The Last Remnant
Score: 77% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Media: DVD/2 Players: 1 Genre: RPG
Graphics & Sound: The Last Remnant is Square Enix's first major attempt at delivering an experience targeted towards audiences outside of Japan, in particular North America. But, as far as I can tell, this really just comes down to using Unreal Engine 3 technology, excessive gore and darker everything. The Last Remnant marks the company's first foray into using an outside engine and it shows. It is clear that coming to terms with the Unreal tech was a bit of a struggle; screen tearing and texture pop-up are as much a part of the visual package as its artstyle and show up everywhere. Slow down and loading times are just as noticeable to the point where they interfere with the flow of gameplay. Every location change and even most battle commands are met with 10 - 20 second load times that chain together for what seems like an eternity. One work around is to install the game to your HDD, reducing the load times, though you'll likely need the 120 GB HDD to be able to fit it all (unless you want to install each disc as you get to them). Stylistically, The Last Remnant is Final Fantasy if it listened to My Chemical Romance and posted poems about how tragic life is on its MySpace page. Everything is dark, grim and battle-worn. Even the brighter areas, like the desert, have a certain level of grit that actually works for the game's overall feel. I'm as sick of "dark games" as everyone else, but I have to admit when it works, it works. The "dark" look carries into battles with the use of blood. I'm all for seeing the red stuff flying in battle, but when a scratch from a bug's pincer produces a geyser of blood, it looks ridiculous. Voicework is sketchy, though it is more of a character-based issue than an overall trend. Most of this seems to stem from each character's dialogue. Characters with good dialogue benefit from better voice performances. The best example of this is Rush; despite being the main character, he's annoying and reminded me a lot of Dave Chappelle's Tiger Woods impersonation. Even when he tries to come off as a bad-ass, he's still awkward and goofy. I mean, really... who charges into battle with the resounding cry of "Let's kick some A!" If you've already got the "M" rating, why not say the entire word? Although you'll hear it more times than you'll like, music is generally good and changes depending on how battles are going.
Gameplay: It's easy to assume that The Last Remnant follows in the footsteps of Final Fantasy; from screenshots, the two look eerily similar. However, The Last Remnant is a very different animal that seems to emulate the SaGa games more than Final Fantasy. The first of the game's issues is the story. It isn't bad and has its moments, but from the very start it relies on every RPG story cliché it can manage. Rush Sykes is an unlikely hero who must spring into action when his sister, Irina, is kidnapped. His search eventually draws him into a great political struggle involving a set of artifacts called remnants. These objects, which are left over from a centuries-old conflict, are a source of curiosity, but have also stirred up strong anti-remnant sentiments. Eventually the remnants take a central role in the game's plot once a figure known as the Conqueror comes into play. Although marred by technical issues, The Last Remnant does an amazing job at setting up an interesting world to explore. All of the major kingdoms have their own distinctive look while managing to stay true to the game's overall aesthetic. Additionally, it also manages to create some truly interesting characters; unfortunately Rush isn't one of them. David, the Marquise who takes Rush under his wing, is more of a leading man than Rush and his guards are very likeable. This led to my basing my combat setup more around characters like David and Emma rather than Rush. The Conqueror also makes for a great antagonist; every time you see him, he emanates a certain dread and power that can make him incredibly intimidating.
Difficulty: Combat is where The Last Remnant really sets itself apart. Battles take place in what Square-Enix calls a "Turn-based, command-based system." There are no random encounters; instead, enemies appear on screen and are drawn into battle in one of two ways. The "best" way is to get the jump on them and pull them into battle with the Right Trigger. This doesn't guarantee that you'll have the first blow, but it's better than letting them attack first. When the in-game text says that letting enemies touch you gives them a massive advantage, it isn't kidding. I won't go so far as to accuse the game of cheating, but it can be highly suspect at times. The fundamentals are solid, though there never seems to be much of a reason behind when things happen in battle. There isn't a noticeable way to bring up character's special attacks; instead they just appear. I think the intent is to try and add a bit of directed story into each battle to make them more climatic, though it really just gets in the way of the strategy.
Game Mechanics: The underlying mechanics behind battles are easily the game's most fascinating aspect. Each character is called a unit and is placed in a Union with up to four other characters. Each unit is their own character, complete with equipment and special attacks, though they are treated as one entity during battle. Rather than giving each character a specific attack, you instead issue broad, Union-wide commands at the start of each turn. From there, units will decide on the best course of action. Though it may seem like a lot of control is being taken out of your hands, the A.I. is surprisingly smart. Units generally use the best attack available to them and will even change their tactics based on the current situation. For example, if you order a group to heal and the first unit manages to heal all damage, the other units will instead switch to attack mode. It takes a few hours of gameplay before you are able to really see how well the system works. Early on, there isn't much to Union creation; it feels limiting and battles are criminally hard. Once you're given the option to recruit soldiers and the option of creating multiple Unions, the system really opens up. Unfortunately, the slow start works to the game's detriment. If it weren't for having to write about the game, I would have given up much earlier in the game. Eventually, the Union system becomes a game in of itself. Setting up Unions and squeezing the most out of each combination can take up hours of your time. Certain units work better when grouped with other units or when in certain formations. In an odd way, creating Unions provides more of an emotional bond with the characters than the story. I can't think of a game I had more of a love/hate relationship with than The Last Remnant. There were times I would sit down, start to play and neglect more important tasks. Other times, I would find myself cursing the game, its creators and anyone else I could think of. When you get down it, it seems that in trying to create something with a broader appeal, Square Enix inadvertently created something that may appeal to an even more niche audience. It's tempting to push the game aside early on in the experience, but if given enough time, it will likely grow on you. The Last Remnant may not appeal to everyone, but strategy-minded RPG fans will want to give it a chance.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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