"A beautiful and incredible adventure!"

Wow! I was honestly breathless after watching the trailer for this game right after E3 at GameSpot. So, I had my parents preorder the game at ToysRUs so I'd get the great soundtrack as well. Finally, it arrived. I popped it into my GameCube, and was absolutely amazed. It was everything I'd hoped for, and more!

STORY (9/10)
It's been a very very long time since I've played a modern RPG where the story wasn't cliche or predictable. Come on, where's a game where the main character isn't some teen guy out to save the world. And at first, Baten Kaitos is the exact same way. However, as you play through the story, you will find the cast of characters to be very original and deep. This is some of the best character development out there folks.

And the story...wow! I will admit, it has some cliche parts just like any other RPG plot. But there are a number of major twists in the game that will knock you off you seat. The story is presented beautifully, and the plot is incredible. Even though going straight through the story only takes 50-60 hours (which is still a lot), it feels twice as long just because so much is happening. The plot is probably the best part of this game.

The characters are also very very deep as I said before. Right before you head off to the final dungeon, a number of sidequests open up. During these, you will learn a lot about each character, further developing their already gripping stories. You will also earn some great items for each of them, so make sure you don't miss these!

GAMEPLAY (9/10)
The battle system in this game is great! One of the best original battle systems ever created. Yes, it is a card RPG, however, don't let that mislead you. The cards are used more as a menu, seeing that you will still be swinging blades, casting spells, and using items.

The system is known as Magnus. Every object and being has a magna essence, which can be captured in special cards known as magnus cards. You can then release these essences whenever needed. All your weapons, spells, items, and armor will be stored in these cards. It's a much more realistic approach, rather than the "super bags" which are small but can carry anything in them.

General gameplay is also wonderful. Cutscenes are nicely balanced with battles and dungeon-traveling. You'll be spending a lot of time going back and forth between islands, and even returning to the dungeons of past. The bosses provide a great challenge, and really add to the game.

Lastly, I should mention that leveling up is very different. Instead of automatically leveling after gaining experience, you must travel to a church via giant flowers in towns where you can level or class up. It's very original, and in some ways a good idea. Just don't forget to level up before heading off to a new place, and if the game says you won't be able to travel to the church for a while, make sure you level up extra.

GRAPHICS (10/10)
I'm sure we've all seen screenshots, movies, and art. So, I was expecting a beautiful presentation. And that's exactly what I got. The 2D pre-rendered backgrounds are absolutely incredible. They are detailed right down to the single flower blowing in the wind. They look very realistic.

The battle graphics are just as great. The scenery is nice, and the character/monster models are great too. They could've been a little more detailed, but you won't be complaining.

The only problem is that there is very little FMV footage in game. But, it's not like that takes away from the game at all.

SOUND (9/10)
Normally, I would've given this area a 10/10 for this game, but there were a few awful voice actors which made me cringe, so I had to lower the score a notch. Otherwise, you've got a beautiful soundtrack, some mostly-great voice acting, and cool sound effects.

You may have seen some folks say that the voice acting is awful because it sounds "echoey." This is true, but that can be fixed into normal, good voice acting by changing the sound setting to surround sound, whether you have it or not. As for the music, it's awesome. There's a list of all the tracks that you can listen to right in the menu from the start, so it's very easy and entertaining to listen to.

VALUE (8/10)
While the game does have some replayability, it's really just collecting cards. Personally, I enjoyed running through the game again, but some people might just not like spending time chasing after different cards.

But it's definitely worth your money. You'll be playing for at least 50 hours, and that's not counting all the extra stuff you can do. There are 1000 magnus cards to collect, not counting the quest magnus.

FINAL (9/10)
I absolutely love this game. I highly recommend this game to any gamer who enjoys playing RPGs, or just seeing a good story unfold. It exceeds in every area important to an RPG, as well as minor areas. It's overall a great presentation and game. It is surely the best RPG on GameCube, and it's up to you from there...

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/04