http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/849/849907p1.html

Got an 8.

It got a 7.5 for gameplay. The major markdown was that it doesn't innovate.

Having never played a JRPG im almost done with the first disc and so far think this is one of the best games ive ever played. So i guess its a matter of opinion. For seasoned JRPG gamers, do you want more of something great with a few tweaks (ring system, wall system) or something completely different.

As far as I could see they didn't specify which version they reviewed (Japanese or PAL), but despite giving it a 9 for graphics, the review claims there was some framerate issues and screen-tearing. Again, either they are reviewing the Japanese version (which was known to have FR issues), or they are talking about the 2,3 and/or 4th disk, because I simply have not faced one single screen-tearing or framerate issue in 9 hours of playing.

Gameplay

"It all works - despite AI and balancing issues - but the real problem isn't the gameplay itself, but the concepts behind. It's all been done before."

I cant speak to balancing issues having never played a JRPG, but as someone new to the genre I have to say this game is amazing.  If you are looking for something new buy this game now it is excellent.  But I guess if you are a seasoned JRPG gamer you have to decide if more of the same with a few differences is what you are after.  Personally, I despise the fact that this game's mark has clearly come down because it didn't redefine the genre, but what can you do. 

i was expecting 7's cause ign are Square-Enix whores, but i'm glad it got 8

Thanks for posting this. Guess we will need to wait for FF to see jrpg innovation heh

Lol. Just about the entire Review was about how it's all copied from Final Fantasy and how great Square is lol. As I say, I've never paid attention to FF as i'm not a JRPG gamer traditionally, but now that you mention it, IGN do love their SE.

Au IGN normally give more favourable reviews. Like how NMH got 8.9, while IGN gave it 7.9 (or something close to that)

The Gameranking score for this game will probably be in high 7s. Not bad, not great.

Copied from the review. This should give everyone an idea about whether the reviewer was ever going to give the title a fair shake or not. He clearly went in thinking "if it's like Final Fantasy i'm marking it down for copying. If its not like Final Fantasy, im marking it down for not being like Final Fantasy."



The source? Final Fantasy VII through XII. The game is a checklist of things you've seen and done before. For example, the areas in the game traverse locations that are reminiscent of things like the prison in FFVIII, the enormous defensive gun, Mako production facilities, snowfields, mining areas (and a lot more) from VII, the opulent cities and streets of XII, and the characters run the gamut of generica.

Such traditional development is a problem for two reasons. One, it keeps happening and players keep buying into it, which means that it'll continue. Two, every time I have to play as a stoic lead character with no past who is out to save a dying world, it makes me want to cut someone – and it just might happen. It gets to the point where you can start picking the twists just by looking at the character design. That's bad. By the time the loveable rogue meets the rambunctious princess and they start to fall for each other, you'll either reach for your copy of Final Fantasy IX or go all gooey because you've never played an RPG before.

The funny thing about Lost Odyssey "coping" Final Fantasy is that Sakaguchi created Final Fantasy. So he is "copying" is own stuff. Am I the only one that find this fact hilarious?

Lol. Your not the only one that finds that hilarious DR. But you can't expect the reviewer to write that. It would be like acknowledging that SE doesn't own the rights to everything that is good about JRPG's.

I just saw their review of blue dragon for comparison and they gave it 7. Funny thing is they compared blue dragon to final fantasy as well. Basically every jrpg has to live up or do better then final fantasy.

Your right elnino334. Except when one DOES live up to Final Fantasy, its a copy-cat and must be marked down for it....