually found the lag in Lost Odyssey to be worse than this game and I really enjoyed that game as well. I think the story and the battle system are good enough that they overcome any small graphical glitches, in my opinion.

Are there any other CAGs enjoying this game or has it flopped because of graphic issues?
i'm enjoying the game quite a bit.

[bigdaddybruce44]

So, I've put in a little more time in on this one. It's really not that bad. Like I said earlier, I have to agree with the GS review to some extent. If you take away the GLARING technical issues, this is an 8 or so. It's not a top-tier RPG, but it has an interesting world and a refreshing battle mechanic. I think I will keep going.

[Galego23]

so what are the chances this thing is gonna patched to fix framerate issues?


That's what I'm saying, if there is a patch that will be released I'll get this.

[Ice2Dragon]

so what are the chances this thing is gonna patched to fix framerate issues?

Doubtful :(

[Dynasty1756]

I really love this game, but if someone is going to play it you really need to install it to enjoy it. It has absolutely massive framerate issues and slowdown playing off the disc that will put many people off on this game. Which is a shame because I think it's quite good.

I thought of the same thing to when I played it. The Last Remnant is a good jrpg game that I enjoyed very much. The battle style and environment is unique but the massive framerate issue and slowdowns really turned me off in liking this game. Everything lags including the cutscenes. Even when i installed this game to my HDD it still was textures popping in and out and framerate issues.

[bigdaddybruce44]

Wow, I just found out the other day that, in order to get the two 200 point achievements, you need to do ALL of the sidequests. That's not a huge deal, because most of them are very quick (get transported to an area, fight, and that's it). Unfortunately, there are apparently sidequests that can be missed. I already screwed one up by not choosing the right answers when dealing with Roberto, and I am almost at the end of disc 1. It's just very annoying, because they were secret achievements, and no one really knew the requirements for for awhile. I'm not a big achievement guy (I have so many games I never bothered finishing), but it kind takes me out of it that I can't even get them, unless I want to start a new game.

[Lions]

Wow, I just found out the other day that, in order to get the two 200 point achievements, you need to do ALL of the sidequests. That's not a huge deal, because most of them are very quick (get transported to an area, fight, and that's it). Unfortunately, there are apparently sidequests that can be missed. I already screwed one up by not choosing the right answers when dealing with Roberto, and I am almost at the end of disc 1. It's just very annoying, because they were secret achievements, and no one really knew the requirements for for awhile. I'm not a big achievement guy (I have so many games I never bothered finishing), but it kind takes me out of it that I can't even get them, unless I want to start a new game.
Glad I'm not an achievement whore. :P
Though, I'm getting this game in a day or two, and if it pulls me in, I might do the side quests regardless. ;)

[hohez]

Wow, I just found out the other day that, in order to get the two 200 point achievements, you need to do ALL of the sidequests. That's not a huge deal, because most of them are very quick (get transported to an area, fight, and that's it). Unfortunately, there are apparently sidequests that can be missed. I already screwed one up by not choosing the right answers when dealing with Roberto, and I am almost at the end of disc 1. It's just very annoying, because they were secret achievements, and no one really knew the requirements for for awhile. I'm not a big achievement guy (I have so many games I never bothered finishing), but it kind takes me out of it that I can't even get them, unless I want to start a new game.

Every 360 RPG ive played so far has missable stuff that can affect achievements, so this isnt really that big of a surprise. I should finally be playing this xmas day, looking forward to it.

[bjstucker]

Picked this up today haven't started but for 15 bucks can't hurt to try it out.

[MasterSprtn117]

How does this game compare to Lost Odyssey? It's either this or Tomb Raider: Underworld...

[bigdaddybruce44]

I found Lost Odyssey to be superior in everyway. LR is still a lot of fun, but LO is a more polished product.

[MasterSprtn117]

Hm. I figured as much. What I'm wondering is if it's worth $15. How's the storyline? Does it stay interesting?

[Lions]

It's worth 15. decent game.

[Razzuel]

I just got to Disc 2 the other day after completing all 42 side quests on Disc 1.

So far the game is okay, but it is no where near the greatness of Lost Odyssey. The story is not that great either because it feels too disjointed—it probably does not feel as disjointed if you pass the side quests because the story bits would be closer together.

[bigdaddybruce44]

So, according to a brief hands-on that GameSpot ran, the PC version is running much smoother.

[Razzuel]

So, according to a brief hands-on that GameSpot ran, the PC version is running much smoother.

The 360 version does have some minor slowdown and some slightly annoying texture pop-in, but it has never bothered me; however I do have the game installed and that is supposed to make some sort of difference.

That is great that the PC version runs smoother though, albeit I heard that the game was not adapted to have good PC controls and that a 360 controller is actually the way to go when playing it on the PC—that sucks for those looking to play it that do not own a 360 controller.

[bigdaddybruce44]

As soon as I got this, I installed it to the hard drive. The slowdowns are pretty bad, but fortunately, considering it's not real-time, it doesn't affect much. Now, when I started the second disc without installing, wow, it was ten times worse. There were times I seriously thought the game froze.

[Razzuel]

As soon as I got this, I installed it to the hard drive. The slowdowns are pretty bad, but fortunately, considering it's not real-time, it doesn't affect much. Now, when I started the second disc without installing, wow, it was ten times worse. There were times I seriously thought the game froze.

That is odd; the slowdowns I encountered were nothing bothersome and I have not noticed any change in the intensity of the slowdowns after starting disc two. That sucks that you are getting worse performance.

[Swift900]

As soon as I got this, I installed it to the hard drive. The slowdowns are pretty bad, but fortunately, considering it's not real-time, it doesn't affect much. Now, when I started the second disc without installing, wow, it was ten times worse. There were times I seriously thought the game froze.

Have not played the game personally, but maybe you need to dump your 360's cache.

To clear the xbox 360's memory cache,

1. go to the system menu
2. go down to were it says memory, click on it. this should bring up your hard drive or other storage devices, press a on the one you want to empty
3. once you've gotten to the screen were it shows rename or format your storage device, input Y,X,X,LB,RB,X,X and a prompt will come up asking you if you want to empty your systems cache.

Good luck.

[bigdaddybruce44]

Thanks for the advice, but I already know about the cache clearing, and that isn't the problem. If you aren't familiar with this game, it suffers from massive slowdown issues.

[bjstucker]

Finally started playing this last night and its pretty fun. I heard it gets really hard at some parts of the game which I am dreading. I would say it is the best game I have bought for $8.

[freshzen]

I take it this never got patched. I'm not surprised.

[youngavatar]

just wondering where do people get the game for less than 20 dollars

[bigdaddybruce44]

just wondering where do people get the game for less than 20 dollars

At stores when they put it on clearance.