If you like RPGs you owe yourself to pick up Baten Kaitos.

[dbiersdorf]

Wow what a game. I think this game has really been passed off by a lot of the market, and it really shouldn't. I'm not much into the RPG scene, and to be honest the only ones I have ever enjoyed were Paper Mario, Pokemon and Phantasy Star Online - yet this game goes beyond anything I could have imagined. The visuals are downright stunning, some of the best on the GameCube, the battle system, while some might be turned off by the card system is actually worked out right, not like PSO III.

Get this game!

[Crush Crawfish]

it looks really good. My brother's been playing it nearly non-stop since he got it. I'd love to get started on it, but I gotta finish a few other games first...

[dbiersdorf]

I highly recommend it, and even though Resident Evil 4 is fantastic, this has been taking up all my gaming time. :-P

[Aussie2B]

I've been recommending the game around here for nearly a year. :P I got in December of 2003 just a week or so after its Japanese release. It is a great game. :) Sadly, it's doomed from the get-go just because it's a brand new franchise, it uses cards, and it's on GameCube. It didn't sell particularly well in Japan either. I still don't know why Namco decided to bring it to the US. o_O It's nice that they did, though, and besides the dubbing, they did a good localization (infinitely better than any of Square Enix's localizations).

[AB Positive]

I got it for my best friend for her birthday a couple weeks back. She absolutly hated it, swapped it out for a paper mario. But she's a huge stickler for RPGs and an easy battle system is a must for her.

Personally, I still want it from what little I played while she had it, I also love Card-RPGs *cough*cheapplug (http://www.digitpress.com/archives/timetokill_cards.htm)*cough* I was disappointed she exchanged it but hey, that's what I get for buying something that I think is cool, heh. I may very well buy a gamecube JUST for this game.

Also, if you like baten kaitos, find Culdcept for PS2. Worth every penny you may spend.

-AG

[Aussie2B]

I've never played Culdcept, but from what I've heard, it sounds nothing like Baten Kaitos. Baten Kaitos uses cards, but it's not really anything like other card RPGs.

Yeah, it's definitely not for RPG fans who want battle systems that are easy and not complex. o_O It's not the hardest RPG ever, but it's no Final Fantasy.

[SoulBlazer]

I like this game, I really do -- the graphics are beautiful (best I've seen on the GC), the combat is nice and hard, and I like how you take pictures of enemies and sell them for money in this game.

But I stopped playing it after putting in about 12 hours last week and just have'nt wanted to go back to it. The story seems good but it's SO SLOW to develop, and the gameplay is kinda slow and tedious. I hope it gets better as I get further in. Plus battles are slow paced as well.

[Half Cab Leroy]

I also loved this game. I played it almost nonstop once I got it until I beat it. The only thing I didn't like about it was the voices but that wasn't a big deal to me.

[lucavi]

The story seems good but it's SO SLOW to develop, and the gameplay is kinda slow and tedious. I hope it gets better as I get further in. Plus battles are slow paced as well.

i just got this game and that is exactly what is driving me nuts about it right now. it's a good game but just too damn slow. not sure how much more time i will be putting in to this.

[Psycho Mantis]

I love this game. I'm about 27 hours into it and i say it is brilliant.
the story is kinda slow, but there's some some really cool plot twists.
This is mostly all i've been playing since I got it.

[FantasiaWHT]

I couldn't disagree more...

I bought it, being really excited, and I've played for a while now and just can NOT get into it. It's about to be put on my "I'll set it aside for a few months and see if I ever yearn to get back into it again; if not it's ebay fodder" pile.

While it IS definitely beautiful, that's about all positive i've gotten out of the game so far.

-The card system is interesting at first, but gets old REALLY fast.
-The voice acting is average or slightly below, imo, but the recording is HORRIBLE. There's this awful hollowness to it that makes me think it was recorded in a really crappy studio.
-The story, at least in the beginning, is rather bland. Maybe it gets better later (I'll admit, for all I loved Tales of Symphonia, the opening few hours were total groaner material plotwise) but I just couldn't get into it.
-Personally I think the character art is hideous. They look fine in the runaround, but the drawings for conversations are BLECH.

Maybe when I'm out of games to play (laugh) I'll look back at it.

ps whoever mentioned Culdcept, that game is awesome! Can't recommend it enough. Nothing like BK tho.

[Aussie2B]

-The card system is interesting at first, but gets old REALLY fast.
-The voice acting is average or slightly below, imo, but the recording is HORRIBLE. There's this awful hollowness to it that makes me think it was recorded in a really crappy studio.

How long did you play? I find the battle system got much more interesting as the game went along as you get more unusual cards for your deck, equipment that's really good but screws with the cards, and less time to make your selections as you level up your class.

As for the recording quality, it was like that in the Japanese version as well. Did you ever try putting the sound on Surround? It's a weird trick that the importers figured out shortly after the game came out. Even if you don't have a surround set up, it'll improve the sound A LOT for most people. It helps just the same with the US version of the game.

[Dobie]

-The card system is interesting at first, but gets old REALLY fast.
-The voice acting is average or slightly below, imo, but the recording is HORRIBLE. There's this awful hollowness to it that makes me think it was recorded in a really crappy studio.

As for the recording quality, it was like that in the Japanese version as well. Did you ever try putting the sound on Surround? It's a weird trick that the importers figured out shortly after the game came out. Even if you don't have a surround set up, it'll improve the sound A LOT for most people. It helps just the same with the US version of the game.

I have the same complaints about the recordings. It sounds like it was taped in a small bathroom. The surround helps a bit, but the tinny echo is still there. It does make it so its bearable though. Why they released this game like that is beyond me.

I really tried to like this game. I played Tales, loved it, and got stoked for this one too. I preordered Baten Kaitos, looked forward anxiously to its release, and kept myself in denial for about 20 hours worth before I finally gave up on it. Its a beautiful looking game, the card system is at least interesting, and the music is nice, but I just didn't find it the least bit FUN to play.

Everybody has had their own experience with it I guess--its either love or hate. I hated it. I'm going to keep it around and give it another play a bit later on, just to make sure (I really, really WANT to like it), but I have a feeling I'll be shelving it again for good.

So much for RPGs on the 'Cube, eh? One look at the sales numbers for Baten Kaitos would scare off anybody thinking about making another one.

[Gunstar_Hero UK]

I'll be perfectly honest here, i really dislike RPG's, not 'my thing'.. But i picked up Baten Kaitos and im about 15 hours in to it and im absolutley loving it! Its revived my interest in RPG's. Can anyone recommend any other RPG's like it?

Joe. :)

[jdc]

This is good. If there's mixed emotions over it then it should turn up used and unplayed fairly fast. Like most of you, I've already got too many games to play as it is. I haven't even gotten around to cracking open Tales Of Symphonia.

[EnemyZero]

yeah a great game, its not perfect but its amazing non-theless

[Rugal]

I have both Culdecept and Baten Kaitos and i haven't played either one of them yet. I listed both of them over on TGN and i got like 12 offers in one day just for Baten just alone. This will be one of those games that will become popular later on.