Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)

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All of the characters can equip rings that boost the effectiveness of physical attacks, by adding elemental effects or perhaps simply doling extra damage to specific kinds of enemies. Different rings produce different effects, and new ones can be made from material you find throughout your travels. When a ring-wearing character begins an attack, an outer ring begins shrinking to meet the target ring around the enemy. Press and release the R trigger when the rings line up and you'll score a "Perfect" and deliver a more powerful hit. You can still get the effect of the ring with just a "Good" ranking, but if you're timing's "Bad," you might miss altogether.

The intent is probably to make the combat a bit more exciting for players than simply sitting back and hitting a button, but the result is little more than a gimmick. It certainly doesn't hurt the flow of the fight, but it doesn't really make it any more involving, either.

The combat of Lost Odyssey is broken up with long, sprawling segments of story, and this is where, unfortunately, it will lose less patient players. Hours will be spent talking to people in towns, engaging in fetch quests, reliving moments from Kaim's long life as he slowly recalls bits of his past through dreams, and untangling the complex threads of the plot. Narcoleptic turtles with bum legs move faster than the story of this game, and yet at no point is it ever dull or plodding. The events that take place may be small or have little bearing on the main action of the game, but that makes them no less meaningful or moving.

The story elements of the game wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable were it not for the amazing job done by Lost Odyssey's localization team. The writing is simply fantastic, especially during Kaim's memory sequences, and the voice acting, for the most part, does it justice. It's a rare treat to find yourself looking forward to cut scenes instead of dreading them. I have no idea if it's possible to skip the cinematics of Lost Odyssey -- I've never wanted to try.

Lost Odyssey is not a game for the impatient. It's incredibly slow-paced and requires a serious time commitment from the player before even the tiniest dent has been made in the game's mechanics, appeal or storyline. Those who stick with it will appreciate the textured story, the stunning visuals and the clever writing, but anyone looking for a nonstop action-fest will be sorely disappointed.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game purchased by Crispy Gamer.