Lost Odyssey will finally ship in the United States tomorrow (February 12th) and in Europe on the 29th.
As anyone who has been following the game’s development will know, Lost Odyssey is headed up by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, and his development studio Mistwalker. Like his last RPG, Blue Dragon, this game is an Xbox 360 exclusive and will be published by Microsoft.
The game has an awesome sci-fi style that is much grittier than the kid-friendly feel of Blue Dragon, offering a profoundly immersive, dark and emotional journey that will be memorable for both it’s classic gameplay, huge bosses, deep storyline and emotional story that pulls at your heartstrings.
Sakaguchi went in-depth with the game in a recent IGN interview. He discusses the game’s storyline and it’s immortal protagonist, the game’s style and concept, the turn-based battle system, character development and boss battles, the length of the game, unlockables and whether a sequel is planned (like with Blue Dragon 2).
Question: What can you tell us about the journey players will embark on when the game ships next month?
Answer: In this game, you will look for lost memories playing as an immortal man who lived for 1,000 years and will pursue a magnificent mystery and sadness hidden behind these memories. Memories in 1,000 years, stories written by a novelist Shigematsu Kiyoshi, will appear from time to time while playing. You will find each story could move you to tears, driving you to think deeply about life. Through the main in-game story, I directed very particularly to focus on the detailed expressions of the characters. As a result, I believe we succeed in explaining delicate nuances and showcasing a wide range of emotions. The game is comprised of a deep story filled with a variety of characters. Besides the serious stories, there is a comical character, Jansen, that will bring out some laughs. That kind of combination puts vivid life into the game.
Question: How many hours on average will players be able to clock with Lost Odyssey?
Answer: According to Japanese players, it seems like the playtime should be around 70 hours, if you go through all storylines in addition to the main story. If you only play the main storyline, you will reach the ending in 35 to 40 hours. I recommend that the audience take the time to enjoy the 40 hour story with feeling sympathy for what the main character perceived in his 1,000 years life, rather than replaying the game again and again.
Question: Have there been any discussions about the possibility of a sequel?
Answer: There are a few projects that already kicked off, but I can’t make any public announcements at this time. I was able to produce something that is orthodox in terms of game system as in Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey and something that sways human emotions. I’m going to further explore the game system and create what can be called a truly next-gen RPG.
