Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 105 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster Game Cover
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"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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 105 reviews
story25 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Baten Kaitos features a unique and engaging card-based battle system that offers depth and strategy, making it stand out among JRPGs.
  • The remastered graphics and sound enhance the already beautiful art style and memorable soundtrack, bringing nostalgia to both old fans and new players.
  • The story is captivating with interesting characters and plot twists, providing a rich narrative experience that resonates with players.
  • The removal of the English voice acting has disappointed many fans, as it detracts from the nostalgic experience of the original games.
  • The controls can be unresponsive and awkward, particularly when using a keyboard and mouse, which may hinder the gameplay experience.
  • Some players have criticized the remaster for being a lackluster port with minimal improvements, feeling that it does not do justice to the original titles.
  • story40 mentions

    The story is widely praised for its depth, memorable characters, and engaging plot twists, with a mix of classic JRPG elements and unique narrative structures. Players appreciate the intertwining of past and present events, as well as the impact of player choices on the storyline, leading to multiple endings. However, some find the pacing tedious and the quest management cumbersome, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The story is incredible, the graphics are stunning, the characters are memorable, and there is player choice that 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.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the remastered game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the enhanced visuals and distinctive art style that combines 3D renderings with 2D backgrounds and animations, creating a beautiful aesthetic. However, some critics note that the improvements are minimal compared to the original GameCube version, with limited graphical options and certain elements, like character portraits, being less appealing. Overall, while the game maintains a charming visual quality, it does not reach the level of modern graphical standards.

    • “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 a distinctive and beautiful style that mixes 3D renderings, 2D backgrounds, and animations with brilliant lighting effects.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay of Baten Kaitos is characterized by its unique mechanics, such as the magnus card system and a durability/time decay feature, which offer a refreshing take on traditional JRPG elements despite some jankiness. While some players appreciate the depth and strategy involved, particularly in combat and puzzles, others criticize the magnus aging mechanic and the overall quest management as cumbersome. The remaster introduces quality-of-life improvements, including options to skip grinding and speed up gameplay, but also suffers from new bugs and localization issues.

    • “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.”
    • “The draw of this game is of course the deck building and a unique twist to your usual JRPG mechanics.”
    • “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.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game 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 plin-plin-plonular piano melodies.”
    • “These two games feature an amazingly fun and unique turn-based battle system (Baten Kaitos) and ATB-style system (Origins) combined with a card battler, have an amazing soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba (also known for doing soundtracks for the 'Tales of' games and 'Dark Souls'), and beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds.”
    • “At least you kept the original music, right?”
    • “The soaring soundtrack swells, then abruptly cuts to static.”
    • “The first game is nothing amazing but it still has enough plot twists and pretty music to keep you engaged.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, though some appreciate the engaging story and events that accompany it. While the grinding can feel long and repetitive, the ability to easily level up through dungeons and puzzles offers some relief. Overall, managing character decks adds to the tedium for some users.

    • “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.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is praised for its unique and detailed character design, which is enhanced by the focus on only three main characters, allowing for deeper exploration and growth.

    • “Unique, detailed character design.”
    • “Overall, the character development is better because there are only three main characters.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them.”
    • “Despite the unique and detailed character design, the growth and evolution of the characters are disappointingly minimal.”
    • “The limited number of main characters does not compensate for the lack of meaningful character arcs.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with reports of screen flickering and pixelation issues, although it performs well at 120 fps.

    • “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, which makes for a very stable gaming experience.”
    • “The laptop screen flickers to life, revealing the Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster logo, marred by pixelation and glitches.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, lacking genuine value and relying heavily on nostalgia without delivering meaningful content.

    • “A hollow shell of nostalgia, a soulless cash grab.”
    • “Unprepared, cash grab landed.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization for the game appears inconsistent, with some users feeling that the Steam version lacks proper enhancements compared to the Switch version. However, others, particularly on the Steam Deck OLED, report stable performance at 90 fps without significant issues.

    • “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, the lack of optimization makes it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the absurdity of the "you win!" message that appears after battles, which adds a lighthearted and comedic 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!”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the port enhances the game's atmosphere significantly, adding depth and texture that enrich the overall experience.

    • “This port is good and adds a lot of texture to the atmospheres in the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
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