by Ludwig Kietzmann { Nov 25th 2008 at 4:00PM }
Well, so much for that
fancy "platinum" score from
Famitsu. Western critics have passed judgment on role-playing epic
The Last Remnant, deeming it an intriguing turn-based affair that's unfortunately mired in plodding pacing and abundant technical issues. Did nobody think to send Square Enix the Unreal Engine's instruction manual?
- Gametrailers (80/100): "The Last Remnant is a hard game to judge. A person's enjoyment of it will be directly related to how much they can tolerate persistent graphical issues. If you can get past it, there's a lot to enjoy in the smart design decisions and its unique battle system."
- Gamespot (65/100): "How unfortunate that such a renowned RPG developer has buried a potential classic under a humiliating technical fiasco."
- Eurogamer (60/100): "It's a unique and compelling combat system buried beneath choppy pacing, too much wandering around, disappointing presentation problems and an awful lot of loading, and whether that's worth accepting depends largely on your tolerance or affection for long-winded self-indulgence, and whether you think 40 quid is a reasonable amount to pay for one superb idea cushioned by hours of grinding mediocrity."
- IGN (53/100): "The Last Remnant is a technical mess, but it's also behind the curve in so many ways."
Tags: Metareview, Square-Enix, The-Last-Remnant, Unreal
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sk8monroe81 @ Nov 25th 2008 4:08PM
wow pretty poor reviews and the people who have played the game have similar complaints.
i usually dont listen to reviews as i enjoyed too human and infinite undiscovery, both of which received poor reviews.
but these reviews sound like the consensus out there.
Reiniku @ Nov 25th 2008 4:14PM
Actually, I've heard otherwise. Take a look at the reader review average at IGN, Gamespot, and the like. 8.0 and 7.8 respectively, with a 8.2 reader average at GameFAQ's. It's technically flawed, but apparently enough people can look past the flaws to see a very good game underneath.
Not to mention a good amount of the technical issues are greatly reduced (though don't disappear) from installing to your HD. 6.1gb for the first disc I've heard.
Muu @ Nov 25th 2008 4:31PM
A lot of my Japanese friends on Live are enjoying the hell out of the game, but most also admit they have been all over the subquests and have been ignoring the main story completely. Those that went through the main quest did admit the story did leave something to be desired.
Assuming the reviewers took one lap through the main game this would make sense -- they may not have had the time to engross themselves in 60-70 extra hours of subquests finding and killing rare mobs, which would mean they completely missed the part of the game the people excited about the game seem to be enjoying the most. Of course, that also puts into question why some sites' "replay value" section is so low.
pkpk523 @ Nov 25th 2008 4:50PM
do not waste your money on this game people! if you have only an xbox and haven't tried it yet, spend it on lost odyssey, a much better game. even better, if you have a ps3, support valkyria chronicles. i'm not sure many people have bought it, which is sad because quality games like this should be supported...especially in hopes of a sequel. vc has a unique look and feel, and has one of the best combat systems ever, and a great story (as long as you don't mind cutscenes). bottom line is it is a lot of fun, and it is refreshingly unique.
sk8monroe81 @ Nov 25th 2008 4:54PM
check out the official xbox forums under the forum for the last remnant.
a lot of complaints.
people are saying stick with LO.
game needs a patch.
battle problems with flicker.
install helps but takes up 13 gb of space ( not going to work unless you have a 60gb or 120gb 360)
Moptimus Slime @ Nov 25th 2008 4:57PM
"A lot of my Japanese friends on Live are enjoying the hell out of the game"
Wait, are you trying to tell me there are Japanese people playing a SquareEnix JRPG? SHOCKED!
Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 25th 2008 5:32PM
Would have loved to try Infinite Undiscovery and Last Remnant but never got around to doing it and have no way to now until LR gets to the PS3. Lost Odyssey was probably the best RPG on the 360 with Eternal Sonata a close second. Tales Of vesperia is another must own for any 360 player who loves RPGs. MS has done a good job of securing RPGs.
Matthew -
Since you like RPGs so much you should give Valkyria Chronicles a shot on the PS3. It's actually a fantastic game though it has sold poorly. Folklore was another good one on the PS3 that good less than stellar reviews that was really good and had lots of DLC to expand the story. Disgaea is like crack so I wouldn't reccommend unless you have 100 hours to sink into a game.
I actually liked Blu Dragon on the 360 as well. Didn't live up to the hype but it was a fun little game once is got going.
sk8monroe81 @ Nov 25th 2008 6:43PM
infinite undiscovery is a game i really enjoyed. it was different. the real time battles were a good change from the standard turn based format which IMO is getting old.
there are no random battles which is nice because I dont like when you walk 2 steps in an RPG and fall into another battle.
yes capell the main character was a sissy at first, however the story was presented okay, and through the game capell grows and becomes a man, which is seen in his character and his voice change.
the boss battles were hard for me (i didnt level up to eternity before fighting them). some of the boss battles i wasnt even allowed to fight the boss, i had to more direct and play the flute.
it was fun to control the other characters in the party during battles. making up to 3 different parties whose abilities all go differently together was fun too.
the music in IU is great too, done by the guy who made some of the best FF music in the past.
i think the game got bad press because it is slow to play and takes at least 2 hours to get into.
reviewers sometimes want that quick turn on and enjoy type of gameplay and not have to work for it.
sk8monroe81 @ Nov 25th 2008 7:06PM
i was really looking forward to LR with its new turn burst battle system or whatever that's supposed to be..
but these reviews are making me think more of a rental or $ 30 purchase.
i havent finished LO myself yet. i enjoy that game, however there arent many games that my girlfriend has done more in than me and that is 1 of those games, so im waiting for her to finish first.
i played the tales demo, but i didnt like the extra dialogue and way the game was presented. i guess im not exactly the traditional JRPG fan alone.
yeah i wont play disegea cause it sounds like oblivion to me, a great game for most, however i just couldnt get around to spending 100+ hours on the game.
i do enjoy action orientated RPG games more than traditional JRPG styles, such as mass effect, too human, and infinite undiscovery.
i will probably give VC a play later on, when prices come down..
there really just is so many games to choose from nowadays...
years ago it was a big deal to have 1 or 2 big games release each year, now its monthly and sometimes weekly.
hard to get to them all nowadays, but i should give some more ps3 games a try...
phinn @ Nov 25th 2008 11:19PM
Kinda funny all these games MS raved about during E3 have turned out to be complete garbage. Right now the best RPGs are on PS3: Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3, along with cross platforms like Oblivion, Eternal Sonata, and Fallout 3 (aka Oblivion 1.5).
HighFiveJesus @ Nov 25th 2008 4:12PM
another rpg with fancy graphics and not much else.. why is this still happening? both square and mistwalker have released a bunch of games in the last few years that aren't very inspiring and it seems like nothing is being done about it.. sure if you are a nut about these type of games, you'll like them a lot more. but someone like me who needs just one or two great japanese rpgs a year.. i still haven't picked anything up since rogue galaxy. i don't think its just because they don't have a number behind them.
and what the hell is with the frame rate and texture popping problems? maybe the extra time spent on the ps3 version will iron some of those out. but thats rediculous, these games ran just fine on the ps2.
Menchi @ Nov 25th 2008 4:32PM
Actually if you read the article you would realize it a great game underneath crappy graphics.
It makes sense though it's their first time ever not using their homemade engines and a lot of games had issues in the beginning working with the unreal engine.
Evan @ Nov 25th 2008 4:51PM
I read the articles, and it's still a crappy game underneath:
- "none of it seems well thought out" (IGN)
- "cookie-cutter battles in repetitive bland caves or barren fields" (IGN)
- "they chose to make the game long simply for the sake of it being long" (IGN)
- "grinding mediocrity" (Eurogamer)
- "too much wandering around" (Eurogamer)
- "the quest design is awkward" (Eurogamer)
J @ Nov 25th 2008 4:55PM
I dunno, menchi. It looks like only gametrailers complimented the gameplay and story. all the other reviews seem to describe the story and gameplay as average and the framerate as something you have to see to believe. Some people won't be bothered by the framerate, but the screen tearing and poor framerate in blue dragon ruined the game for me, and last remnant has it MUCH worse.
One thing that stood out in ign's review is how bosses that are 20 times more difficult than the regular enemies would show up without any warning, and u'd end up having to start from your last save point, which depends of course on how often you save. Supposedly this will make u paranoid and save after every battle. If that's true, that's some pathetic level design, especially coming from squeenix.
also, if 90% of the game is spent in battles, I don't think it's good that 90% of the game will be a slideshow. The screenshots are great sometimes, but I saw the videos. Hey this game will also release on pc, so maybe a more powerful system will get you a decent, consistent framerate, or maybe they'll iron out most of the problems by the time it releases on the ps3. We can only hope.
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 25th 2008 4:13PM
I'm not surprised at the numbers.
Reviews suck though... just sayin'
Linkdead @ Nov 25th 2008 4:15PM
Who do you believe here? The admittedly corrupt English game journalists or their Japanese counterparts?
Organic_Shadow @ Nov 25th 2008 4:26PM
Good question. The other side of that coin though, is that there are a ton of games that critically and as far as user reviews are concerned didn't do well at all in the states, yet the Famitsu scores say it was awesome. Then there's also the cases where Famitsu and other Japanese press say it's excellent but the Japanese gamers don't, and the sales reflect that.
A lot of the time I think Famitsu and others' review scores that come out seem just as paid for as IGN/Gamespot/GT/etc.
Thank Oden for metareview.com's user rating's average, although exploitable by fanboys.
Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 25th 2008 4:40PM
Famitsu absolutely THE WORST source for accurate reviews. It has been known for quite some time now that the magazine serves as a vehicle for advertisements and fan service.
Ayrkain @ Nov 25th 2008 5:03PM
Lair got a 33/40 from Famitsu compared to Infinite Undiscovery's 32/40. Famitsu is often ridiculous.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 25th 2008 5:07PM
When it comes to jrpgs? The japanese are the last people on earth I would listen to and trust their opinion. The main reason why is because jrpgs are stuck in the past, and japan itself still thinks it's 1997.
Go play Lost odyssey if you haven't already. If it wasn't for the nice graphics you could have told me I was playing a PS1 rpg and I would have believed you.
Jerk Face @ Nov 25th 2008 7:22PM
@tmacairjordan
That's it on button, man: JRPG's are so stuck in the past that I can't even play them anymore.
You have this game which is supposed to be the JRPG 'for the whole world' and it's just not. It's just the same old game. Square Enix puts SO MUCH effort into the graphics and nothing else changes. I used to LOVE this genre of games all through the PS1 era but then they just stalled out and I completely lost interest. Which is a shame, since I think there are a lot of talented people at these studios who are so stuck on the past that their efforts are wasted on the larger world audience.
Make a great 40 hour RPG with better pacing, not a 120 hour grind fest. The thought of playing a game that long and slow paced makes my skin crawl in this age where so much story and action can be delivered in a much more streamlined and rewarding package.
Jerk Face @ Nov 25th 2008 7:27PM
To expand on my thoughts..
You know what's a great example of a roughly 40 - 50 hour game with great characters, satisfying pacing, and little to no grinding?
Chrono Fucking Trigger.
Everyone says it's the best JRPG of all time, and there's a reason. That game hit the perfect balance of story building, action, and originality. To this day, I can't think of a game in this genre that has done this so well.
So go spend 40 bucks on that instead of LR and enjoy the shit out of it, kids. ESPECIALLY if you've never played it before.
ThePhoenixLament @ Nov 25th 2008 4:16PM
IGN proves just how far they truly have fallen. And they haven't even touched the bottom of the barrel yet.
Dumbasses.
xFenixKnightx @ Nov 25th 2008 4:19PM
YIKES, 53 is low! Maybe he wasn't having a good day? lol We'll see how Japan responds to this. It released worldwide today right?
ThePhoenixLament @ Nov 25th 2008 4:32PM
Yeah I believe so...
I think he's suffering from Hilitis or something.
Hyams @ Nov 25th 2008 4:47PM
Well, the game's average score is 66. 53 isn't so much lower, considering that anything between 01 and 69 are just slightly different grades of shittiness.
Moptimus Slime @ Nov 25th 2008 5:00PM
Oh I get it now, its cause Hilary gives every game a bad score! Hold on, theres someone knocking on my door. Oh, hi Niko! Whats up?
el serpiente @ Nov 25th 2008 5:45PM
WAHHH, DEY SAID BAD FINGS ABOWT MY TWEEE-SIXTY EXCUSWIVE!
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 25th 2008 6:00PM
Oh wow I completely forgot this was a timed exclusive even though it was listed above.
Now I understand his hate for IGN. Didn't make sense until I knew that it was exclusive. You really really need to grow up phoenix/premature assassin. Your irrational love for everything 360 is laughable and sickening at the same time.
ThePhoenixLament @ Nov 25th 2008 6:32PM
I swear tmac your stupidity truly amazes me sometimes.
I'm not denying the game has technical issues. I'm not denying that the game could be smoother.
However my main concern is if the game is FUN. Is the story really that epic or is the ultimate fail?
I think the answers to those questions are a lot more important.
To me it seems like the other reviews are more fair and balanced because while they realized that it had technical issues they also realized that it didn't stop the game from providing some entertainment and fun.
Meanwhile IGN who's suffering under Hils dominance and his screams for low scores on anything that is not a shooter or anything that happens to be a 360 exclusive.
If you look at their review they claim that the technical issues were so bad that it ruined the game. That does NOT seem to be the general consensus. Especially among those owners who installed it on the hard drive.
Hyams @ Nov 25th 2008 6:46PM
Man, I hope you're right, 'cos I'm itching for a bit of turn based RPG combat, but honestly, even from actual buyers I'm hearing almost nothing but bad things.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 25th 2008 6:57PM
"I swear tmac your stupidity truly amazes me sometimes"
You must not be familiar with your own work on here.
Moptimus Slime @ Nov 25th 2008 7:05PM
Whats your favorite part of turn based battles? Is it choosing each members attacks/buffs? Yes? Then do I got news for you! This is not the game your looking for! Its like the dialogue trees in Mass Effect, your given a general overview of what will happen, but have no control over who your squad attacks or who gets healed.
Lets say your warrior has 5 health left, and you want to heal him. You better hope your healer is in a good mood, or else your warrior is gonna become some ogres bitch. Also, from the footage I saw, they added QTE to combat. Basically, the game slowed, the 4 face buttons appear with 1 highlighted and a ring closing down on it to let you know when to press. Now, Im not sure if this is necessary or just something that may add some damage to your attacks, but it still has no place in an RPG. Especially a Square JRPG.
Hyams @ Nov 25th 2008 7:15PM
Moptimus Slime:
=(
Why does everyone continue to insist on bastardising the perfectly fine turned-base combat system in the name of 'progress'?
First FFXII, and now this. =(
Meh, well at least I still have Lost Odyssey...
Moptimus Slime @ Nov 25th 2008 7:38PM
"Meanwhile IGN who's suffering under Hils dominance and his screams for low scores"
I can see it now... *dream sequence*
Erik: hey Hilary, heres my LR review
Hilary: What the fuck is this?
Erik: What?
Hilary: This number, it appears to be over the 7.3 limit
Erik: Yeah, I really enjoyed playing it. Its probably the Best Square RPG ever
Hilary: WHAT YOU SAY?!?!?!?
Erik: ummmm....
Hilary: HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME AND MY HATRED OF GOOD GAMES! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I GAVE GTA IV?
Erik: A 10/10?
Hilary: YES! EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY DESERVED AN ELEVENTY BILLION OUT OF TEN. AND I ONLY GAVE ROCK BAND 2 A 9, EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEARLY TEH AWESOME
Erik: Thats actually quite a good score
Hilary: DID YOU READ THE MY HATRED OF THE GUITAR IT COMES WITH? CLEARLY I THOUGHT THE GAME WAS SHIT.
Erik: Wha-
Hilary: *slaps Erik* NO MORE GOOD REVIEWS EVAR!
Erik: Yes mommy dearest
"Especially among those owners who installed it on the hard drive."
The whole point of having installs for the 360 is that its OPTIONAL. I shouldn't have to install a game to my HD to change the frame rate from 1 to 30.
Organic_Shadow @ Nov 25th 2008 4:18PM
Disappointing considering this is essentially SquareEnix's stab at making a game both the East and the West can enjoy. The reviews only further cement my fears that they might never truly 'get' what us Western gamers want. On top of that, rush it out and leave it what im basically seeing described as crippled with bugs and glitches?
SE is known for polish and quality. These reviews are reflecting quite the opposite. As a PS3 owner I really hope at least some of these things are ironed out, and we're at least given a demo beforehand. I still want to give it a shot but now im really worried about SE wasting money chasing a lost cause when we could be getting FF or DQ early- and/or at least have more people concentrating their efforts on those titles to ensure they don't suffer similar letdowns.
umm....hello??? @ Nov 25th 2008 4:19PM
I love Squeenix, but this game just made me put this on the "rental" list instead of the "must buy" list for christmas. or maybe when I get a chance to buy a used copy for $20-30....
Reiniku @ Nov 25th 2008 4:20PM
I think we've come to the point where the constant evolution of games is bringing out the inherent flaws in what the gaming review system has "evolved" into. While technical flaws are very much a concern, they shouldn't drop nearly 5 points from a game (here's looking at you IGN).
Reference:
History -- Civil War: Secret Missions, 5.0
Disney Sing It, 6.2
Bolt, 5.1
Need for Speed Undercover, 5.0
I find it very hard to believe that this game falls into the same quality range as those previously mentioned.
#28 @ Nov 25th 2008 4:22PM
Apparently, they do.
Maverick Saturn @ Nov 25th 2008 4:22PM
Oh dear oh dear oh dear :)
Hala Madrid!! (THE BIRD IS THE WORD!!) @ Nov 25th 2008 4:24PM
Doesn't Square Enix have their own engine?
Why use the Unreal engine? Does it work better with the Xbox 360 or something?
&rew @ Nov 25th 2008 4:25PM
Famitsu said it was nearly perfect, IGN said it was nearly 5/10, it must be an 8.
Biff_McFresh @ Nov 25th 2008 4:27PM
I don't know man, Famitsu liked Haze as well. I can't trust anyone anymore. Try before you buy.
Moptimus Slime @ Nov 25th 2008 5:03PM
PR Guy: So we got this new JRPG to show you
Famitsu: Hmmmph. 64
PR: Did I mention its made by SquareEnix?
Famitsu: OMG BEST GAME EVAR!!!
xFenixKnightx @ Nov 25th 2008 4:28PM
Graphical hitches? According to this...
http://kotaku.com/5060918/last-remnant-team-so-cannot-wait-for-unreal-engine-4
I thought the game would come out flawless.
TwEE @ Nov 25th 2008 4:34PM
Its pretty bad time for console rpg fans when the best rpg to come out in forever is a ds port of an old Snes game. I hope Im wrong and I missed a game or two somewhere..
xFenixKnightx @ Nov 25th 2008 4:36PM
I feel a list coming on...
Biff_McFresh @ Nov 25th 2008 5:03PM
Were you refering to mainly JRPGS? Cause Fallout 3 is breathtaking, and Fable II is a damn fine game as well (in my opinion anyway)
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 25th 2008 5:12PM
Yeah you have to be specific there Twee. Most of us don't feel like we're missing anything with jrpgs, because they haven't changed much in 10 years.
Meanwhile, we've been enjoying the rise of the wrpg this gen with Obilvion, Fallout 3, Fable 2 and Mass Effect (I'm sure there are others too).
Dante G @ Nov 25th 2008 5:26PM
"Its pretty bad time for console rpg fans when the best rpg to come out in forever is a ds port of an old Snes game. I hope Im wrong and I missed a game or two somewhere.."
It's hard to compete against the awesomeness of Chrono Trigger. Two great RPG's were released recently for a white console. I think their names are Super Mario RPG and Secret of Mana.