Customer Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I invite you to come and experience this truly epic rpg. I own over 100 video games which include both PS2 and Gamecube games. This game made it to my Top 5 games of this generation which include Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Viewtiful Joe. For a game to make it to my top 10 list alone it has to be achieve a level of pure excellence and be truly innovative. This game accomplishes both of those things like few games can ever hope for. I consider Tales of Symphonia to be one of the best rpg's to come out in quite some time, and this game blows that game out of the water. Many people are error in their belief that this is a card based rpg, but it is not. This game uses cards in a way that has created one of the most innovative and challenging battle systems I have ever experience. This system achieves a level of suspense and awe that few games can accomplish. Everything from the story, the characters, the graphics, the music, and especially the battle system create an aura of pure enjoyment. So what are you waiting for come experience Baten Kaitos.

After playing Tales of Symphonia I was somewhat wary of trying out Baten Kaitos. Well, I thought Tales of Symphonia on one hand was visually attractive but the gameplay was just lackluster in my opinion. Moreover the storyline was very sweet but childish. I mean every character was in elementary school and at the same time fighting strange monsters! For goodness sakes!

So when I bought Baten Kaitos - a somewhat expensive venture - I thought I would probably be disappointed. Well simply I was not. The gameplay is quite fascinating since it is based on cards not unlike what you see in Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic the Gathering card games. I thought that this aspect would make it somewhat tricky, but the gameplay is intuitive enough so there is no trouble understanding how to play. Since this is an RPG card game it is turn based.

As far as the storyline goes it is not wholly enticing but the Japanese imagination still tends to fascinate. It is said that the graphics in this game are arguably the best among Game Cube titles. They are amazing but I have seen better graphics in titles such as Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil 4.

Overall I have enjoyed playing this game because of its appealing use of cards again not unlike Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic the Gathering. And honestly it is probably one of the best games that Game Cube has to offer.

Thank you Amazon for delivering this game at the speed of light!This game is beautiful in many ways including the graphics. I am a LONG time player of role playing games and there are not that many new ones I can say the above about.DO NOT let the dislike of games that use cards steer you away from this one. I HATE those card games.THIS is QUITE different!!!!! The battle system is the most unusual one I have experienced. Your weapons and spells are kept on cards and show up when you go into battle. You have a choice as to what you want to use.If you pick cards that are pairs. using the numbers that are on the card, or do a 2,4,5 selection you get extra points in your battles and also a new skill you can use in battle. VERY INTERESTING and very absorbing!I am about 1/8th of the way through the game and am already addicted.The story, control and the music is excellent! The graphics are amazing :) Plus with this particular item you get a CD of the game music.I do not give out good reports that easily!DO NOT miss this game! I know you have read reviews that say this is the best whatever on the gamecube but THIS game IS the best Role Playing game I have played, so far, on the gamecube and I have all the recent games!!GREAT job NAMCO! If they keep producing games like this no one will leave home...or at least not without their Gamecube :)

Any RPG/Strategy game lover is going to love this game. And I'm not saying this because I'm trying to sell you something or I'm being paid (though it would be nice...), I'm saying this because Baten Kaitos is indeed the coolest game I have ever run into and I have been playing video games since I was a wee little tot of six when the first GAMEBOY came out (too cool to handle!!!). Anyway, this game is completely original (as far as I know) and if you liked Zelda and all the Final Fantasys for PS2 and you are thirsty for another RPG, Baten Kaitos is your game. Basically, you are a spirit who lives inside Kalas, our blue-haired hero (there you are: originality. When was the last time you played a spirit that posessed someone? And besides, if a game's got someone with blue hair, you just have to play it). Of course, the game is about a quest to save the world (what game isn't?) but there is more to it than meets the eye...(this is true, not some strange, vague hint that gets you wondering and you later find out some weirdo made it up so you could waste your money). The gameplay is great, with humor and drama and all that jazz, and if you ever played FFX and liked it, you will absolutely love this game. Also, the graphics are great, another example that Nintendo's graphics are unrivaled (MWAHAHA!).
Now, I'm not saying that this game isn't flawless, because there are some things that aren't so great (but believe me, they are very trivial). One thing, the voices are not the best in the world, and yes, some of the characters sound like they're talking into a tin can, but you get over it very quickly. Some people turn off the voices (yes, you can do that), and it makes the game so much better. Personally, I have grown fond of my characters' weird voices and love to hear them talk (even you, Lyude, with your very strange nasal, nasal voice). Also, (something that annoyed my cousin to no end until she kept playing and got over it) the screen is zoomed out, but believe me, this does not take away from the incredible storyline, characters, graphics, landscapes (which are gorgeous, if I haven't already mentioned it), and overall playibility. And did I mention that the game is wonderfully long? 2-discs, ladies and gentlemen, unlike the annoyingly short RPGs that you find nowadays that you beat in like a week and a half.
Anyway. That is the end of my very very very long review. I hope that you take all of Baten Kaitos' wonderful tributes to heart and go at least rent a copy to play. You will love it immediately! Personally, I'm hooked...speaking of which, I think I will go play it now....

I didnt get it at first until i decided to play it. i was looking for a new RPG to play since i've destroyed all the other ones and left just about nothing else to do, so i found out it was Card Based and it sort of made me draw back from it, but everyday i was thinking......."maybe it will be fun, should i give it a shot" and it would just not get out of my head, all i thought about was Baten Kaitos, so i gave in and bought it.

after buying it i started to think i might have made a mistake because of the whole card thing, and once i got into the first battle, i realized how odd and original the system is, and was just sucked right in. i could not stop playing this game for hours at a time. dont get me wrong here, the battle system does have its flaws, a good example of that is, if you dont put enough defense cards in your hand, you might not be able to defend 3-4 hits from the enemy, which can sometimes take your life down pretty far, also, a huge flaw in the system is that sometimes you'll have every card showing as an attack card, but for some reason they are all grey, which means that if you use them, they have no effect on the enemy, pointless you ask? very.

people keep saying that if you're a big fan of the Final Fantasy series then you'll love this, and i can honestly say that they are 100% wrong, the only things similar between these two games is just one simple thing, they're both RPGs, and nothing more.

as for Graphics, they look really nice and really smooth, no odd camera angles, which is nice, not grainy, and very colorful. im not one for graphics and i dont think that graphics make a game, even if it had the best graphics than any other game, it could still blow.

The story line is A++++, from where im currently at in the game, which is about an hour into the second disk, from what i also understand by what people have told me, there are some crazy plot twists coming up and it just makes you want to play more and more.

another thing, people keep saying stuff about Tales Of Symphonia and this game being similar, nothing alike, this game is actually good. probably being compared just because they were released around the same time, but who knows? dont listen to what these people have to say, they're totally different games in every way as well, if you're still skeptical about buying it, just give it a rent and you'll see how much you love it.

if you're tired of the old turned based RPGs then i suggest you should give this a try, but know that it may not be for everyone. i know i would really love to see a similar battle system used in future games, just fix the major flaws of it, like the grey cards i mentioned a bit ago. Baten Kaitos 2? i would buy it for sure the day its released.

one last thing, and it really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really bothers me about this game

so far, no FMVs, but i guess i can deal with it since the story is still very good.

this game has most the aspects of typical RPG's, but it also incorporates a card system to fight in battle. I have Played almost every RPG series their is out there and this one is one of the better ones. the thought of a card system first made me neglect to buy it but after i played it for a couple hours the card based system became very interseting and complimented the gameplay. Good solid graphics and sound, very colorful, good voice acting, are just a few reasons to buy this game.

Okay, this game is so good that it makes me wanna' pee in my pants. Like some of you, I was very reluctant to buy this game when it first came out late last year, despite all the recommendations and great preview ratings that it received from the gaming community. What turned me off at first were these two words: "Card Battles". I just couldn't help but conjured up images of those Final Fantasy VIII and IX card-based side-games, which unfortunately were downright boring to play, IMO. So anyway, weeks passed since Baten Kaitos was initially released in North America and I was looking for a good RPG to play, since I'm such a huge RPG gamer myself. I got Tales of Symphonia (but that didn't fly, and is now sitting on the shelf collecting dust). I also got Suikoden IV, which was probably even worse than TOS. After that, I thought that I should probably just give up on RPGs for a while, at least till FF XII is released. So anyway, another week passed by and I was surfing Amazon.com and stumbled across the reviews here for Baten Kaitos. I was surprised that almost all of the reviewers gave it five stars. And coincidentally (a case of sweet serendipity, I'd say), a local electronic store was advertising this game for $24.99 for a limited time only, and for that price, might as well get it and give it a try (or renting it was probably a better option.. but anyhoo) I bought it and played it and by the second hour of the game, I was totally hooked. Ironically, the best thing about this game is the "Card Battles". If it weren't for these card-based battles, this game would just be another filler RPGs of the year before Square-Enix releases its Final Fantasy XII. The battles are honestly ridiculously fun to play! And plus, the story is pretty engaging too. Anyway, if you guys are debating with yourself whether or not to get this game, I'd say "GET IT NOW" if you are an RPG fan. Even if you haven't played an RPG game before, I think this game could turn you into a fan of the genre. It's just really and simply that good!

I bought this game, at first, cuz the front cover looked beautiful and the description on the back was intriguing. I admit, I was skeptical about the card-based gameplay, but I went with my instincts. Good thing I did, or else I would have missed out on something spectacular.

There are SO many wonderful aspects about Baten Kaitos:

~The music is beautiful (though the minor battle music is VERY annoying. Not to mention the music inside Core Hydra. Haha).
~The graphics are stunning (up to par with any PS2 graphics; especially during the beginning movie sequence. Whenever I showed it to someone for the first time, they always had the same reaction: "Wow..." in a speechless sort of way. ^_^)
~The storyline is a masterpiece (very involved and has you wondering what will happen next. I must say, the ending was a pleasant surprise. ;)
~The gameplay is quite easy to understand and very fun. You hardly feel like you're playing with cards after you get the hang of it. It's great just watching all the different attacks being summoned. The special attacks are the BEST! Quite a marvel to behold. The higher the level, the more detailed the attacks look (there are some exceptions).

The only gripe I have is with the english voice-over cast. After hearing only a little of it, I immediately turned off the voices. You only hear them in the cut-scenes after you do so.

As a final note, I'd like to give this game my highest regards and recommendation. It has become one of my top favorite RPGs of all time and will reain there, undoubtedly. If you love RPGs, in-depth storylines, and beautiful scenery, I highly suggest getting this game. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and the free cd...

I was quite disappointed with it because it only had seven tracks, most of which contained battle music. The only track I love is the first one, which is Baten Kaitos's signature score. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

I bought Baiten Kaitos simply because it looked interesting, and I wanted to try a card-based battle system to see if it was really as great/terrible as people keep saying. I must say that I was really quite impressed with this lovely little gem of a game.

Story: Above average. It's surprisingly coherent for a Japanese game (Final Fantasy players will know what I'm talking about)and the rather cliche and predictable plot is improved by several surprising twists. Playing as a Guardian Spirit rather than the main character is a nifty gimmick, but you're actually somewhat penalized if you don't agree with your "ward" all the time, and he's, well, a jerk. A big one.
The game is quite a long one, so naturally the story has to be extended over that length, but I never felt like it had outstayed its welcome.

Battle System: Not having played any other card-based games (at least none where you weren't actually playing a game of cards), it's hard for me to say how unique or innovative the system actually is. It is unusual for those of us who grew up on real-time combat or menu-based systems, but it's surprisingly easy to get used to. My biggest complaints are that as your character gains levels, you have less time to select your initial card (or "magnus") in the attack rounds, making it difficult to plan the long combos you need for the tougher bosses; and that you often need inhuman reflexes to pick a defensive magnus before the foe launches his first attack. The fact that damage isn't totalled until the end of the round helps offset this a bit, but I would still like a second to move my selection frame over the defensive card so I can choose it, thank you.

The fact that your cards change over time, while interesting, can be rather annoying at times. Say you have some Green Bananas, a weak attack item. After a few hours, they turn into normal yellow Bananas, a healing item. Fine and good. Then they turn into Blackened Bananas, another attack item a bit stronger than the green ones. Then they change AGAIN into Rotten Fruit, which can poison. All of this happens and they don't tell you, you actually have to open your Deck and look. You can get an item that tells you when stuff changes, but it goes away after 10 hours and there are some cards that change every 30 seconds or so, meaning that every time you open the menu you're informed that your Awful Fortune has yet again completed the cycle and returned to being an Awful Fortune.
And for those of you who are determined to collect every last one of the 1022 Magnus, you'd better be prepared to leave your GCN on all day for several days. One card takes 336 hours to change. That's two weeks.

Dialogue: This is probably the game's weakest point. The voice acting is, for the most part, fairly poor and unemotional, and also extremely slow. There are seconds-long pauses between sentences, and as has been mentioned repeatedly by others, everybody sounds like they're speaking through a cardboard tube. This isn't actually explained, though it could be written off as a side effect of hearing everything from two dimensions over (you're a Guardian Spirit, remember). It doesn't totally ruin it, but it's just one more thing that keeps this game from being perfect.
Also, heroes should NOT say "Say cheeseburger!" to ancient gods. I don't care HOW many pictures they take.

Music: Not too shabby. The music doesn't seem to suffer from transdimensional echoes.

Graphics: Ooh! Why?! Most of the graphics are really quite splendid, but I couldn't help but feel cheated at times. For one thing, your perspective doesn't really change much when you're in a town or dungeon. This means that people who are tiny specks in the distance STAY tiny specks in the distance when you run over to talk to them. Also, instead of animating many things (changes in the world, characters moving places) it simply transitions from one state to the next. Even the most impressive bosses don't, you know, explode in unholy radiance or whatever, they just kind of fade away. As I'm a firm believer in the death sequence as an art form, this was highly disappointing. Presumably the whole "talking-through-a-pipe" voice thing is a side effect of a memory-saving technique. So what, might I ask, did they use all that memory they saved for?
The opening movie on the first disc is really nice, though. Very, very nice indeed.

FINAL WORD:
Baten Kaitos is the first worthwhile RPG I've picked up in a long time. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. This oceanless world holds a great epic adventure that'll keep you playing for hours.

The CD is okay, but it only has about seven songs on it. It is free, after all; you get what you pay for.

This game is super cool and has super cool graphics.It has an awesome gameplay.There are like 1,000 Magnus cards.Baten Kaitos is pretty much like Tales of Symphonia,that game is also cool.I own both and have completed them.They also have 2 discs.You should buy the players guide cause in the jungle its a pretty strong way to go.