The Last Story

by Xseed

• Gorgeous New RPG for Wii-Industry legends Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu reunite for their latest RPG masterpiece with detailed visuals and gorgeous CG cut-scenes accompanied by a moving soundtrack to create an emotional experience
• Innovative Real-Time Battle System-Real-time battles involve strategic party-based commands such as taking cover, destroying environments, and drawing enemy fire to allow allies to cast powerful spells
• Online Battles for 2-6 Players-Players can put their fighting skills to the test by going online for cooperative and competitive battles for up to 6 players to net special rare items
• A Rich World to Explore-Over 30 side-quests as well as a special 'Seek' ability to help find hidden items scattered throughout the world; 40+ coloring dyes to customize armor; wealth of additional insight into the Empire for players to explore

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B007CSF3GO
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 14, 2012
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #2 in Video Games > Wii > Games > Role-Playing

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Last Story

The Last Story marks the reunion of two luminaries that helped shape the RPG genre; legendary creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and internationally-recognized composer Nobuo Uematsu. Gorgeous pre-rendered cut-scenes help convey the full emotions of key story sequences in an epic tale of survival against the odds. The genre is also advanced with an innovative real-time combat system involving strategic party-based commands that include taking cover from enemy fire, destroying environments to gain a tactical advantage, and drawing fire away from your allies to give them time to cast powerful support spells. Once the battle system is mastered, players can test their skills online where co-op and versus mode for up to 6 players can net special rare items.

Product Description

Embroiled in seemingly endless conflict, the Empire has been slowly weakened by the relentless onslaught of enemy forces. Despite the debilitated state of the mainland, however, a virtually impenetrable last line of defense stands proud and keeps hope alive for all the land. That beacon of hope is Lazulis Island, ruled by the renowned Count Arganan. With the employment of an army of weapons that magically –and mysteriously-- concentrates beasts into a single region, his island has become a small wonder for its powers.

Among those coming to the island to seek their fortune is Zael, a young man who at an early age was orphaned when his homeland became one of the many victims of battle. Though he and his band of fellow mercenaries often face disdain and fear as they are perceived to be of a lower class, they manage to catch the eye of none other than Count Arganan himself. If they can successfully complete the tasks put before them by the Count, they may have a rare chance to gain the most honorable status that they have only dreamed of - knighthood.

It is during one of these missions bestowed upon them that Zael discovers a hidden site, one which grants him a wondrous and yet familiar power to gather his enemies in one place…

Key Features

• Gorgeous New RPG for Wii - Industry legends Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu reunite for their latest RPG masterpiece with detailed visuals and gorgeous CG cut-scenes accompanied by a moving soundtrack to create an emotional experience.
• Innovative Real-Time Battle System - Real-time battles involve strategic party-based commands such as taking cover, destroying environments, and drawing enemy fire to allow allies to cast powerful spells.
• Online Battles for 2-6 Players - Players can put their fighting skills to the test by going online for cooperative and competitive battles for up to 6 players to net special rare items.
• A Rich World to Explore - With over 30 side-quests as well as a special ‘Seek’ ability to help find hidden items scattered throughout the world such as 40+ coloring dyes to customize armor, there is a wealth of additional insight into the Empire for players to explore.

Developer: Mistwalker Corporation
ESRB Rating: Teen

Product Description

Embroiled in seemingly endless conflict, the Empire has been slowly weakened by the relentless onslaught of enemy forces. Despite the debilitated state of the mainland, however, a virtually impenetrable last line of defense stands proud and keeps hope alive for all the land. That beacon of hope is Lazulis Island, ruled by the renowned Count Arganan. With the employment of an army of weapons that magically - and mysteriously- concentrates beasts into a single region, his island has become a small wonder for its powers. Among those coming to the island to seek their fortune is Zael, a young man who at an early age was orphaned when his homeland became one of the many victims of battle. Though he and his band of fellow mercenaries often face disdain and fear as they are perceived to be of a lower class, they manage to catch the eye of none other than Count Arganan himself. If they can successfully complete the tasks put before them by the Count, they may have a rare chance to gain the most honorable status that they have only dreamed of - knighthood. It is during one of these missions bestowed upon them that Zael discovers a hidden site, one which grants him a wondrous and yet familiar power to gather his enemies in one place. The Last Story marks the reunion of two luminaries that helped shape the RPG genre; legendary creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and internationally-recognized composer Nobuo Uematsu. The genre is advanced with an innovative real-time combat system involving strategic party-based commands that include taking cover from enemy fire, destroying environments to gain a tactical advantage, and drawing fire away from your allies to give them time to cast powerful support spells. Once the battle system is mastered, players can test their skills online where co-op and versus mode for up to 6 players can net special rare items.

The Last Story

The Last Story marks the reunion of two luminaries that helped shape the RPG genre; legendary creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and internationally-recognized composer Nobuo Uematsu. Gorgeous pre-rendered cut-scenes help convey the full emotions of key story sequences in an epic tale of survival against the odds. The genre is also advanced with an innovative real-time combat system involving strategic party-based commands that include taking cover from enemy fire, destroying environments to gain a tactical advantage, and drawing fire away from your allies to give them time to cast powerful support spells. Once the battle system is mastered, players can test their skills online where co-op and versus mode for up to 6 players can net special rare items.

Product Description

Embroiled in seemingly endless conflict, the Empire has been slowly weakened by the relentless onslaught of enemy forces. Despite the debilitated state of the mainland, however, a virtually impenetrable last line of defense stands proud and keeps hope alive for all the land. That beacon of hope is Lazulis Island, ruled by the renowned Count Arganan. With the employment of an army of weapons that magically –and mysteriously-- concentrates beasts into a single region, his island has become a small wonder for its powers.

Among those coming to the island to seek their fortune is Zael, a young man who at an early age was orphaned when his homeland became one of the many victims of battle. Though he and his band of fellow mercenaries often face disdain and fear as they are perceived to be of a lower class, they manage to catch the eye of none other than Count Arganan himself. If they can successfully complete the tasks put before them by the Count, they may have a rare chance to gain the most honorable status that they have only dreamed of - knighthood.

It is during one of these missions bestowed upon them that Zael discovers a hidden site, one which grants him a wondrous and yet familiar power to gather his enemies in one place…

Key Features

• Gorgeous New RPG for Wii - Industry legends Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu reunite for their latest RPG masterpiece with detailed visuals and gorgeous CG cut-scenes accompanied by a moving soundtrack to create an emotional experience.
• Innovative Real-Time Battle System - Real-time battles involve strategic party-based commands such as taking cover, destroying environments, and drawing enemy fire to allow allies to cast powerful spells.
• Online Battles for 2-6 Players - Players can put their fighting skills to the test by going online for cooperative and competitive battles for up to 6 players to net special rare items.
• A Rich World to Explore - With over 30 side-quests as well as a special ‘Seek’ ability to help find hidden items scattered throughout the world such as 40+ coloring dyes to customize armor, there is a wealth of additional insight into the Empire for players to explore.

Developer: Mistwalker Corporation
ESRB Rating: Teen

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Worth Every Penny August 17, 2012

By Christopher D. Mcbride

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Not long ago the Wii got one of the best JRPG's of this entire console generation, Xenoblade Chronicles. This game is nothing like that. That said, this is a terrific JRPG, complete with everything people love and hate in the genre. There are the normal cliches, but unlike other JRPGS which extend their length through 20-30 hours of tedious grinding, The Last Story can be fully completed in under 25 hours if you are so inclined. Finding and doing everything will take around 35 hours.

This is, again, entirely different from Xenoblade Chronicles, in that I logged well over 100 hours in that game. And yet in some ways I feel like the 25 hours I spend with The Last Story was more substantial. There is no wasted time, the story flows quickly and without long drawn out speeches the genre is known for. And the combat is simply amazing. Think of a mix of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Gears of War. You have magic, real time battles, and you can duck and cover to avoid enemies or wait to execute an ambush. It is very, very fun, and quite simply the best combat system of any RPG I've ever played, and I have played a lot of them over my 20 year RPG gaming history.

The graphics are simply amazing. Granted, that is for the Wii. These would be run of the mill on a 360/PS3, but you can tell the developers squeezed every ounce of power out of the Wii. Sometimes they are a little too ambitious and the game chugs a bit with lots of enemies on screen, but this is few and far between.

As for the music, well, it is downright amazing. Can't really say any more than that.

Overall, this is what Final Fantasy's should have been for the last decade. Since FFX, (arguably) the series has gone stale.... The Last Story has fantastic music, graphics, and a FUN battle system to go along with a fast paced story that hooks you and keeps you playing until you finish it. I played almost straight through and will play through again. It is that good. It is an RPG for RPG gamers that don't quite have the free time that they used to - or the attention span. After 10 hours you will feel like you have accomplished a tremendous amount. After 10 hours in Xenoblade Chronicles I felt like I had just begun.

What a way for the Wii to go out. I highly recommend this game. The added art book, case, and CD, (for the first print copies) is an amazing value, and rest assured, this game will be worth quite a bit to collectors in a few years, so keep everything in great condition. Read more ›

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Characters, an Intriguing Story, and Rich World August 19, 2012

By A. Hammer

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I am an avid fan of role playing games in general and have enjoyed many console-based RPGs since Dragon Quest was released on the NES. When I play a RPG my enjoyment and satisfaction is based on four elements in order of importance to me: 1) Character development and depth of character relationships, 2) Story development and believability, 3) Interaction and engagement with the world, and 4) the battle system. Below I talk about each one of these, but if you are not interested in reading my detailed review, this is how I rate each on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best:

Characters: 4.5
Story: 4.5
World: 4.0
Battle System: 5

====Characters====
Development of characters and their relationships among each other is important to me because this is what drives the rest of the game. Many recent console-based RPGs have suffered with flat characters and/or underdeveloped relationships of the characters. Typically, only the main protagonist receives focus, leaving others (especially antagonists) flat. In terms of individual character development in The Last Story, this game does a wonderful job not only in showing confusion, suffering, and enlightenment in the main character's (Zael) growth, but in the other protagonists as well. This is usually done through optional side quests and conversations among themselves. One area that was lacking in the game, however, is the antagonist is not developed enough. I feel like the game developers could have enhanced the motivation and background story for the antagonist more (at times it felt cliche).

In terms of developing relationships, I think this game does an amazing job. You truly get a sense of the camaraderie (or lack of, at times) of the group.... Also, the interactions within the protagonists' party show subtle nuances of where friendships lie as well as trust. The relationships don't feel forced and the characters respond to each other based on how they view themselves within their group (which changes as the game progresses). The voice acting is superb and the accents of each character (even NPCs) fits their personality. Overall, I felt the directors and producers of this game did an outstanding job on the characters and their relationships. Again, the only hesitation I have with giving a perfect 5 is an underdeveloped antagonist (though some may disagree with me).

4.5 out of 5

====Story====
The story is the second most important aspect for me. When I think of the story, I think of the overall progress of the game and the elements that drive it. What motivates the protagonists to action? Why are they together? What major events exist in the world influence their action and thoughts? I won't reveal many of the events that are surprising jewels in this story, but I will say I love this story. The events in The Last Story are logical in their sequence and existence in the storyline. I didn't feel like events were forced in. In some games, certain events are forced into the storyline because the developers need it to drive the story and motivation of the characters. This can leave the player feeling confused and frustrated. This doesn't happen in this game (except perhaps one part in the dungeon with the archaeologist). Each event has a part to play and it fits with the overall theme. It engaged me and I never doubted its believability. The reason I rated the story 4.5 instead of 5 is that it felt too linear to me. I enjoy RPGs that allow me to roam and go at my own pace. Many times I felt that the story would force me to move on when I wanted to interact with the world more. However, the story is still enjoyable to make up for this lack.

4.5 out of 5

====World====
Even good characterizations and a great story won't work if the world the characters live in is dull and boring. I love a world where the developers have not only made it very interactive and desirable to explore, but look real (i.e. moss on stone, stunning details on trees in forests, etc.). The majority of your time will be limited to the city and castle on Lazulis Island. Those of you who are like me and played Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy since their inception expect the ability to explore an entire planet (even underground worlds or the moon!). Not so in this game. While other locations off the island are played, the play is limited in those areas and you are not at your leisure to explore. This can be very frustrating, especially since events involve the entire world.

Now, the reason I didn't give this a poor rating is that the city and castle are very rich in detail. The city itself has much to do and much to explore. Many NPCs will ask for your aid in some task that sends you searching throughout the city (even the castle). Of course, these are optional. The interaction does not stop there. When you bump into people they are thrown off their course and respond to you in like kindness. You can even knock your head into overhanging signs! The detail of the people, buildings, and even the weather is amazing in how real they are portrayed.

One specific area in the world is worth mentioning: the Arena. Whenever I am tired and need a break from the main story, I can fight various creatures in the arena to test my group against. In return, I receive dropped items from the creatures as well as items people have bet on the group. This allows players of the game the opportunity to earn extra gold, experience, and items if you don't want to return to a dungeon.

4.0 out of 5

====Battle System====
The battle system is not turn-based, but action-based. While hacking and slashing enemies is a simple affair (you just walk up to them and your character attacks), the system is more complex, especially in tougher situations. Enemy units have different abilities and you must plan your attack prior to engaging them. For example, should you take out magic casters first? If so, do you assault them head on or use a sniper? The terrain will influence your tactics and so different locations offer different types of battles.

As your characters level up they gain special abilities. These abilities can combine to create new offensive and defensive benefits. Once Zael learns the command ability, you can command your teammates to perform certain abilities against certain enemies.

In terms of negatives, I do not have any problems with the battle system itself. When engaged in melee combat, the camera doesn't always operate how I control it and it causes confusion. However, this isn't such a big deal. I thoroughly enjoy the battle system and would place it in my top 5 for console-based RPGs.

5 out of 5

====Bonus Material====
I love the bonus material that came with this game. As other reviewers have mentioned, the music in this game is beautiful and high quality. It is great that the game comes with a CD with the following tracks:

1. Theme of The Last Story
2. Chitsujo to Konton to
3. Yorokobi no koe ga kikoeru
4. Machi no neiro
5. THE LAST STORY - Kizuna
6. Jyajuu
7. Toberumono

In addition, the game comes in a wonderfully designed box showcasing the art of the game. Inside the box you will find the game as well as an art book. I love the art and as I looked through and studied each of the pages I got the sense that the characters were given the most attention for details. The creators of the game spent time in getting the characters' clothes to match their personalities. I can't imagine how much work went into designing and creating the characters, non-player characters, and scenery of this game!

====Conclusion====
Overall, I give this game a 5 because I can't give a half star. Many years have gone by and I have not played a RPG as amazing as this. I definitely get the sense the creators and developers gave everything they had to make this game. While my scores reflect an average lower than that, I feel together those aspects as well as the effort put into developing this game deserves a 5. I hope a sequel (or prequel) is planned because I would not hesitate in purchasing it. Read more ›

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings back memories from childhood September 7, 2012

By Rodolfo Q. Z

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I have just finished this amazing game, as a fan of Chrono Trigger and classic Final Fantasy games, I'm very satisfied with it and I really enjoyed it through about thirty hours of game play. I went from a SNES and classic Game Boy from my childhood days to a Wii, PS3, and DS Lite recently just for nostalgia and this game is among the best I've played. A few months early I was playing Final Fantasy XIII and I didn't finished it as it barely resembles what a JRPG was for me, but with Last Story... I was feeling like I was twelve years old again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So worth the wait! :D August 27, 2012

By Cupcakekitty07

Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Okay, what I have concluded thus far from playing Last Story since I've recieved it Monday August 20th:
PROS: fair gameplay on manual, good music, awesome graphics, normal interestingish plotline and characters, and you can customize colors of clothing etc whoo personalizing (I died when I got "invisible clothing")
CONS: could use work on camera, I wish that on "seek" mode, you could direct with the wii remote instead of arrow keys or nunchuk since this is afterall made only for the wii, and above all, this game was not made with the visually impaired since the font is minuscule: I either need a magnifying glass or a bigger tv (mines 42") since it takes a lot of squinting to figure some stuff out -__-

Overall, I'd give it a nine of ten as of now since the worst thing is the font, but since I'm not completely through I'm about 3/4ths done (I had to backtrack cuz a glitch, and enjoy doing sidequesting instead of immediately continuing on the main game quests) but so yeah. Definitely worth waiting for: I preordered and after 4 days of not shipping and no notice why, or even a notice just saying the release was delayed, I contacted Amazon, who upgraded me to free one-day shipping, so didn't get it until 6 days after the listed release date. I've had so much fun with it, and I've gotten used to how it could be better with gameplay, and I'm pretty good at seeing the tiny print, but sometimes it can still be a bit difficult :D Worth every penny though! 100% fun and entertaining!