Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo and published by Namco for the GameCube. In it, the player assume the role of a "guardian spirit" – an unseen player avatar – who guides protagonist Kalas and his party of companions in an adventure across an aerial floating island-based kingdom in the clouds. The game is focused around the concept of "Magnus" – magical cards that capture the "essence" of items found in the in-game world. The concept is used as a plot device, for in-game item management, and as a basis for the card-themed battle system. The game was noted for its unique battle system, which included aspects of turn-based and action-based battle systems, collectible card games, and poker. Developed specifically for the GameCube due to its lack of JRPGs in its game library, the game was generally well received by critics, but received lukewarm sales. Despite this, a prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins was green-lit and released at the end of the GameCube's lifespan, receiving a similar reception itself. Outside of the cancelled Baten Kaitos DS, no further entries have been announced or released, with the team largely focusing on other projects, like the Xenoblade Chronicles games. In the years following, Monolith Soft staff have mentioned the desire to return to the series should the opportunity ever arise. On February 8, 2023, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was announced and eventually released on the Nintendo Switch on September 15, 2023. Gameplay Baten Kaitos plays as a Japanese role-playing video game. However, the player does not directly play as the game's protagonist as in most JRPGs, but rather, as a self-named "guardian spirit" that directly interacts with the protagonist through preset text dialogue tree response options. At times, characters will address the player and ask questions, giving the sensation of breaking the fourth wall. Answering questions in a rational manner that mirrors the respective character's mindset strengthens their "bonds", which in turn awards benefits in the game's battle system. Outside of this indirect way of advising and guiding the flow of the game, the game plays as a traditional RPG, with the player directing characters in the exploration of a game world and in combat against opponents in battles. The game's mechanics rely heavily on magical cards known as "Magnus", which absorb the essence of real-world objects for storage and later use, acting as a container for items, as a sense of inventory management. Some objects are already found in their card form, while others are found and needed to extracted into blanks Magnus cards. Over 1,000 different Magnus exist in the game. Magnus are used in a multitude of ways; Magnus containing food or medicine may be used to heal or temporarily invigorate characters, Magnus containing weapons or armor may be equipped to strengthen characters, Magnus containing battle moves may be put into the players deck and used as attacks in battles, and Magnus may be