Genre: RPG
Developer: Mistwalker
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Lost Odyssey makes full use of the Unreal Engine, what with amazing texture resolution, some nice post-processing effects, and the gritty, moody style that seems to characterize Unreal Engine 3.0 games for some reason. The game is loaded with memorable locations and characters, all of which are fantastically animated and provide the feeling of a world less disconnected than many other RPGs. The pseudo-modern art style is very similar to the earlier Final Fantasy games and is top-drawer all around.

Fans of Nobuo Uematsu will find that, after an off-beat occasion with Blue Dragon, he is back in full force with the Lost Odyssey soundtrack, his best work in many years. Most of the classic Uematsu style elements are all utilizied, the game has an incredible motif which is used in many of the songs, and the title even features an epic final boss song akin to "One-Winged Angel". The Japanese voice acting is full of emotion, and each of the voices fit their respective character perfectly.

Lost Odyssey's structure is that of a traditional JRPG, minus the concept of a field map. The player is guided from towns to dungeons to cut-scenes in a well-paced manner, while engaging them in cleverly constructed narrative and battles that are deep and need to be won in specific ways. Power leveling is impossible; in given dungeon, characters gain a level with almost every fight, then suddenly gain about 2 exp per battle, which appears to be the mechanism the game designers use to keep the player within a specific level range at all times. This seems appropriate given Lost Odyssey's story-centric design.

Lost Odyssey is the game that Final Fantasy XII should have been; it looks, plays, feels, and sounds like Final Fantasy brought to the next generation, with all of the trimmings hardcore fans of the series and genre expect. Consequently, this odyssey does have a barrier to entry for the more casual; certain boss fights in particular are very tricky if not played in a very specific way with a very specific party configuration. With a little patience, some thinking, and an eagerness to watch an impressive narrative unfold with engaging characters, events, and even some wonderful literature-like personality evolutions, Lost Odyssey is an enjoyable experience all the way through.