#gibari

Finally, after many years of waiting, I managed to get my hands on a JRPG I've always admired from afar, watching the trailers and gameplay shown on Game Network (here in Italy we had a TV channel dedicated to video games for some time).

There's a lot to say about Baten Kaitos.

The initial impact with the card system (magnus) and the associated combat is certainly very strong and addictive, an idea that until then had been used in small RPGs for portable consoles, and which here is expanded and made highly strategic (Baten Kaitos Origin will feature some technical improvements, but in my opinion, the combat will be worse overall).

However, the story starts out weak and full of gaps, questions that are never satisfactorily answered, which is strange, as Monolith has always been a master when it comes to the narrative side of its games.

Baten Kaitos's strengths are its visual imagery and the Magnus system.

The world of Baten Kaitos is varied, colorful, and innovative, like admiring a series of fantastic paintings; the various islands, especially Mira, are a feast for the eyes and ears (even if Anuenue's theme will quickly become a torment).

As beautiful as the aesthetic is, the game's story never really takes off.

It starts with very generic expectations and then, save for one of the best plot twists I've ever seen in the genre, settles into a very tired final arc.

The party characters have tremendous potential, but they aren't fully exploited throughout the story (the Lyude family or the Savyna comrades), but fortunately they are a little revisited in the side quests before the final dungeon.

Furthermore, the true depth of these characters will be explored fantastically in Baten Kaitos Origin, which is why I think Origin should be played before Eternal Wings.

Another weakness that strikes me personally is how forced and rushed the romance between the main characters is. Being one of my favorite aspects of JRPGs, I didn't appreciate how sloppy it was.

Furthermore, there are a couple of poor gameplay choices that slow the game down and dampen the story's pace (they'll be there in Origin too, with those damned cookies) like forced backtracking and fight the same boss two or more time in a row.

I didn't like the decision to remove the English voice acting in the remaster. Despite its reputation for mediocre voice acting, I can't get along with the Japanese language.

One of the worst ideas, in my opinion, was the post-battle reward system.

At the end of a battle, you can only keep one item or photo, forcing you to repeat battles to get new equipments or completing the photo album, which is also the only way to earn money (a peculiar choice that would have worked if you could have kept more items).

It's not hard to understand why this was removed from Origin.

I really enjoyed the side quests: the family tree, the animals, the constellations... they're all fun and engaging in the style of '90s JRPGs.

Overall, Baten Kaitos is a good JRPG with many innovative ideas, but many missteps in terms of story and gameplay choices that slow down the pace. In terms of story and characters, my favorite by far is Baten Kaitos Origin, which I really enjoyed a lot, great characters chemistry and skits, even though I found the combat inferior.

If you like my illustrations, you can find my custom merchs on Redbubble, TeePublic or my Threadless Store.

TEEPUBLIC https://www.teepublic.com/user/wariopunk

REDBUBBLE https://www.redbubble.com/people/Punkkommando77/shop?

A Long, Short Night

This screen from Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe reminds me of the item description for the “Tonguetwister Rouge” from Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean…

Good morning 🌸! Man, it’s been a…….week…..a heck of a week. It’s ok. I’m grateful for everyone who reached out to me. It means a lot. Thank you 🌸. Well moving on. Check out Gibari! Nashira’s favorite fisherman (Shh…I forgot to draw his wings 🤫). He is now a sticker on my Etsy. I’m very proud because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a process to make but omg it feels great making them. Please check them out! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1726333200/chibi-gibari-sticker-baten-kaitos-video