Platform: Gamecube

Genre: Role-Playing

Publisher: Namco

Developer: Monolith

ETA: December (Japan)

Related Links:

Review: Final Fantasy X (Playstation 2)

Review: Lost Kingdoms II (Gamecube)

Review: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)

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Baten Kaitos

Namco seems to really be on the ball these days when it comes to RPGs.  They released Xenosaga to a warm response (with a sequel on the way), and just recently their latest title, Tales of Symphonia, came out in Japan, selling like hot cakes the moment it hit store shelves.  Namco isn’t sitting on their laurels here, though.  They have yet another RPG on its way to the Gamecube.  Possibly the most unconventional role-playing game to be released in a while, Baten Kaitos could be yet another game in the genre for fans to look out for.

And what is it that makes Baten Kaitos go so much against the role-playing grain?  Easy, the title's approach to card-based gameplay.  Taking a cue from poker, this title will have players selecting cards from a deck when in battle.  The cards are divided up into suits, each with an elemental value, and are also numbered.  As an example, this makes it possible to have a straight flush if you were to pull one through five of the fire suit from the deck.  There are plenty of other hands that can be dealt too, such as pairs, three of a kind, and so forth to deal out damage.  Each of the cards is pulled from the shuffled deck one at a time and as each additional card is pulled it starts a chain of combos, increasing the damage dealt that round.  Also, cards can be combined not only through their suits and numerical values but 

also through their elemental properties and the image on a given card to get even more results during battle.  But not only are cards used for combat, they’re used for pretty much anything.  For instance, when you go into battle you aren’t presented with a menu in the conventional sense of the word.  Instead you must draw cards in order to select an item, flee, cast spells or perform any other function you may come across in an RPG.  You even have to use cards in order to equip weapons and armor.  Obviously Namco wants this card-centric gameplay in Baten Kaitos to be much more than a gimmick.

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The game also appears to be wandering off the beaten path when it comes to presentation.  Character design and environments have a very subtle resemblance to that found in Final Fantasy X, but what really makes the images stand out is the way they’re trying to walk a fine line between Japanese-styled anime and Western comic book art.  It’s an interesting mix that looks pretty compelling thus far.  Characters are being packed with detail, and the environments are keeping step with little trouble at all.  What’s particularly impressive about the environments in Baten Kaitos is that Namco is using pre-rendered backgrounds, but added little animated touches to bring them to life giving the sense that the world’s backgrounds are anything but pre-rendered.

With the overwhelming use of cards in Baten Kaitos one has to wonder how easy it will be for gamers to get the hang of the gameplay mechanics, or will they be too busy gawking  at the visuals in the game.  We’ll find out soon enough when the game is released in Japan this December.  As for us poor souls living in North America we’ll just have to hope Namco decides to bring the game to these shores as well.  But considering the RPG draught on the Gamecube, you’d have to figure releasing the game here would be a slam dunk for sales.  Hopefully, for Gamecube owning RPG fans, Namco feels the same.

- Mr. Nash

(November 11, 2003)