Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
North American cover art
Developer(s)	tri-Crescendo Monolith Soft
Publisher(s)	Namco
Distributor(s)	AUS Nintendo
Designer(s)	Yasuyuki Honne Hiroya Hatsushiba
Writer(s)	Masato Kato
Composer(s)	Motoi Sakuraba
Platform(s)	GameCube
Release date(s)	JP December 5, 2003 NA November 16, 2004 PAL April 1, 2005 AUS May 19, 2005
Genre(s)	Role-playing video game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (バテン・カイトス 終わらない翼と失われた海, Baten Kaitosu Owaranai Tsubasa to Ushinawareta Umi) is a 2003 role-playing video game that was developed by tri-Crescendo and Monolith Soft and published by Namco in Japan, North America and Europe and by Nintendo Australia for Australia and New Zealand for the Nintendo GameCube. First released in Japan in 2003, it is the first game in the Baten Kaitos series, and takes place after Baten Kaitos Origins, a prequel released in 2006. It tells the story of a young man named Kalas and his companion Xelha, who live in an aerial island-based kingdom in the clouds. The title, Baten Kaitos (Arabic: بطن قيتوس), comes from Arabic meaning "belly of the sea monster/whale" and is also the name of the star Zeta Ceti.

Gameplay

Baten Kaitos is a role-playing video game with some puzzle elements. While not actually taking on the role of the protagonist, the player is an active participant as a Guardian Spirit who guides the main character, Kalas, on all of his decisions.^[1] Maintaining a positive relationship with Kalas can help the player, particularly during combat, by enabling special "Spirit Attacks". The game mechanics rely heavily on magical cards known as Magnus, which absorb the "Magna essence" of real-world objects for storage and later use.^[2]

Saving the game and leveling a character up can be done at specific locations in the game, albeit in a somewhat unconventional manner. Large red and blue flowers are scattered through the game. The player can save by directing the character to stand over a flower (both red and blue), although saving can also be done when navigating the sub-world screen. Leveling up can only be done via a blue flower, which allows the player to warp back to a church. At the church, he/she can pray to the priest in order to level up, as well as to upgrade their class. A level up results in an increase in the character's primary attributes such as HP and attack and defense, while a class up results in an increase in the character's deck capacity.^[3] The latter can only be done once a certain item Magnus is obtained (one per character per class).^[2]

Money is primarily obtained in an unusual way. One of the Magnus that can be put into a deck is a camera, available in three different levels of quality or effectiveness. When in battle, the character can use the camera to take a picture of an enemy. After the battle, that picture will develop in about ten real time minutes. Once fully developed, a photo's value is primarily determined by the enemy photographed as well as conditions in effect at the time. Photos of rarer enemies (i.e. bosses) are worth more. If the enemy blocks a camera shot, the enemy in the photo will appear somewhat distorted and will be worth less. Using light or dark attacks along with the camera will make the photo lighter or darker, respectively. A photo will sell for less if it is too bright or too dark. Photos of PCs normally have very low sellback value, but there is a small chance of getting "rare shots" that are worth a decent amount.^[4]

While other Magnus can also be sold, with the exception of a few specific items, they generally sell for meager amounts of money compared to that obtainable from photographs.^[4]

Magnus

There are four major varieties of Magnus: Quest, Camp, Equipment, and Battle. Quest Magnus are items from the overworld stored into various blank cards. They are used to interact with other characters and complete puzzles and sidequests. Camp Magnus are items used outside of battle to heal the party members or grant them status bonuses. Equipment Magnus are made up of each character's unique weapon. They are equipped to the characters to provide increased statistics. Some of the Magnus change over time, gaining a stronger, weaker, or all together different effect. Food items may rot and turn into items which cause poison or wine will turn from a healing item into vinegar, an attack card.^[2]

Battle Magnus make up the characters' decks. Outside of battle, the player assembles a deck of Magnus for each party member, from which he or she draws random hands during subsequent combats. Hand size, deck size and maximum combo size increase as the player upgrades the party members' class by finding character-specific Magnus and having them applied at the church. Weapon cards are used to fight with, Armor cards to block with, and Effect cards cause different effects, such as healing. Each Magnus has a Spirit Number in the corner ranging from 1-9. The Spirit Numbers are utilized during battle in order to create straights and same-number groupings (pairs, three-of-a-kinds, etc.), resulting in an increased damage effect. On cards with multiple spirit numbers, the player can select which number they want to use by rolling the C-stick.^[2]

Finishing moves are a special type of attack Magnus. They have some restrictions on their use: they can only be played after a certain number of Magnus have been played in a combo, and they immediately end a combo even if it has not yet reached maximum size. However, they are very powerful and visually impressive. Finishing moves are character-specific, and each playable character can collect nine of them throughout the game. All bosses and most enemies use finishing moves as well. Magnus can also be combined during battle. When certain Magnus are played, Special combos are formed, thus creating a new Magnus.^[2]

Plot

The plot in the story revolves around a world made up of islands floating in the sky. According to the story, an evil god named Malpercio invaded the world and sucked the oceans dry, leaving the islands floating around in the sky. He was defeated by 5 spiritual heroes, who sealed the evil god in the form of 5 "End Magnus."^[5]

By the time of the events in the story, everyone living in the sky has grown wings. Enter Kalas, the ill-mannered, selfish one-winged unlikely hero of the story. He awakes in a hospital in a pastoral village on Sadal Suud Frontier. He is quickly joined by Xelha, a good-willed but naive traveler. Together, they inadvertedly release the first of the End Magnus, which is quickly seized by the Empire, a hostile nation on one of the islands.^[5]

The two travel to Diadem where they meet Gibari, a fisherman from Nashira, and Lyude, the ambassador to Diadem from the Empire. After lowering the water level of Diadem's Lesser Celestial River, which has recently flooded, they leave with Gibari for the capital where they are welcomed by its King, Ladekahn. Lyude also joins the party at this stage.

They soon learn that the Empire is after the so-called "End Magnus", Magnus cards that have the power of an evil god named Malpercio. Kalas, Xelha, Gibari, and Lyude find one of the five End Magnus in Diadem, but it is stolen from them. They then travel to Anuenue to find the next End Magnus; while there, they confront the emperor of Alfard, Geldoblame, and meet Savyna, an ex-mercenary for the Empire. The group then travels to Mira, Kalas' home nation, where they meet Mizuti, a strange masked being. They are then arrested for the kidnapping of Lady Melodia and lose their only End Magnus. To make matters worse, Mira's End Magnus and Xelha's pendant are stolen by Ayme, a sadistic Imperial soldier encountered at Diadem.

Finally, the group of six heads to Alfard, where they intend to stop Geldoblame once and for all. Unbeknownst to the rest of the party, Kalas has been working for Melodia all along to try to revive the ancient god Malpercio. Melodia takes control of the Empire from Geldoblame, and his former soldiers drive him into the depths of Alfard's Lava Caves. Kalas absorbs the power of the five End Magnus and falls under Malpercio's control. The other members are captured and imprisoned, but Xelha manages to escape and free the rest of her companions.

After this, the party travel to Wazn, an island covered in snow. It is here that the gang learn that Xelha is its queen and obtain the Ocean Mirror, which Xelha believes can snap Kalas out of his trance (though Xelha's nurse states otherwise in a cutscene). They also obtain the White Dragon, which enables travel between the islands.

Xelha and the rest of the group confront Kalas in order to make him return to his former self, but when they were almost being killed by Malpercio, Kalas himself manages to break free of Melodia's influence and help his companions to escape. It is hinted at that this phenomenon is due to Kalas' feelings for Xelha, as there are several flashbacks of her before this event. Malpercio and Melodia refuge themselves into Cor Hydrae, an ancient fortress sealed in another dimension, which has been brought into the sky when the five End Magnus were unsealed.

Kalas awakens in Mintaka, the Imperial capital, and receives both his Winglet and his guardian spirit back from Xelha. He also takes on the role of world-saving hero with greater enthusiasm than before, feeling he must make amends for deceiving his friends. After this, Mizuti directs the group to the lands below the Taintclouds, a poisonous layer of gas at the bottom of the sky. The atmosphere down there has become breathable over a thousand years, but this was not always the case. Due to this, the people who lived down there wore masks which could filter the air and make it possible to breathe. They also do not know when the air became safe to breathe. It is down here that the gang learn about the Sword of the Heavens, and that this area is Mizuti's homeland. Sadly, the Sword of the Heavens had been stolen by Krumly, who resented the role of guardians that the children of the Earth have inherited for generations. He therefore attempted a ritual to a pierce a hole in the Taintcoluds and beg Malpercio to release the children of the Earth from their duty. This turns out to be a mistake as Melodia and Malpercio rampage through Krumly's village. The village is saved by a last minute intervention from Kalas and the gang, but the Sword of the Heavens is broken.

The party then learns of one last hope of stopping Melodia and Malpercio: the Magnus of Life. This power is counter to the End Magnus which currently empower Malpercio, and that this power was used to create Kalas and his brother, Fee. Kalas, however, was too human for Geldoblame's liking and only had one wing, so Geldoblame had ordered his termination. This leads Georg to blow up his laboratory with explosives and secretly flee to Mira with Kalas and Fee in tow. Due to being a creation of the Magnus of Life, however, Kalas is empowered by it, though he does not yet know how to tap into this power. The group decide to tie up some loose ends from their journey so they can learn to harness the Magnus of Life's tremendous power. While they are doing this, it is decided that the islands shall launch a massive assault against Cor Hydrae's barrier. The purpose is to create a hole in it so Kalas' party can enter by flying the White Dragon into it.

The party battles through Cor Hydrae until they reach Malpercio and Melodia in the throne room. After defeating Malpercio, the leaders of all the nations join the party in the throne room. Duke Calbren of Mira begs his granddaughter Melodia to come back from the side of evil, but Melodia spurns him, saying she is no longer the frail Melodia she once was and instead becomes one with the corpse of Malpercio and creating a new, more powerful god. The party pursues Melodia/Malpercio to the top of Cor Hydrae and begin the final climactic battle. Malpercio is defeated, and Kalas "dives into" Malpercio and brings out Melodia. Kalas, Melodia, and the Guardian Spirit use their powers, along with the Sword of the Heavens, the Ocean Mirror, and the Earth Sphere, to release Malpercio's spirit from his body.

The energy needed to break the shield around Cor Hydrae drains the energy that allows the five major islands to float in the sky, and the islands fall toward the Earth below. However, not only has the air become clean over a thousand years, but life has returned to the Earth. The islands' fall is stopped by the spirits of five ancient gods who, while holding up the islands, turn into giant pillars of stone, connecting the islands once again to the Earth.

A great celebratory feast is held on Anuenue, and plans for the future are made. During the party, Xelha and Kalas slip away to the spring in Moonguile Forrest. Xelha reveals that the Ice Queens, of whom she is the last, are responsible for holding the long-lost Ocean, and that Kalas and the Guardian Spirit must release it from within her, now that the Earth has been restored. Kalas refuses at first, seeing that he has fallen in love with Xelha, but eventually agrees to restore humanity. The Ocean is about to be released when Geldoblame's spirit, inhabiting the surrounding Earth, returns, claiming the new world for himself. Kalas and Xelha defeat him, but the battle uses the last of Xelha's strength and she dies in Kalas' arms. Before her body disappears, she says that she just wished that she and Kalas could have been like any other couple.

All over the world, a rain begins to fall. People in the five nations comment on how odd this is, and how salty the rain tastes. The rain accumulates into the long-lost Ocean. At the same time, all the world's Greythornes come together and transform into the mighty Whale, with Xelha's Greythorne Meemei becoming the Whale's brain. For a moment, the people of the world regain their lost wings before they disappear in a shimmer of light.

Kalas, the party, and all other main characters of the game all meet in Mira to send the Guardian Spirit home. During the goodbye, a boy gives Kalas Xelha's pendant, saying that he can hear "Xelha's voice" in it. Kalas puts it up to his ear, and Xelha reappears in a flash of water. The Guardian Spirit then leaves the world of Baten Kaitos to a bright new future.

Characters

Kalas, the main character of the game, is a youth who seeks revenge for the death of his grandfather, the talented mechanic Georg, and his little brother, Fee. Kalas is accompanied by a Guardian Spirit, who can be seen as the avatar of the player. The spirit watches over Kalas and his party. Kalas occasionally addresses the spirit by turning toward the screen and asking him/her to make a decision. Xelha is a young girl who carries a mysterious pendant linked to the End Magnus. At a certain point in the game, the Guardian Spirit will accompany Xelha for a time when Kalas is temporarily not a playable character.

There are four other playable characters in the game. Gibari is a laid-back but proud fisherman. He is comfortable disobeying village rules when it suits him, though this is usually done to help others, and prefers living by his own rules. Lyude is an imperial ambassador to Diadem, son of a powerful family in the heart of the Alfard Empire. He bears a dreadful secret related to his transfer to Diadem. Savyna is an ex-mercenary whose past is largely unknown. Mizuti is a masked creature who is shrouded in mystery. Towards the end of the game Mizuti's mask shatters and Mizuti is revealed to be a little girl, who possesses greater power than anyone else in her tribe.

The primary antagonist of the game is the Alfard Empire, led by Emperor Geldoblame. He seeks to revive the Ancient God of Destruction, Malpercio, who was sealed away one thousand years ago by the ancient Children of the Earth. He is unsealed as the Alfard Empire pursues Geldoblame's ambitions, and is not pleased about being sealed away. He is described as experiencing hatred and jealousy for all humanity. Giacomo is a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Army of Alfard. He is muscular, powerful, serious, prudent, and forceful. Ayme and Folon are high-ranking officers in Alfard's army, under Giacomo's direct command. Giacomo and Ayme were involved in the murder of Kalas' grandfather Georg and brother Fee. Manipulating the Alfard Empire is Melodia, the granddaughter of Duke Calbren of Mira and another major villain, though she is not revealed as such until she orders Geldoblame's death. She could be considered to be the voice of Malpercio.

Music

	"Vitriolic a Stroke" One of Baten Kaitos's boss music tracks.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The OST album case with 90° rotated album art.

The music of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean was composed and arranged by Motoi Sakuraba. The soundtrack album was published by Team Entertainment on December 17, 2003.^[6]

Disc 1

Disc 2

Bonus CD

Toys "R" Us released a bonus CD that came packaged with the game. The CD contains seven songs:

Development

Prior to the release of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, IGN interviewed Namco producer Shinji Noguchi about the game's development. Noguchi shared that, although the game was an entirely new property, its development leveraged Monolith Soft's previous experience developing role-playing games, including series such as Xenosaga.^[7] When asked why the game was being developed for the GameCube, Noguchi explained that the goal was to satisfy existing fans of the genre yearning for such games on the system, while at the same time trying to provide an intuitive experience for those new to role-playing titles.

In a later interview, Noguchi indicated that the game concept was first created in 2001, with development beginning 6 months later.^[8] Noguchi also provided additional details about Monolith Soft's Tokyo staff, noting that the company consisted of roughly 100 employees (at the time), most of whom were game creators and developers.

Years later, when discussing Eternal Sonata, Hiyora Hatsushiba of tri-Crescendo indicated that the previous work on Baten Kaitos was a "very meaningful and memorable project" for the team. Hatsushiba further expressed his belief that tri-Crescendo was able to create Eternal Sonata precisely because of this earlier experience.^[9]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 81.30% (58 reviews)[10] Metacritic 80 (48 reviews)[11] Review scores Publication Score Edge 7 of 10[10] Famitsu 31 of 40[11] Game Informer 8.75 of 10[12] GamePro 4 of 5[13] GameSpot 8.5 out of 10[14] GameSpy [15] IGN 8.8 out of 10[5] Play B-[10]

Critics gave generally positive reviews, however there were mixed opinions on the battle system and somewhat flat characters and voice acting. Websites such as IGN has described the game as accumulating a "cult following" in the years following its release.^[16] In their review for the title, IGN praised the game's graphics and battle system, concluding that "Monolith Software has crafted a beautiful and thoroughly engrossing game filled with great characters, impressive visuals and solid combat."^[5]

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean at MobyGames