Japanese role-playing games, despite having been a mainstay of the console space for many, many years, have fallen somewhat out of favour with the mainstream recently. Even Square Enix’s flagship Final Fantasy series doesn’t carry the same cultural cachet it once did, with the latest two instalments in particular proving very divisive.
The most common complaint thrown around when criticising the humble JRPG is that it hasn’t moved with the times, that it hasn’t evolved, that it has become predictable. And while this is true to a certain extent — we’re still typically helping whiny-voiced spiky-haired twerps use their total lack of personal magnetism to bring together a disparate group of individuals to save the world from a white-haired androgynous gentleman who wants to use the power of something that came from space and/or inside the planet to BECOME A GOD — it’s not quite the full picture. But you have to look a little off the beaten track to find examples of the genre evolving in positive directions.
Three such examples can be found on the Nintendo Wii of all places, in the form of three distinct titles that have become known as the “Operation Rainfall” games, after the movement which has been gently but repeatedly prodding Nintendo to localise them and bring them to the West.
Xenoblade Chronicles came first, with a European release last year and a North American arrival coming in the next month. Offering a vast open world, a bajillion quests, charming British voice acting and quasi real-time combat, Xenoblade certainly wasn’t the JRPG we know and love — and it was all the better for it.
Pandora’s Tower, an intimate story about a relationship between a monster-slaying man and a girl who is turning into a monster, is the third on the list, with a European release set for this April, and no plans for a North American appearance as yet.
Meanwhile, The Last Story saw its European release in late February, with a North American release courtesy of Xseed Games following later in 2012.
The Last Story is notable for a number of reasons, chief among which is the fact that it’s a new collaboration between Hironobu “Final Fantasy” Sakaguchi and Nobuo “The Music of Final Fantasy” Uematsu. That alone should be enough to pique the interest of any genre enthusiasts, but it may also be grounds for caution. After all, these two have been making JRPGs for years, so surely they must be stuck in their ways by now?
Thankfully, such caution is not warranted, for The Last Story is an inventive take on the JRPG genre that dispenses with almost every convention in the unwritten rulebook, replacing them with a streamlined, efficient, rewarding and fun experience that should be a part of every JRPG fan’s collection.
The Last Story tells the tale of Zael and his friends, a band of mercenaries with diverse British accents brought to Lazulis Island at the behest of the local Count in order to slay some monsters. Over the course of the 25 or so hours it will take you to beat the main plot, you’ll have seen political intrigue, fairytale romances, magic, mystery, comedy, creepiness, conflict, betrayal, tragedy and everything in between. The game’s twisting, turning plot moves at a brisk pace and never once gets bogged down in excessive angst or overly philosophical nonsense. There’s a section roughly halfway through where a couple of sections feel a little out of place in the context of the overarching narrative, but these remain enjoyable mini-adventures in their own right and are over relatively quickly.
The game’s brisk pace is in part due to the way it is designed. Unfolding over a series of linear chapters, The Last Story‘s narrative is constantly moving forward. Dungeons tend to be straightforward and linear to navigate through, but it’s not exploration you play this game for — it’s combat.
And what a combat system. Blending elements of character action, stealth, third person shooter and real-time strategy games, it’s a real treat. Controlling Zael directly, the player is able to move freely around the battlefield and unleash attacks on enemies simply by tilting the analogue sticks in their direction. As the game progresses, Zael unlocks a series of other abilities allowing him to quickly move around the battlefield, “diffuse” magic circles to provide special effects, and give specific orders to his allies. Meanwhile, said allies hold their own intelligently and realistically, following the player’s lead and orders sensibly. Charge in head-on and the rest of the gang will support Zael. Fall back to a healing circle and others will join until everyone’s back to full strength.
It’s far from straight hack and slash, though. Some combats are over in seconds as Zael hides around a corner and lures enemies out one by one with a crossbow bolt to the leg followed by a devastating “Slash” attack. Others are more protracted, strategic experiences where the terrain comes into play. Mages or archers on high platforms bothering you? Chuck a bomb in their direction, or order your own mages to collapse the crumbling masonry they’re precariously perched atop. Despite having to give these orders in real time while the battle continues to rage around you, The Last Story‘s combat never feels overwhelming, but frequently feels exhilarating. Only an occasionally-wobbly camera and a frame rate that struggles a little bit in large-scale battles mar the experience slightly.
Despite the Wii’s much-maligned technical limitations, The Last Story is a glorious-looking game. All thoughts of this being “just a Wii game” or “only 480p” quickly blow out of the window when you see the fabulous visuals, blending a slight sepia tint with some excellent lighting and high-contrast HDR effects, providing a beautifully rich, sumptuous aesthetic. Character models are detailed and well-animated, with clothing and armour changing their appearance as you upgrade it over the course of the game. And the environments are packed with detail, making navigating the game’s small but beautifully-crafted world a real pleasure.
It’s where the game differs so drastically from the conventions of JRPGs that it becomes the most interesting, though, as lovely as the visuals are and as satisfying as the combat is. The narrative, for example, largely centres around a single city rather than the usual globetrotting adventure, and deals with a variety of very “human” themes — class discrimination, racism, ambition, greed and the lust for power — without descending into “bad guy turns into giant monster” territory. There’s plenty of magic and mayhem in there to ensure we don’t forget we’re taking part in a fantasy story, but for the most part it knows when to rein it in and focus on the characters. A tip of the hat is also given to Western RPGs’ fondness of giving the player “choice” in how to respond to situations, but in practice this is a little underused throughout, with the game typically gently nudging you down the “correct” path if you happen to pick the “wrong” option.
The treasure-hunting aspect of JRPGs has undergone a big change, too. There’s a small selection of armour available, and all characters can wear whatever they like. All pieces start with equal statistics, too, with differences only becoming apparent once you start upgrading them with materials which can be looted from monsters and chests. You’ll be wearing the same armour at the end of the game as you started with — albeit considerably upgraded with a variety of special effects and a gradually-increasing amount of visual badassness. Weapons, meanwhile, can be upgraded to a certain extent simply by spending money on them — but to unlock their latent special abilities and make them considerably more powerful, you’ll often need to find specific crafting items.
And — here’s The Last Story‘s killer blow for those tired of 100 hour epics only being that long because of the excessive amount of fighting — there’s no grinding. That’s right. No random encounters. No running around in circles to attract monsters. No hanging around an area just to beef up enough to beat the boss. Instead, certain dungeons have “summoning circles” available for you to use, allowing you to trigger a small fight and gain some experience if you want to. Doing so will make subsequent boss battles a little easier by powering up your characters somewhat, but it’s never obligatory. Characters gain experience at such a rapid rate and combat is such a pleasure, however, that you’ll usually want to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise.
I haven’t even touched on the wide range of sidequests in Lazulis City, nor indeed the fact that Lazulis City is one of the most convincingly realised fantasy towns of any RPG ever. Nor have I mentioned the curious inclusion of multiplayer, in which players can take their own customised Zaels online to either cooperate with other players against tough monsters or compete against one another in competitive matches. And then there’s the guy who rewards you with vegetables and cooking equipment to be used as weapons if you bump into enough people in the streets. The fact there’s a sidequest whose sole reward is an army of adoring groupies who scream every time you go to see them. The “Prank Banana” ammunition for Zael’s crossbow which causes people to slip over in comedic fashion. Despite being a relatively short game by genre standards, there’s a ton of stuff here to enjoy, and it never outstays its welcome. Notably, too, the non-plot-related stuff is all totally optional, as rewards for completing mostly take the form of items which can be acquired elsewhere, a better sense of the game world and its inhabitants and, of course, a smug sense of self-satisfaction.
The Last Story is without a doubt one of the best JRPGs of recent years, and certainly one of the most inventive takes on genre conventions. Even if you’ve long given up on JRPGs due to frustration at their narrative, aesthetic and mechanical cliches, you’ll find something to like here. It saddens me a little that as a limited-run niche Wii title it will likely never find a huge audience worldwide, but those who do give its charms a chance will find themselves amply rewarded with a truly memorable experience.
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