Baten Kaitos - any good?

[otterpop]

I searched through the archives but didn't see anything about it - Is this game any good? I'm thinking about picking up a copy. I'm a big fan of strategy games and some card games but don't like Yu-gi-oh or other of those types of card battle games (I like something with more depth like Culdcept)

[Cantaloup]

I was kind of disappointed by this game, but a lot of people like it. There was not enough depth to the battle system and cards for my tastes. It is too reliant on fast card selection ("twitch" gameplay) and there is not enough strategy or deck management involved. Basically you try to either match the numbers on cards (by forming pairs, three of a kind, etc.) or play them in sequential order (to form a "straight"). Doing this gives you an attack, defense, or healing bonus. You also need to take the elemental alignment of cards and enemies into consideration. However, you have a time limit to do this (which I believe gets shorter as you level up), so it's kind of frustrating. Some battles (particularly boss battles) take way too long, and sometimes you will be dealt cards that can't be played and must be wasted (for example, armor cards during an attack round).

I also didn't really care for the visual style or voice acting (which you can turn off), and the story seemed like the usual RPG fare.

I don't have much experience with card games. My favorite is the Pokémon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color. I could spend quite a bit of time in that game tweaking my decks to get them just right, and I liked the battles as well. I don't think Baten Kaitos approaches its level of strategy and depth.

[tylerwillis]

I'm a fan of RPGs, but not necessarily of card-based games. That said, I more-or-less enjoyed BK.

Feel free to check my full review (http://www.tylerwillis.com/2005/10/30/baten-kaitos-eternal-wings-and-the-lost-ocean/)

[max 330 mega]

ive been playing through it recently, and i myself think its an awesome game. the backgrounds are absolutely stunning, and the soundtrack is pretty damn cool too.

[exit]

My friend got this game when he borrowed my GC this past summer and I must say that I really do not enjoy this game at all. I gave it several chances and the entire card system annoyed the hell out of me, so this is really a like it or hate it ghame.

[otterpop]

Have any of you played the gameboy version of kingdom hearts? It features a card battle system that on paper sounds similar. How does it compare?

Personally I didn't care for Kingdom Hearts GBA - it was WAY too easy, and the active time card battle system was just annoying and I felt there was little strategy other than "get powerful cards"

[dbiersdorf]

I dread RPG's, the only card RPG I've ever enjoyed was Pokemon TCG, so when I came into this I was expecting the worst. It's actually one of the best RPG's I've played, the story is cheesy, the battle system is a bit random and complicated, and the voice acting is pretty bad, but everything else is great. After getting past the steep learning curve you'll become entranced with the BEAUTIFUL settings and graphics (I mean it, best on the system). It's a long game too (40 hours?), you'll love it.

[-hellvin-]

I have really no experience in Card based RPGs or strat games, but I picked this up just recently since it was only 17 in great condition. My friend recently played it and loved it, so I'm looking foward to giving it a try.

[Neo Rasa]

I was a really big fan of the game world since I loved Skies of Arcadia and Chrono Trigger and the like. The graphical style was really nice too. High resolution 2D backdrops with 3D effects to have trees' leaves blowing in the wind and such. Great soundtrack too (Motoi Sakuraba, what a shock).

That said, the combat is full of depth for the first hour or so of play, after that it's just a matter of matching the numbers/item type. I'm hoping the upcoming Baten Kaitos 2 fixes this.

In addition the storyline is pretty straining. A lot of Japanese console RPGs have elevated "irritating cliche" to an artform and this is one of those games. Some reasonably cool characters and dialogue but the overall storyline and voice acting is absolutely average.

Honestly the game goes for around $20 as -hellvin- said. If you liked Chrono Trigger, Cross, and so on it's worth a look.

Also I do like the fact that you can see the monsters on the screen. I'm not the biggest random encounter fan in the world (yet somehow I love the Megami Tensei franchise to death, go figure).

[Nez]

I have really no experience in Card based RPGs or strat games, but I picked this up just recently since it was only 17 in great condition. My friend recently played it and loved it, so I'm looking foward to giving it a try.

Yeah its good even though the main charictor is a bastard fuck head that I wished nothing but death to him. Some things are annoying like having too many defencive items and not beiing able to use them in battle so your stuck with a hand of d card when its you turn to attack so you just kind of loose a valuable turn, happens WAY too much in boos battles. I didn't have too many defencive card becouse of that it can REALLY screw you.