Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

About

"Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster" brings the classic games "Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean" and "Origins" to Steam with enhanced graphics. This collection includes a digital artbook filled with concept art, character designs, and more. The games feature text support in multiple languages, with Japanese voiceovers. Act fast to secure the Month 1 Edition with the artbook bonus, available until July 18, 2024.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster screenshot

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 254 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Baten Kaitos features a unique and engaging card-based battle system that offers strategic depth and a refreshing twist on traditional JRPG mechanics.
The remastered graphics and sound enhance the already beautiful art style and memorable soundtrack, making the game visually appealing and immersive.
The story is captivating with interesting characters and multiple endings, providing a rich narrative experience that resonates with both new players and nostalgic fans.

The remaster lacks English voice acting, which many players miss, especially those who grew up with the original GameCube version.
There are performance issues, including frame rate drops and sluggish controls, which detract from the overall gameplay experience.
Some players feel that the remaster is a cash grab, as it does not significantly improve upon the original games and includes unnecessary censorship in the dialogue.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The story is widely praised for its depth, memorable characters, and engaging plot twists, with some players noting its classic JRPG elements and unique narrative structure that includes player choices affecting outcomes. While the remastered versions breathe new life into the experience, some critiques mention that the pacing can be tedious and that keeping track of quests may be challenging. Overall, the narrative is considered a strong point of the games, appealing to fans of RPGs and those who appreciate intricate storytelling.
- “The story is incredible, the graphics are stunning, the characters are memorable, there is some player choice which can dramatically affect the ending of the game with multiple endings, as well as diversions through the story based on an affinity system between the player and the main character.”
- “The story follows Sagi, who gets framed for assassinating the emperor of the Alfard Empire, begins a journey to investigate why he was framed, and discovers other sinister plots.”
- “Deep and fantastical story, awesome battle system and cast of characters, some of Motoi Sakuraba's best tracks, all great stuff.”
- “The story for the game is very standard JRPG - bad stuff happens, go kill god.”
- “The story is a mixed bag.”
- “You need a great memory or personal notes to keep up with side quests and possibly story-related progression if you take significant breaks.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The game's graphics have received a notable enhancement from its original GameCube version, featuring a distinctive blend of 3D renderings, 2D backgrounds, and improved lighting effects, although they do not reach the level of modern engines like Unreal. While many players appreciate the remaster's visual clarity and artistic style, some criticize the character art and note that the overall graphical improvements are modest. Despite a lack of extensive graphical options, the game performs well at higher resolutions, maintaining a visually appealing experience.
- “Made fresh again with enhanced graphics and sound, the game was absolutely beautiful back on the GameCube, and the new HD visuals certainly aren't on Unreal Engine level beauty but feature a distinctive and beautiful style that mixes 3D renderings, 2D backgrounds, and animations with brilliant lighting effects.”
- “I've only played Baten Kaitos I before, back on the GameCube. I have many happy and frustrating memories about this game (and its strange English voice acting). Playing it in Japanese is great; the audio quality is amazing, the graphics are gorgeous, and the music is stunning.”
- “It's a very unique RPG with gorgeous graphics and music.”
- “Not a fan of the character art style, especially the 2D character portraits look awful.”
- “The graphics are barely better than the GameCube version.”
- “Let's see... the graphics are noticeably worse, the voice acting is in mono, the audio mixing is all over the place and the volume generally too low, the new sound effects are much, much worse, the 'QOL features' really don't help you at all (except for the much-beloved auto-save), there's not really any settings to speak of, alt-tabbing and/or using the Steam overlay breaks the game, the UI is a hot mess ripe with input delay, there's some really childish censorship going on, and boy does the game lag for some bizarre reason.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
7%
The gameplay of Baten Kaitos is characterized by its unique mechanics, such as the Magnus card system and a durability/time decay feature, which some players find innovative while others criticize, particularly the aging mechanic. While the combat and puzzles can feel janky, the game offers various quality-of-life improvements in its remaster, including options to speed up gameplay and reduce grinding. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some praising the depth and originality of the gameplay, while others point out significant flaws and bugs in the remastered version.
- “This is an outstanding game with interesting and unique gameplay mechanics that stand up surprisingly well 15 or so years from its release.”
- “And again some very unique gameplay elements including the magnus card system, a durability/time decay system, leveling progression, as well as interesting sidequests and puzzles that aren't just 'go fetch this' and line up these statues in a certain way.”
- “Best gameplay in a JRPG ever, Baten Kaitos Origins is the slightly better game overall but both are amazing.”
- “The magnus aging mechanic is one of the worst game mechanics I've ever experienced, and the baffling fact that this remaster doesn't let you speed it up (when it lets you speed up everything else) is insane.”
- “Gameplay-wise, Baten Kaitos Origins does a lot to fix and polish the flaws of the original, but in the process adds a number of new ones.”
- “The gameplay, combat, and puzzles can be pretty janky, but I am glad I never played anything like it; check it out if you're into JRPGs.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
36%
7%
The music in the games is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional work of composer Motoi Sakuraba. While the soundtrack is considered one of the best in gaming, some players noted a limited number of tracks that are reused frequently. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience, complementing the stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.
- “The OST is amazing and makes the world feel so much more beautiful and intense with the visuals.”
- “We never did see anything like it after... it also features hands-down the best soundtrack that Motoi Sakuraba (of Star Ocean and Dark Souls fame) has ever and probably will ever write, with a mix of epic orchestral and operatic songs, rocking prog tunes, and melancholy piano melodies.”
- “The combat alone makes these two games pretty unique, and combined with the fantastic music and great story, the collection is a very easy recommendation for fans of JRPGs, especially since these two games are pretty niche.”
- “The soaring soundtrack swells, then abruptly cuts to static.”
- “At least you kept the original music, right?”
- “That iconic Motoi Sakuraba soundtrack?”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often feeling like a chore despite the engaging story and events. However, the ability to grind easily while navigating through dungeons and puzzles helps mitigate some of the monotony, allowing the game to remain enjoyable over time.
- “Has an interesting story and events, but it is tedious.”
- “Still as long and tedious as I remember.”
- “Babysitting decks for all the characters can get a little tedious.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report stable performance on devices like the Steam Deck, others criticize the lack of proper optimization for the Steam version, suggesting it feels like a direct port from the Switch. Although a patch has improved some performance issues, lingering problems remain, particularly as gameplay progresses.
- “I give the GameCube originals 7.8 and 8.4 out of 10, respectively, due to them including the original dub, the better script, and better performance without the need of a patch.”
- “It would seem they just dumped the Switch version on Steam without any sort of optimization and called it a day!”
- “The patch addresses most of the performance issues, but some areas could still use some improvement here and there.”
- “I played the first game for around 20 hours, and the performance gets worse the further you progress.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, lacking substance and relying heavily on nostalgia without delivering meaningful content. Reviewers express strong discontent, suggesting that the developers prioritize profit over quality, resulting in a disappointing experience.
- “A hollow shell of nostalgia, a soulless cash grab.”
- “Unprepared, cash grab landed.”
- “Bandai Namco does not deserve to make a single yen from this pathetic cash grab.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is praised for its depth and uniqueness, largely attributed to the detailed design of the characters. The focus on only three main characters allows for more meaningful and nuanced development, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- “Unique, detailed character design.”
- “Overall, the character development is better because there are only three main characters.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The stability of Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster is marred by pixelation and glitches, particularly noticeable during the logo display, despite the game running smoothly at 120 fps.
- “Runs great at 120 fps.”
- “The laptop screen flickers to life, revealing the Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster logo, marred by pixelation and glitches.”
- “The laptop screen flickers to life, revealing the Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster logo, marred by pixelation and glitches.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game particularly amusing, highlighting the absurdity of the "you win!" message that appears after battles, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “The ridiculous 'You win!' after battles is hilarious.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere in the game is enhanced significantly by the port, which adds rich texture and depth, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “This port is good and adds a lot of texture to the atmospheres in the game.”