Anytime I think of Square
Enix, a multitude of memories run through my head. I think of all the fantastic
Final Fantasy games I invested countless hours in. I think of the amazing
storylines that mesmerized me in between those brilliant turn-based battles that
aided my characters in leveling up. And finally, I think of the unbelievable
graphics and artistic designs that propelled my eyes through each scene
involuntarily.
Unfortunately, not every
game that Square Enix creates is of Final Fantasy caliber. Not every game
receives the same attention that the beloved fantasy series does during
development. This simple fact is as evident as ever when analyzing The Last
Remnant, Square Enix’s most recent addition to the RPG genre. While there are
many flaws throughout The Last Remnant, these issues only exist because of a
lack of polish by the developers.
The game begins with yet
another lengthy haired main character wandering through a forest. The
character’s name is Rush Sykes (what a name, right?). Rush is in search of his
sister, Irina, and as he searches through the forest, he stumbles to the edge of
a cliff. Below him, a soon-to-be battle is unfolding. As Rush inspects the epic
scene below him, he spots a figure that looks like his sister. In a panic, he
leaps towards the battle. This is where the true story begins, and where the
first Remnant is witnessed. Remnants are like spirits, or guardians, that reside
in the world. They can range from simple forms like treasure chests, to a
gigantic sword that is said to protect the city it towers over.
Witnessing this battle is
like a foreshadowing event for the way the battles take place throughout the
entire game. Your groups of allies are formed into groups of three called
unions, and these unions work in tandem with the actions you bestow upon them.
If you select for that union to attack, then each individual in that union will
perform that same action. On the same note, each union also possesses a joint
health system, and if the union’s HP count hits zero, then the entire union will
be lost. While this setup sounds intriguing and cinematically impressive, it is
quite the opposite.
The player can
potentially command 25 separate units, all combined together into unions. Once
you scroll through those countless amounts of menus to assign commands, you must
then sit back, watch the action unfold onscreen, and repeat the same process 30
seconds further down your path. This process would be satisfying, except for the
fact that the animations never seem to change. Every time you engage in battle,
the animations remain the same.
It would be nice to get
up at this point, go use the restroom, and let the scene play out, but the game
actually presents an incentive to sit and pay attention to the onscreen action.
Occasionally, the game will ask you to press a certain button at a certain time.
If you push that button at the right time, then your character’s actions will be
amplified. So, instead of wandering off during a five minute battle to heat up a
week old burrito, you must sit and watch a repeated scene just in case the bonus
buttons make an appearance.
Leveling up is also
handled uniquely. Instead of allowing the player to level up as they see fit,
the game simply does it all for you behind-the-scenes. After a battle, you are
informed of what aspects of your characters have reached that next mogul.
Obviously there is a method to this hidden process, but I’ve always found it
quite rewarding to level up my character’s stats. So the inability to level up
the characters myself was a rather large disappointment. On the other hand, you
can still switch out weapons and equip your character with more powerful armors
and accessories.
As far as the story goes,
The Last Remnant did not manage to hold my attention for too long. The initial
search for Rush’s sister seemed extended beyond necessity. I also found myself
attempting to retain the meanings of the terms the game uses, such as
“Interference” and “Deadlock”, while still wondering exactly when the story was
going to be explained in more detail. The game constantly tossed random terms
and phrases of importance at me, while at the same time keeping me in the dark
regarding the overall story. I even noticed a distinct lack of direction from
the game itself, and only when I realized how important the in-game map was, did
I finally start to make my way around much more quickly.
I’d love to say that The
Last Remnant was satisfying visually, and for the most part, this is true. The
style of many characters, surroundings, and massive visual stimulants truly
caught my attention, but at the same time I found myself questioning exactly how
impressive the visuals were in comparison to current games. I expect a more than
satisfying showing from Square Enix when it comes to graphics, and I did not
feel this way with The Last Remnant.
A number of other minor
issues also managed to detour my attention from the slowly moving story as well.
During some battles, even towards the beginning of the game when I had very few
unions, noticeable lag would take place. The animations would slow down
considerably, and actually freeze for instances before speeding back up. When
traversing the environments, Rush appeared to run in a constant, oddly animated
motion. This provided only a minor distraction, but with a story so slow to
unfold, even minor distractions can affect the player in a negative way. These
were the most prevalent issues from a graphical standpoint.
Luckily, the soundtrack
included as The Last Remnant’s background music is quite satisfying. The tunes
during fight moments are immersive and engaging, and truly aid in setting a
battling mood. But, some of the characters involved with the storyline seem
strangely voiced. One of the largest characters on your team sounds like a
small-fry when he speaks. This bothered me more so than it should have, but was
a nuisance nonetheless.
While I truly wanted to
enjoy Square Enix’s most recent contribution to the Xbox 360 RPG lineup, I found
myself toiling and trudging through the game, regrettably so. I found more
issues while playing than I found positives. Anytime I would come across a
slightly intriguing moment or feature, something else would take place that
would detour me or distract me. If you are a diehard Square Enix fan, then you
might find solace in the fact that they had their hands all over The Last
Remnant. But if you are looking for a quality RPG that will hold your attention
for days, then you might want to wait a bit longer for that next big fantasy
release.
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Gameplay: 6
At times, the
gameplay of The Last Remnant made valiant attempts to shine. But every time I
began to become interested, a slight distraction would occur to pull my
attention away.
Graphics: 7.5
While the
graphics are satisfactory, I expect much more from Square Enix. The graphics are
no more impressive than any of the current RPG’s on the market, and a lack of
polish is evident in The Last Remnant.
Sound: 7
The background
music was always satisfying and immersive, but certain character voices did not
fit their counterparts at all.
Difficulty: Medium
The difficulty
level of The Last Remnant is mild at most. Some battles may put a union or two
down, but the ability to have lots of unions fighting at once will work for your
benefit.
Concept: 5
From a conceptual
standpoint, I saw very little innovation. The characters were different, but the
moulds those characters were built from were the same as many other RPG’s out
there already. While a valiant effort was made to create new ways to battle
epically, the lack of varying animations truly hindered more than it helped.
Overall: 6
Square Enix has
their attention elsewhere. This is quite evident. The Last Remnant might satisfy
the diehards or those looking for an RPG fix, but many people will find this
game very mild and less than expected. If you can hold off for a better RPG down
the road, then please do. If not, then feel free to dive into the world of The
Last Remnant.
