battles are super fun, and enough gets added to it through out the game so they don't get boring or irritating. some of the qol additions to this version make an already great game pretty amazing. i basically just put ingame speed at 200% and leave battle speed at normal and i have zero complaints.

a lot of people say this game is nothing like chrono cross, but i kinda disagree. cards are actually sort of similar to elements. taking several cards to land several attacks in one turn, etc. i feel like it expands on the chrono cross basis basically. and of course you have the same amazing painted backgrounds and masato kato as key writer, so similar story too, if a bit less... heavy? anyway, if you like chrono cross as a stand alone title and not as a disappointing ct sequel, then you'll likely also enjoy these, so give them a chance. the battle system takes some getting used to, but i loved it way more than expected. characters are solid, the world is really mystical and interesting, etc.

Very happy me and Europe can play these games.
The amount of "Monolith Soft vibes" this collection of games brings was probably the most suprising element for me, despite having completely different combat systems from the Xeno games.

My experience with both was very similar.
I start the game, the combat doesn't feel right, i play some more, i start liking it. I play some more, i feel like it's not for me and then it clicks and i have a blast with the combat which in turn makes me enjoy the stories more.

The Combat Systems of both games are very unique.
Like the way saying Xenoblade is an Action RPG, It feels wrong to call this a Card based RPG. It's more about stringing Poker style combos. Which becomes more fun over time when you get bigger decks, and better cards. Origins speeds up the combat pasing while simplifying certain elements, like everyone sharing one deck which results to both feeling different from each other.

The writing and party dynamic is really well done. Especially in Origins with Sagi, Guillo and Milliarde. However Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean had my favorite story of the two and overall my favorite party. Great Mizuti, Lyude and Xelha were standouts from 1, As they were likable and had very fun kits to learn and invest in. I also just enjoyed a lot of the side characters and some of the villains in the first game a lot more.

In the remaster you can speed up the game and battles which is nice, aswell as skip encounters or instakill them if you really don't wibe with the combat. Auto battle is there
(i didn't test it), And improved visuals

Overall i really enjoyed both titles. What you get here are very unique RPGs with the Monolith Soft love and care you expect from their other works. if you are a big fan of Monolith Soft, you have a duty to check these out.

My reviews for each individual game in this collection can be found on their original GameCube release pages, here I'll go through what the HD remaster brings to the table.

The HD remaster makes two GameCube classic games more widely available, with Baten Kaitos Origins getting it's first ever European release. Along with updated visuals, a handful of options have been added:
The ability to turn off encounters (very handy for when you just want to explore a dungeon, especially when enemies respawn every time the screen reloads)
The ability to one hit KO enemies (very handy to stop battles dragging on for standard encounters)
Increase game and battle speed (I wish this was a button toggle rather than a menu option you have to constantly adjust because it isn't fun to use despite how handy it can be for certain sections)
An auto battle function (never used this in my playthrough but I can imagine it having its uses)

The games run ok on Switch though some sections do see the framerate drop unfortunately which is kinda disappointing for GameCube remasters. Elsewhere the English voice over is not included in this release (presumably due to cartridge limitations more than anything else) and European language options are not included in Origins (presumably because it never released here and Bandai Namco didn't want to fork out on translations)

While it does fall short of its potential as an HD remaster and fails to include everything that it should, at the end of the day the two games included here are goof to great games and being able to play them on a more available format is greatly welcome

I won't say it's bad, but it's also not really grabbing my attention from the characters or world and I'm just not super invested after about 6 hours in. While I appreciate the idea of the card combat it just feels a bit sloggy and isn't interesting enough for me. You can build a deck but that interaction is kind of small and you have to actively time the card uses in the middle of battle and draw them so is different than say MTG or Hearthstone type games.

As a remaster I think it's mostly good, you have options to increase the speed up to 3x for in combat and out of combat separately and if you really want to just play for the story you can turn on 1 hit KO or turn off encounters as you do a bunch of back tracking for side quests. My only real complaint is that these options can only be toggled out of combat via pause menu, I wish the speed up was like Trails where you can hold down a trigger and speed up as you want.

While it's a Monolith Soft game it doesn't appear Tetsuya Takahashi has any credits on the game (writer/director/producer) so if you were going in there expecting to have a somewhat similar vibe to the Xeno games (any of them) then I don't think you'll find it.

⏰ In a rush? Don't worry, I gotchu'! ⏰

What Works:
✅ Unique RPG Relics: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Baten Kaitos Origins offer a glimpse into the RPG landscape of the early 2000s, showcasing Monolith Soft's creativity and experimentation.
✅ Innovative Mechanics: The incorporation of real-world concepts into gameplay mechanics, such as the player being a guardian spirit and the use of Magnus cards, adds depth and uniqueness to the experience.
✅ Plot Twists: Both titles feature compelling plot twists that captivate players and drive the narrative forward, adding layers of intrigue and engagement.
✅ Artistic Style and Soundtrack: The graphical enhancements and Motoi Sakuraba's exceptional soundtrack elevate the immersive experience, capturing the essence of classic RPGs from the GameCube era.

What Doesn't Work:
❌ Clunky Magnus Concept: The Magnus system, while bold and innovative, can feel cumbersome and antiquated, leading to potential frustrations and inconveniences, particularly with the expiration mechanic.
❌ Complex Combat System: The turn-based combat system, heavily reliant on deckbuilding and timing, may present a steep learning curve and require patience to fully grasp and master.
❌ Performance Issues: Despite enhancements, both titles suffer from occasional frame drops and performance issues, detracting from the overall experience.

🌊 Dive into the RPG Relics: Baten Kaitos Collection

I've always been curious about Monolith Soft, a Nintendo first party studio and creator of franchises like Xenosaga or Namco x Capcom, and given that Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003) and Baten Kaitos Origins (2006; prequel) have always been under the GameCube umbrella, with a third title for the Nintendo DS canceled, I approached this collection with a hungry desire to travel through one of the most peculiar RPG relics of the early 2000s.

🎮 Monolith Soft: A Legacy Defined

Before kicking off the analysis, I think it's crucial to contextualize Monolith Soft. If you're a fan of the genre and have survived in the dark for the past twenty years, this company's image is closely tied to the excellent world of Xenoblade Chronicles. However, lately, besides what was mentioned earlier in the previous paragraph, the company has been hard at work helping to build the best titles for the Nintendo Switch.

Do you know Breath of the Wild? Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Splatoon 3? Tears of the Kingdom? All titles that Monolith Soft helped bring out, and in between, they even have the audacity to pour out on their fans a pseudo-remake remaster, two new titles, and all the DLC associated with the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise on the Nintendo Switch. It's a team with incredible productivity and consistent high-quality levels.

For that same reason, the Baten Kaitos franchise, now available to all RPG fans with a Switch, has always piqued my curiosity as a window into the past of a studio like this. After spending a few hours with this collection, I notice several similarities to Xenoblade Chronicles, and perhaps one of the most meta and peculiar video games in recent memory.

🛡️ Interactive Real-World Concepts

I mention this because one of the aspects that stood out and impressed me during my adventure were the responses to real-world concepts that Baten Kaitos produces, rooted in various mechanics. For example, in Baten Kaitos, you (player) are a guardian spirit for the main character, with several characters interacting with you and depending on your decisions and advice, akin to the moral compass of more recent video games, receiving certain advantages in battle. Here, you realize that you, as a player, are actively recognized within that world, not as the agent who controls the main character (embodying it to some extent) but as a distinct character, and this gives a new meaning to all your actions.

📜 Plot Twists and Japanese Clichés

As for the plot, apart from other peculiarities, it doesn't surprise much until a certain point and is full of Japanese clichés perpetuated over the years: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean details the vengeful journey of a teenager named Kalas. He wakes up in a village and circumstance after circumstance finds himself on a quest to save the world. Little or no novelty for you, almost certainly, at least until a certain plot twist halfway through that hits like a truck and subsequently captivates you until the end of the narrative.

Baten Kaitos Origins follows more or less the same path and twenty years before its successor. The plot follows Sagi, a black ops member of an empire where an ultra-secret mission went wrong, putting him on a path of political conspiracy and other clichés. All run-of-the-mill stuff until, of course, just like in the first game, a spectacular twist grabs your attention and holds it until the end of the story.

However, there is a differentiating element in the world of Baten Kaitos that governs not only turn-based combat but also stands out as another peculiarity (guardian spirits style). Magnus is its name, cards that absorb the magna essence of almost everything in the real world (except living beings). Considering the extraordinary intricacies of a typical RPG, carrying cards is a great justification for protagonists with Doraemon-like bags.

🃏 Magnus: A Unique Mechanic

But these magnus have much more to them. The mechanic serves mostly for battles but sees more use in the plot and in solving puzzles within Baten Kaitos. It's a brilliant idea but goes further with an annoying expiration date. Let me explain. At one point, in the first title, I collected two Pow Milk. Over time, they turned into Pow Milk Yogurt and later into Pow Milk Cheese. When I realized it, I no longer had what I needed to complete one of the quests. This is just one of the many antiquated aspects of game design in this genre, artificially creating extra hours of gameplay for rewards that amount to nothing.

I admit that on paper, it's a bold, different, and even cool idea, but I always felt it as a clunky mechanic. It may seem like an exaggeration, but this also affects the cards used for combat, with an example being Bamboo Shoots, healing magnus transforming into Young Bamboo, attack magnus. Apply this logic to any other magnus, and you'll realize that there's another element to consider during your everyday adventure, unpredictable and unsettling.

⚔️ Friction in Combat

That said, it was in combat that I faced more friction, spending long hours without really understanding how everything worked (despite there being tutorials). The thing is, turn-based combat relies heavily on deckbuilding, and every action taken in battle requires a corresponding card, whether it's for healing, attacking, or defending, and both attacks and defenses depend on your comfort with multitasking, reflexes, and attention. Again, let me explain.

Imagine this: You're in a cave and encounter a fire enemy. Combat starts, and your deck is composed of almost random cards. Following logic, it's almost guaranteed that everything from the enemy will be of the fire element, so without water, the opposite element, for both attack and defense, you're likely to have a tough time. So far, the logic seems easy: switch to water element cards, but here's the catch, while attacking or defending, you have a timing to play the cards you want.

Moreover, much of your success in battle will depend on a poker-like system, with attack combinations being stronger if you execute straights or pairs, where each magnus has a number, and if you match them or place them in succession, your combo will be much stronger. However, it's a bit annoying that each card has a certain ATK or DEF, weighing heavily on deckbuilding. So, as time goes on and difficulty increases, you progressively feel the need to tighten the noose with frequent changes to the deck to match the environment you're in. It's worth noting, however, that Origins, the prequel, simplified the formula a bit.

For those who love this vein of more experimental RPGs, embrace this dynamic and have good doses of patience, Baten Kaitos will have fun gameplay, but my experience, without taking away merit from the execution, as I recognize that it's more my ineptitude and itchiness, was more irksome than I'd like to admit. The two titles included in this collection are classics, of that you can be sure, but the combat system didn't click, which, on one hand, made me immensely grateful for the new pause menu where you can increase the game's speed, battles, destroy everything in one attack, or prevent any combat from happening.

🔄 Quality of Life Improvements

Not only does Baten Kaitos live by these Quality of Life improvements, but there's also improved graphical work in all aspects. Something to be commended, certainly, as both titles mark the end of an era with a mixture of 3D models and pre-rendered backgrounds, a technique considered innovative in the PlayStation era, now relegated to the nostalgia of every fan. Add to all this a soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba, the genius responsible for Star Ocean, Tales of Arise, or Valkyrie Profile, and you get that classic RPG that simply isn't heard of these days.

I admit, unfortunately, that not all the edges are smoothed out. For a couple of titles touched up on the hardware in question, I expected flawless performance, but the truth is that frame drops exist. However, I also admit that at some point they obstructed my quest too much, albeit being only a point to be noted.

🎵 Classic RPG Experience

Notwithstanding what has already been pointed out as negative, such as antiquated game design in certain aspects, performance that does not do justice to the hardware it's inserted in, and the somewhat clunky magnus concept, both Baten Kaitos titles survive the test of time thanks to a slew of unique and experimental ideas, coupled with a very beautiful artistic style and spectacular soundtrack. The plot has its moments, but honestly, I see this collection more as a unique glimpse into the past of Monolith Soft and RPGs from the GameCube era, which in itself may already be worth the price of admission.

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◻️ 📜 Review Number 133

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