Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

These RPG classics mostly still hold up after almost 20 years.

Starting at €49.99Buy now

"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

Role Playing

Play Modes

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

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

story19 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The remaster preserves the classic JRPG experience with stunning graphics and an amazing soundtrack, making it a nostalgic trip for fans.
The unique card-based battle system offers engaging gameplay, allowing for strategic combinations and deck building.
Quality of life features such as speed adjustments and options to skip combat enhance the overall experience.

The removal of the English voice acting and the presence of only Japanese audio has disappointed many players, impacting the nostalgic feel.
The port has been criticized for its lack of optimization, with issues such as poor controls, UI problems, and censorship of certain content.
Some players find the combat system frustrating due to its reliance on RNG and the inability to skip skill animations, making battles feel slow and tedious.

story
31 mentions
61 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story across the games is generally praised for its depth, engaging characters, and unexpected plot twists, with some reviewers highlighting the unique narrative structure that intertwines past and present. While the first game is described as having a standard JRPG plot, the remastered versions breathe new life into the storytelling experience, making it accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players. However, some players noted that the story can be convoluted, requiring good memory or notes to keep track of side quests and progression.
- “These are some great RPGs with unique card-based battle systems, great stories with some amazing plot twists, and some of the best soundtracks I've ever heard.”
- “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.”
- “Taking place about 20 years before the first game, 'Origins' tells the story of Sagi, a friendly young man who is roped into a tale of imperial intrigue, industrial revolution, and giant monsters along with his bickering sidekicks Guillo and Milly.”
- “The story for this 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.”
music
14 mentions
79 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the Baten Kaitos series is widely praised for its stunning quality, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional compositions by Motoi Sakuraba, which blend orchestral, operatic, and melodic elements. The soundtracks are considered some of the best in RPG history, enhancing the overall experience with their beauty and emotional depth. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the games' unique charm and immersive storytelling.
- “These are some great RPGs with unique card-based battle systems, great stories with some amazing plot twists, and some of the best soundtracks I've ever heard.”
- “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 first game is nothing amazing, but it still has enough plot twists and pretty music to keep you engaged.”
- “Even better soundtrack, still solid visuals.”
graphics
14 mentions
36 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the remastered version of Baten Kaitos have received mixed reviews, with many praising the gorgeous visuals and improved clarity compared to the original, while others criticize the character art style and lack of graphical options. Although the game performs well at higher resolutions and frame rates, some users noted issues with the UI and overall graphical fidelity. The remaster breathes new life into the game, but opinions vary on the effectiveness of the updates and the impact of censorship on the experience.
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the music is stunning.”
- “It's a very unique RPG with gorgeous graphics and music.”
- “Graphic options only include resolution, V-Sync, and anti-aliasing, but just playing this at higher resolutions and frame rates is great.”
- “I'm not a fan of the character art style; especially the 2D character portraits look awful.”
- “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 is generally too low. The new sound effects are much, much worse, and the UI is a hot mess ripe with input delay. The game lags for some bizarre reason.”
- “There are very few graphics options, but the game performs well.”
gameplay
11 mentions
45 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The gameplay features unique mechanics such as opposing elements and spirit numbers, alongside new options like auto-battle and one-hit kills to cater to different player preferences. While the game introduces interesting deck-building elements and allows for gameplay customization, it suffers from bugs and localization issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the remaster aims to refine the original's flaws but introduces new challenges, making it a mixed bag for players focused on gameplay.
- “You have to master the unique mechanics like opposing elements, spirit numbers, and ex combos to succeed.”
- “The draw of this game is of course the deck building and a unique twist to your usual JRPG mechanics.”
- “Gameplay-wise, BKO does a lot to fix and polish the flaws of the original, but in the process adds a number of new ones.”
- “You have to master the unique mechanics like opposing elements, spirit numbers, and EX combos to succeed.”
- “You can speed up gameplay for dungeons and battle scenes (up to 300% for the latter), and you can also disable the battle intermission screens that appear after every turn, which made the original release feel slow.”
character development
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The character development is enhanced by the focus on just three main characters, allowing for deeper exploration and growth. Additionally, the unique and detailed character designs contribute to a more immersive and engaging experience.
- “Unique, detailed character design.”
- “Overall, the character development is better because there are only three main characters.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the ability to grind effectively through engaging dungeons and puzzles, which enhances the game's longevity. However, some find the need to manage multiple character decks to be somewhat tedious.
- “Babysitting decks for all the characters can get a little tedious.”
- “Grinding can feel repetitive and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress can be overwhelming and frustrating.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The optimization for the game appears inconsistent, with some users feeling that the Steam version lacks proper enhancements compared to the Switch version. While some players report smooth performance at 90 fps on the Steam Deck, others have experienced combat stuttering issues on PC.
- “It would seem they just dumped the Switch version on Steam without any sort of optimization and called it a day!”
- “The game feels poorly optimized, with frequent frame drops and long loading times that ruin the experience.”
- “Despite the potential of the game, the lack of optimization makes it frustrating to play on lower-end hardware.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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 overall experience.
- “The ridiculous 'You win!' after battles is hilarious.”
- “The game's witty dialogue had me laughing out loud.”
- “I love the quirky characters and their humorous interactions!”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the game's atmosphere, noting that the port enhances the overall experience by adding significant texture and depth.
- “This port is good and adds a lot of texture to the atmospheres in the game.”
stability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates excellent stability, consistently running at 120 fps without issues.
- “Runs great at 120 fps.”
- “The game maintains a smooth frame rate even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs; the stability is impressive.”