While in hub areas, you can visit various shops and smithies and upgrade your weapons and armor or buy some new gear. I’m not a big fan of ridiculously robust and confusing upgrade systems in video games, so I was happy to see that, much like the combat mechanics, upgrading your weapons isn’t complicated at all. If you’ve collected the right materials throughout your travels, you’ll be able to make your weapons and armor more powerful. You can also see how new items and upgrades stack up to your current armaments and spend your money wisely without getting gypped.
Though most of the attention in The Last Story is put on your main objectives, you can engage in a bit of light side questing if you like. You’ll discover a lot of collect-a-thons that force you to look for items and bring them to certain characters, but if you don’t dig that sort of stuff, you don’t have to do it. Usually, you’re rewarded with some cash or a unique item, but you won’t get anything out of the ordinary. There’s also an arena in Lazulis Island that lets you take on hordes of enemies. This is useful for leveling up, getting new weapons, and earning some extra cash. Again, you don’t have to do any of this, but it’s there if you feel like taking a break from the story and exploring the city.
While The Last Story is most certainly a highly admirable game, the camera can be a nuisance at times. As much fun as I was having the entire time I was playing, wonky camera angles really made some battles tougher than they should’ve been. Speaking of challenge, The Last Story isn’t very difficult for the most part. While I personally didn’t mind this as I felt it progressed the story along smoothly, some RPG fans may not be too fond of the light level of difficulty.
The last major complaint I have is geared toward the game’s online multiplayer offerings. You can team up with other players to slay some monsters, or you can engage in a straightforward deathmatch mode. Neither of these really adds anything to the experience, and because The Last Story is such an excellent single-player romp, there was absolutely no reason for these unnecessary additions to make it into the game. That said, this stuff is optional, and if you don’t want to play it, you don’t have to. It’s a bit of a shame, however, that some interesting things weren’t done with the co-op, because some sort of multiplayer campaign would have been pretty rad.
Visually, The Last Story isn’t a technical masterpiece, but then again, I don’t think anyone was expecting it to be. Still, as we’ve seen in the past, Wii games can definitely deliver quality visuals, and it’s a shame that The Last Story doesn’t look as good as it could have. But while technically it may not be anything special, the game has a truly wonderful art style to it. The architecture you witness is lovely and lighting effects add a nice gleam to the environments. These elements create a fantasy world that may not be graphically powerful, but it’s certainly aesthetically pleasing. The addition of CG cutscenes is also a nice touch.
The sound design in The Last Story truly shines, as well. The voice acting is incredible, and each of the character actors manages to deliver a unique voice that really helps mold every single character and gives him or her a signature personality. The music in The Last Story is also quite splendid. As if the main theme wasn’t great enough, the menu music is so awe-inspiring that you’ll be tempted to sit there before you start playing and just let it loop for a short while. The themes you hear as you journey through the game’s impressive world are also enjoyable to listen to, and they really give you a sense of just how grandiose the whole experience really is.
At about 20 hours in length, The Last Story isn’t all that long for an RPG. That said, those 20 hours are full of exciting battles and worthwhile plot developments. Part of me wishes the game would keep going, but at the same time, 20 hours is by no means a short length for a video game. Additionally, if you really care to spread out the experience, there are always the optional side quests, which may not be too exciting, but are still fun little time sinks to engage in every once in a while.
The Last Story is a truly outstanding title that indicates the type of forward thinking that developer Mistwalker is approaching the RPG genre with. This is no modern Final Fantasy, because it far exceeds those recent titles. The Last Story shines ever so brilliantly as a great example of what RPGs should strive to be. While it isn’t the longest entry in the genre, it does almost everything that it sets out to do in an extremely powerful manner. With a story so rich in quality, a full cast of characters you can actually care about, gripping combat, and marvelous nuances for the genre, you’d be a fool to miss out on the amazing journey that is The Last Story.
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There’s something truly admirable about a video game that can really captivate you and make you care about its plot and all of its characters. This is the case with The Last Story, a fantasy RPG from the mind of the legendary Hironobu Sakaguchu. The game isn’t afraid to present a story that properly delivers a combination of serious overtones, humorous moments, and straight up WTF scenarios. Like a any good movie or book, The Last Story is a great example of storytelling done right. Of course, it also helps that the game is a sheer joy to play.
The Last Story revolves around a band of young mercenaries. This isn’t your usual ragtag bunch, though. No, these are characters with hopes and dreams. These mercenaries are genuinely likable characters, each with his or her own agenda and reasons for having chosen that line of work. Zael, the game’s protagonist, for example, dreams of one day being a knight. The mercenary life is a difficult one, but by continuing to work hard, Zael hopes to be noticed by the count of Lazulis Island and be offered a job as a one of the continent's protectors. But things quickly get interesting when a mysterious young lady with connections to the count enters the scene, and it isn't long before this tale about mercenaries becomes a story about true love.
Aside from the fact that the plot of The Last Story is great in and of itself, there are several little side stories sprinkled throughout, and incredibly, they’re all very good. Characters you meet in bars and around town will often request your aid, and it’s superb how these subplots can be so entertaining and compliment the main story really well. But it’s the mercenaries, the characters in your group, who have some of the best backstories in the game. You actually get to know the folks that Zael is working alongside, which makes them more an integral part of the experience rather than one-dimensional squad mates.
One example is Mirania, the group’s healer. Quiet and mysterious, she’s initially a hard character to read. Eventually, however, you embark on a quest that reveals some major details about her childhood. There’s also Yurrick, a mage who’s often cynical and anti-social, even with his fellow teammates. His demeanor makes him difficult to like at first, to the point where it seems as if he would turn his back on his friends if the price was right. As you continue on your journey, you take on a quest alongside Yurrick, and you discover exactly why he is the way he is. The chill-inducing moment of clarity as you discover a major secret about your partner’s past is remarkable, and it makes the game's tale even better.
All of this beautifully rich storytelling takes place across an equally magnificent world. Lazulis Island is a bustling land with many friendly and hostile faces. The game’s overlying steampunk theme makes for a wonderful setting to what can only be described as a grand tale of warriors, magic, swords, kingdoms, and love. The architecture, fashion, and those snazzy English accents all combine to create a world that's fitting for an epic tale, and they’re seamlessly mixed with big mechanical swords, crazy armor, and powerful warships.
The Last Story isn’t just a great storytelling experience, though. When the game’s not enthralling you with its captivating narrative, it’s tossing you into some highly enjoyable gameplay sequences. Dungeon areas require you to work alongside your AI-controlled mercenary buddies as you take on legions of enemies, collect items, and fight massive bosses. Combat can be pretty straightforward, relying on simple hack-and-slash mechanics that make for some raw action. You can choose between auto and manual attack options, but if you really want to get the fullest enjoyment out of this title, you’ll stick with the manual option as auto attacks can make for a very boring experience.
But it’s not all button mashing. You can set up commands for your teammates by pressing up on the D-pad. This pauses the game and allows you to choose different attack strategies for you and your partners. There’s a variety to what you can do. Zael and Dagran, for example, rely on impressive sword skills. Yurrick can summon fire magic. Mirania works great as a healer, but she’s also got some offensive magic to utilize. Syrenne, an enjoyable young lady who might be an alcoholic, is skilled with her blades and can defend or attack accordingly. Even Lowell, who’s often seen hitting on girls at the local bar and seems to have one thing on his mind, can bring the fight with his impressive swordplay and magic knowledge.
The Last Story features cover mechanics, which we don’t see very often in JRPGs. As you level up with Zael, you gain new abilities that you can pull off during battles. One of these is a powerful ambush attack that you execute by taking cover, aiming the analog stick at an enemy, and hitting the attack button. This sends Zael rushing out of cover and delivers a devastating sword slash. You can also run up walls and get the drop on your foes, and even redirect your mages’ attacks to specific spots on the field. The combat mechanics in The Last Story start out simple enough, but they evolve into something that’s more engaging yet still intuitive to grasp.
