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[thefro]

PLATFORM: Wii
DEVELOPERS: Mistwalker/AQ Interactive
PUBLISHER: Nintendo/XSEED Games(North America)

RELEASE DATES | February 23, 2012 (Australia), February 24, 2012 (Europe), Summer 2012 (North America)
GENRE Action RPG

OFFICIAL GAME SITE

Standard Edition

Limited Edition

Trailer for Limited Edition bundle

-Standard Edition of the Game
-Steel Case
-7 song mini-OST
-Mini-artbook

The Last Story is squad-based action RPG set on Lazulis Island, where you play as a group of mercenaries that have arrived from the war-torn continent seeking work. The Last Story marks Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's return to game direction for the first time since Final Fantasy V and contains a soundtrack by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu.

If you're expecting a wide-open 100 hour game like Xenoblade with a massive world to explore, or a traditional JRPG like Lost Odyssey you'll probably be disappointed. After being inspired by Gears of War, Sakaguchi has created a streamlined 20-30 hour squad-based action RPG experience. Expect a fairly linear corridor crawl with interesting battle scenarios and lots of unique party dialog for a good portion of the game.

As a constrast to the linear battle chapters, Lazulis City is a open free-roaming city with dozens of sidequests, a Battle arena, and several different shops where you can buy and upgrade weapons/armor. While you don't always have access to explore the city, it is a refreshing change of pace. Overall, I would compare the game to the Mass Effect series in terms of its mostly linear map design and pacing.

About 60% of Uematsu's score is filled with songs that sound more like Hans Zimmer than his traditional melodies. While this fits the game perfectly and the music is very good, some people will find the lack of an entire score of hummable melodies to be a disappointment.

While the game certainly has its flaws with inconsistency of graphics, story, AI, and the lack of difficulty, I think you'll find the gameplay itself to be truly refreshing and fun.

The innovative battle system allows you to block, parry, draw aggro, use cover/stealth, determine enemy weak points, shoot arrows, and command your allies to take advantage of destructible environments. The game plays unlike any other JRPG out there, and again, Mass Effect 2 is probably the closest game I've played to it (although the gameplay in The Last Story is much better).

I think Nintendo Gamer sums up the brilliance of the battle system much better than I can.

It adds up to a brilliantly living battlefield. Characters leapfrog enemies, Zael delivers critical hits with a slo-mo flourish and particle effects explode all around. Battles audibly buzz with scripted dialogue (none of those soundbites that drove Xenoblade Chronicles fans mad) that lends both drama and important hints for defeating bigger bads.

In a nice touch, dominating the battlefield causes Nobuo Uemetsu’s heroic battle theme to trigger, letting you duff up the last few stragglers in style. In full swing, The Last Story acts outs RPG battles previously left to the imagination.

Balancing real-time thrills and strategic smarts gives combat a scale and variety that static menus can’t match. From one set of flexible combat rules spin stealth infiltrations, epic ground battles, bosses the size of cathedrals and – a true testament to the combat’s scope – straight one-on-one swordfights.

In The Last Story’s 20 hours we chase vampires, trounce waves of attack gnomes, cleave troll skulls in two with aerial plunges and ride mutant wolves through packs of squealing goons. Mistwalker have cracked the action RPG like no dev before.

Additional replay value is provided by a much more difficult New Game+ mode and surprisingly featured and fun online multiplayer, which is further detailed in its own section of this official thread. The game supports the classic controller pro, but it's not a necessity as it plays equally well with the Wii remote/nunchuk.

Review Scores
Famitsu: 38/40 (10, 10, 9, 9)
EDGE Magazine: 8/10
Nintendo Gamer: 85/100
XGN (Dutch): 9/10
Meristation (Spanish): 9/10
M(German Magazine): 90%
German Gamepro: 87%
Vandal (Spanish): 9.2/10
Official Nintendo Magazine (UK): 86/100
Nintendo Life: 8/10
Nintendo Universe: 9/10
Metro.co.uk: 8/10
IGN UK 8.5
CVG 8.5
Eurogamer 7/10
Cubed3: 9/10
Gamespot: 9/10

Director's Cut TrailerGame Mechanics Trailer
Characters Trailer
German Gamepro video review (some spoilers)
Lazulis City Footage

A highlight of this game is the surprisingly fun online multiplayer modes. The game includes Deathmatch (free for all and team deathmatch) and Co-Op play for up to 6 players. Your character's appearance carries over from the main game. Additionally, you can play as several enemy characters. in Deathmatch mode that are not available in the main game.

You rank up and gain prestige levels ala Call of Duty by competing in multiplayer and random items drop on the map and at the end of each 5 minute match. Points double in the last minute of each Deathmatch game. The combination of the different characters with different attacks/movement speed/health alongside random items dropping on the map (ala Goldeneye) along with the paper/rock/scissors gameplay of melee/blocking/arrows/spells provides for a unique multiplayer experience unlike anything else I've played.

There are 10 maps in Deathmatch and 5 Co-Op maps. A quick-message system allows you to communicate.

Friend Codes for Multiplayer go here

Note, as of February 22, 2012, the game is confirmed for a North American release via XSEED Games this summer!

How do I play this on a US Wii?
NeoGAF Homebrew Wiki | NeoGAF Homebrew Thread

Where can I order the game and get it shipped to the US/Canada?
365 Games £32.49 | 365 Games(Limited Edition) £44.99 | Zavvi £29.95 | Zavvi Limited Edition £44.95

Will I have any problems with lag playing multiplayer against folks from Europe?
I played quite a bit of multiplayer from the US after the Japanese release and encountered no problems with lag. The netcode in this game is very good.

Iwata Asks Part 1
Iwata Asks Part 2
Iwata Asks Part 3 (NEW)Nintendo Europe Video Interview with Sakaguchi
Japanese Release OT

 

[slaughterking]

Nice!

*subscribed*

Can't get over the stretched UI, though. :I

 

[DarknessTear]

Steel case is hot.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

I did not realise this game had any multiplayer!
Nice.

 

[scitek]

Nice OP, and title.

 

[A Twisty Fluken]

Oh man I didn't know there was a steelbook for this one too.

DO WANT

 

[ivysaur12]

I want this.

 

[totowhoa]

Imported Xenoblade, and I never did get around to playing more than six hours of it. I think I'll be able to convince myself to play through a shorter RPG, so I'll probably be importing this as well.

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

Great OP. Takes me back to when the game came out in Japan Anyway, loved it back then and got my preorder for the PAL version in the other day and am expecting to love it all over again.

 

[Grape]

Just a silly noobish question but how do yiou create a good OT and who creates them? Is it the developers or rndm fans? Can dev teams request them or do they just have to cross their fingers and hope it'll be picked up?

 

[King of the Potato People]

The perfect name for the last Wii game I’m planning to buy.

 

[zroid]

That is one of the best steelbooks I've ever seen.

 

[nincompoop]

Hope my HMV order actually shows up. Also hope they fixed the framerate from the Japanese version, I heard it was pretty bad.

EDIT - This has online multiplayer? WTF.

 

[StuBurns]

CCP support?

 

[JordanLMiller]

Waiting for NA release - will import later this year if not. Have fun my european brethren!

 

[jufonuk]

how rpg heavy is this? RPG noob here, is the combat realtime? TPS Style?

 

[Broken Hope]

CCP is supported yes.

 

[eXistor]

I've got this pre-ordered, but I'm pretty much going in blind. I hope the game can pleasantly surprise me.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Reminder

The Last Story: Limited Edition (Wii) - £29.98 @ Coolshop

..and yes, Coolshop is a reputable store, they just have not spend money on getting a good designer for their site.

 

[thefro]

Just a silly noobish question but how do yiou create a good OT and who creates them? Is it the developers or rndm fans? Can dev teams request them or do they just have to cross their fingers and hope it'll be picked up?

LOL, just a random fan in this case.

CCP support?

Yep, that's the one thing I forgot to add to the OP initially, but it supports it. Works equally well with that or the Wii Remote/Nunchuk IMHO. No motion controls at all in the game (I wish you could aim your bow with the IR, but you can't).

how rpg heavy is this? RPG noob here, is the combat realtime? TPS Style?

Not RPG heavy at all... realtime combat, very streamlined. Zelda's more RPG-heavy than this game.

 

[fernoca]

Just a silly noobish question but how do yiou create a good OT and who creates them? Is it the developers or rndm fans? Can dev teams request them or do they just have to cross their fingers and hope it'll be picked up?

Random fans. Though, the one(s) interested usually ask for it first and then posts it 7 days before release (at least).

Basically, depends on what the thread creator wants to put on it. Could be a concise/direct to the point OT (like this one),. There are OTs that are quite big and take numerous posts, others that are shorter and a few that are more fun/joke.


****

Can't wait to hear more impressions about this in English. So far everything looks quite tight and the multiplayer looks fun.

Though, is there any way of communication online? Text chat?

 

[Oxx]

English accents ftw.

 

[Emitan]

Oh shit this is coming out now? Really want to import this.

*checks wallet*

 

[zeitgeist]

Wow, considering how interested in this game I have been, I really knew nothing about it.

I didn't know about multiplayer or real time combat.

Great post OP!

 

[thefro]

Though, is there any way of communication online? Text chat?

There's a quick-message system where you can pick from lines of dialog from the game and some additional lines for multiplayer. You can go through a menu to select them at any time and assign some of them to button presses.

 

[sammyCYBORG]

I'm really unsure if I'd enjoy this game. It's the battle system which makes me question whether to get it or not. It would be lovely to play a shorter RPG after Xenoblade.

Great OP. Lots of information I had no idea about!

 

[NIN90]

You gain experience ala Call of Duty by competing in multiplayer..

I find it amusing how one gains XP like in CoD. In an RPG.

 

[Oxx]

Slight error on the Australian date, I think.

 

[Ultimadrago]

No offline co-op?



Ah well, I'll still keep track of the thread.

 

[fernoca]

There's a quick-message system where you can pick from lines of dialog from the game and some additional lines for multiplayer. You can go through a menu to select them at any time and assign some of them to button presses.

Well, at least there's something.
Guess if I get this and convince a few friends to do the same; we'll do Skype or MSN or something.

 

[chickdigger802]

Is there dual audio?

 

[nincompoop]

Yep, that's the one thing I forgot to add to the OP initially, but it supports it. Works equally well with that or the Wii Remote/Nunchuk IMHO. No motion controls at all in the game (I wish you could aim your bow with the IR, but you can't).

Gotta wonder WTF they were thinking with that. The aiming looks so slow and clunky in every gameplay video I've seen.

 

[Sadist]

Want!

To bad I can't get it for a while

 

[Boerseun]

I am so very excited for this game! I've been hyping it amongst friends, family and acquaintances for YEARS and now it's finally here! To top it all off, every impression has been exceedingly positive and the whole thing just sounds all the more amazing every bloody time someone has something to write about it. I can't wait! That Limited Edition will be mine!

@thefro: Thanks for the OT!

 

[Acquiescence]

The Last Story |OT| What a story Quark

 

[MicH]

Already preordered the LE and I can't wait to get this!

 

[exhume]

Checking in! Even though I won't be able to buy this game for a while, I'm unemployed ;_;

I posted these in the custom cover art thread but thought I'd drop them here for anyone who wants 'em too.

In anticipation of the EU release of Last Story I've made a couple covers. One is a replication of the Japanese Special Edition, and the other two are concept art from the game. If anyone wants logoless versions or other adjustments just give a holler!

Edit: just wanted to add also that the Australian release date is indeed correct, we get it a day earlier (and at a massive markup). Also, according to EB's website, our multiplayer will link with Europe's.

Now you can battle against or alongside up to five other RPG fans from across Europe using your own customised character from the Single Player game.

 

[NeoRausch]

Limited Edition is preordered...for a looong time. still need to finish xenoblade thought.

 

[Spieler Eins]

The last Wii game I'll buy for now.

Even after Xenoblade, I'm still very much interested in this. Having it played last year at some event though, I'm kinda worried about these scripted events that you have to activate. Perhaps it makes more sense once you play it properly, but some parts reminded me of these searching tasks in Other M, which isn't a good thing. In the intro (I believe) I was walking around cluelessly until someone told me that I had to look up at some brigde and zoom in to continue.

 

[Apenheul]

I've just pre-ordered The Last Story (standard edition). I must admit that I'm not particularly interested in this game, but I just hope NOE keeps localizing games such as Xenoblade and this one for their next systems too.

 

[SchleimanTank]

I just want to say: OP, this is a really good OT. You told me pretty much what I wanted to know about this game, very to the point. Good choices of screens too.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

The last Wii game I'll buy for now.
.

Same PLUS Pandora's Tower.

 

[Franklinator]

This game looks cool, really hoping for a US release. If it isn't announced in the next few months, I guess I'll just import

 

[Keyser Soze]

This game looks cool, really hoping for a western release. If it isn't announced in the next few months, I guess I'll just import

Europe is Western

 

[Franklinator]

I'm dumb

 

[Emitan]

Europe is Western

They're east of the US. That makes Europe eastern, duh. The west is Japan, China, and the rest of Asia.

 

[Extra Sauce]

This game looks amazing except for the awful stretched HUD.

 

[Effect]

Waiting for NA release - will import later this year if not. Have fun my european brethren!

Same. Waiting to see what happen with Xenoblade worked out in the end. However if nothing is said by E3 I'll just import it. By then NoA/GameStop should see how Xenoblade has done to decide if they want to just bring the European release over the way they did Xenoblade.

 

[Tribes of Trusty]

Ooooh that might be my next Wii purchase, after Sakura Wars. Can't wait !

 

[FreeMufasa]

Hype!

Completely forgot this releases next week.