RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Reviews > Lost Kingdoms
Gameplay:
The story behind Lost Kingdoms is not a terribly original one, nor a particularly deep one, but it suits the game. Princess Katia, arriving at her father's castle in Alanjeh, discovers that her father is missing and a mysterious fog is overcoming the land, bringing monsters with it and leading to the demise of many innocent folk. This is about it, in terms of story - suffice to say Katia decides to track down her father, while also discovering that the Runestone she bears allows her to control beasts trapped within cards. So, she sets off, and while you begin in Alanjeh castle, you will soon navigate your way to other areas by means of a static map, with icons of different areas appearing on it as you progress through the game. Some areas are secret, and can only be reached by either performing certain actions in the main areas, or by being told about them by the Gurd. Gurd, Katia's guide, runs an apothecary, one of the few non-dungeon sections of the game that you get access to... but we'll come to that later.
As you enter each dungeon, working your way through from one end to the other (as is usually the case), you'll find yourself thrust into random battles (or occasionally meet up with tougher boss characters). The screen will blur and the area of the dungeon around you is sectioned off, with a few enemies appearing within it. This is where the cards come in. Before entering a dungeon, Katia can create a deck of up to 30 cards from her entire library, to be used at times like this. The cards in her deck are shuffled, with the four top cards being assigned to the A, B, X and Y buttons. Pressing the corresponding button activates the card, some of which cause creatures to attack directly, others which alter the status of either foes or allies, others which heal Katia, and others still which act independently of Katia, fighting alongside her. The cards, divides into three types (independent, summon, attack) can mostly be used once, aside from most of the attack cards, which can be used as much as five or six times. When a card is used up, it becomes deactivated, unusable until Katia enters another dungeon. While in battle, Katia can also hold R while selecting a card to drop it, which returns the card to the bottom of the deck and brings another one up. Holding L while selecting a card will enable Katia to do a capture throw, using the card up and doing minimal damage to the enemy, if it hits. However, if a capture throw does kill an enemy, that enemy becomes a card for Katia.
The battle system works well enough, and while Katia is free to escape minor battles (at the cost of one card) by running into the edge of the sectioned area, the limited area can still be a big nuisance at times. Sometime Katia will find herself behind objects that she must waste cards to destroy so she can reach the creatures. Even more annoying, she can sometime find herself faced with creature stuck behind objects, or out of reach, forcing her to escape and waste a card. The controls feel a tad slow at times, as well, which sometimes limits Katia from dodging enemy attacks quickly enough. The limited area of battle can worsen this, too.
The other issue lies with the limited number of cards available to her in each dungeon, though this can generally be overcome with a bit of strategy. Placing enough of the right cards in Katia's deck alleviates this problem, as some cards, when used, actually restore some of Katia's other cards. There are points in each dungeon where you can also add any cards to your deck that you have gained since entering the dungeon, a good idea. The other way to regain cards is by finding blue fairies that appear randomly in the dungeons, floating around for a while before disappearing. Touching one will regain some of Katia's HP, restore one used card, or restore all of her magic stones. Speaking of which, Katia begins with a maximum of ten magic stones, which increased as Katia's level increases by killing enemies. Each card requires magic stones to use, and using a card which requires more stones than Katia has will cost her some HP. Again, this adds another layer of strategy to a pretty good card system, and don't worry, you can also pick up magic stones dropped by enemies when you attack them, so you shouldn't run out of stones too often.
You can also catch red fairies, often hidden, in each of the dungeons, which you can take to Alexander's house. He studies the fairies, and will reward you with rare cards if you bring him enough red fairies. While on the topic of cards, you can also visit Gurd's place to buy and sell cards. You can also duplicate cards or upgrade them to stronger cards, though this costs EXP that the cards gain by being in Katia's deck during battle (if a card is used to finish a creature off, it will gain more EXP, otherwise, cards gain EXP from the magic stones collected in battle). You can also hear about other areas Katia can access and get advice on your quest. So there's a fair bit to do.
Aside from what is mentioned above, there is one other problem with the game, and that is the decidedly short quest on offer. It's fairly easy to breeze through the game in about 15 hours, hardly enough to please the most demanding RPG fans. Some people will come back to the game in the interest of collecting all 105 of the cards available (quite clearly the most rewarding part of the game) but many will not be interested enough. There is also a two-player mode, where players can battle creatures against each other, in a style not unlike Pokèmon, but in light of the countless, better multiplayer games out there, this barely warrants a mention.
Graphics:
Lost Kingdoms doesn't really look good or bad, it's just... there. Characters and enemies are moderately well modeled and environments are reasonably detailed. There is a real lack of special effects or flair in the visuals, and the dungeons and areas to explore feel somewhat basic for the most part (though a couple of the more closed-in ones, especially the hidden areas, can be fairly impressive). Draw distance is average. On the upside, the frame rate is quite solid and nothing stands out as particularly bad. On the downside, there is no Progressive Scan support, though this game probably wouldn't look much better for it.
Sound:
Like the graphics, only more so. Music is tolerable but uninteresting (again, though, a couple of the tunes are quite nice). The problem with the music seems to be a lack of any sort of distinct tune, anything hummable or memorable, which also applies to the other aspects of the aural experience, too. Sound effects are scant, offering merely the bare essentials. No voice work at all, aside from a few grunts, cries and yells. No DPLII.
Closing Comments:
Despite its flaws (short quest, occasionally slow controls, limited battle areas, et cetera), I must say I found Lost Kingdoms to be genuinely addictive for a while. The card system in it, is rewardingly deep and has been given a decent treatment, allowing you to buy, sell and upgrade cards, among other things. You can view information on each of Katia's cards from the menu, too, as well as information on each of the creatures the card is based around, making it clear that the card system was given good treatment by From Software. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate to the rest of the game, and the lack of replay value makes this game more of a solid rental than anything. If you see it selling cheap (like I did, picking it up for just $50AU, packaged WITH Bloody Roar), by all means get it if you like your RPGs. Otherwise, turn your attention to the superb airborne RPG, Skies of Arcadia Legends, or Lost Kingdoms' much more polished sequel, Lost Kingdoms II.
Summary:
Presentation
Princess Katia comes with only the bare essentials. Perhaps they should have stamped 'accessories not included' on the back of the game case.
Graphics
Yes, there are graphics...
Sound
Not bad, but almost completely forgettable music is couple with minimal sound effects. The GameCube is capable of much more.
Gameplay
A wonderfully deep card system overshadows the game's many shortcomings - small and fairly linear quest, limited battle system and lack luster multiplayer. Better as a rental.
Lasting Appeal
Virtually no reason to come back once you've seen Katia through to the end. Now, where did I put my copy of Lost Kingdoms II?
My Overall Score 6.1/10 (not an average)
| Game Stats | |
|---|---|
| Genre | RPG |
| Platform | GameCube |
| Format | DVD |
| # of Players | 2 |
| Released Jap | 04.25.2002 |
| Released US | 05.27.2002 |
| Released EU | 08.09.2002 |
| Aprox. Length | 10-15 hrs. |
| Reviewer Rankings | |
| Battle System | 7.0 |
| Gameplay | 6.0 |
| Music | 4.0 |
| Originality | 3.0 |
| Plot | 4.0 |
| Replay Value | 3.0 |
| Sound | 4.0 |
| Visuals | 6.0 |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Overall | |
| 4.6 | |
Lost Kingdoms
By: ActivisionReviewed By: AtomicBlue
You know, it's surprising that Lost Kingdoms, developed by From Software and distributed by Activision, slipped into the GameCube's launch line-up with such a tiny amount of publicity. It's not that the game is part of an established series - instead, this is a maiden voyage for Katia, a new RPG star - but more to do with the sore lack of RPGs on the N64. Now we know that the lack of RPG support on the N64 (barring the truly excellent Paper Mario) didn't drive away all RPG aficionados. Many of them were willing to settle for the goodies in other genres that the N64 had to offer. So, with RPG fans still around, you'd expect more public interest in a GameCube-exclusive title like Lost Kingdoms. Alas, this was not the case, and perhaps that's for the better. It is best noted that anyone looking for a genre-bending masterpiece, or even looking for a particularly diverting GameCube RPG, would be better off looking elsewhere (might I suggest, in the direction of Sega's fantastic Skies of Arcadia Legends). However, those willing to give Lost Kingdoms a chance will find it to be a fairly enjoyable card-RPG romp, with a few qualities that can make it quite addictive.Gameplay:
The story behind Lost Kingdoms is not a terribly original one, nor a particularly deep one, but it suits the game. Princess Katia, arriving at her father's castle in Alanjeh, discovers that her father is missing and a mysterious fog is overcoming the land, bringing monsters with it and leading to the demise of many innocent folk. This is about it, in terms of story - suffice to say Katia decides to track down her father, while also discovering that the Runestone she bears allows her to control beasts trapped within cards. So, she sets off, and while you begin in Alanjeh castle, you will soon navigate your way to other areas by means of a static map, with icons of different areas appearing on it as you progress through the game. Some areas are secret, and can only be reached by either performing certain actions in the main areas, or by being told about them by the Gurd. Gurd, Katia's guide, runs an apothecary, one of the few non-dungeon sections of the game that you get access to... but we'll come to that later.
As you enter each dungeon, working your way through from one end to the other (as is usually the case), you'll find yourself thrust into random battles (or occasionally meet up with tougher boss characters). The screen will blur and the area of the dungeon around you is sectioned off, with a few enemies appearing within it. This is where the cards come in. Before entering a dungeon, Katia can create a deck of up to 30 cards from her entire library, to be used at times like this. The cards in her deck are shuffled, with the four top cards being assigned to the A, B, X and Y buttons. Pressing the corresponding button activates the card, some of which cause creatures to attack directly, others which alter the status of either foes or allies, others which heal Katia, and others still which act independently of Katia, fighting alongside her. The cards, divides into three types (independent, summon, attack) can mostly be used once, aside from most of the attack cards, which can be used as much as five or six times. When a card is used up, it becomes deactivated, unusable until Katia enters another dungeon. While in battle, Katia can also hold R while selecting a card to drop it, which returns the card to the bottom of the deck and brings another one up. Holding L while selecting a card will enable Katia to do a capture throw, using the card up and doing minimal damage to the enemy, if it hits. However, if a capture throw does kill an enemy, that enemy becomes a card for Katia.
The battle system works well enough, and while Katia is free to escape minor battles (at the cost of one card) by running into the edge of the sectioned area, the limited area can still be a big nuisance at times. Sometime Katia will find herself behind objects that she must waste cards to destroy so she can reach the creatures. Even more annoying, she can sometime find herself faced with creature stuck behind objects, or out of reach, forcing her to escape and waste a card. The controls feel a tad slow at times, as well, which sometimes limits Katia from dodging enemy attacks quickly enough. The limited area of battle can worsen this, too.
The other issue lies with the limited number of cards available to her in each dungeon, though this can generally be overcome with a bit of strategy. Placing enough of the right cards in Katia's deck alleviates this problem, as some cards, when used, actually restore some of Katia's other cards. There are points in each dungeon where you can also add any cards to your deck that you have gained since entering the dungeon, a good idea. The other way to regain cards is by finding blue fairies that appear randomly in the dungeons, floating around for a while before disappearing. Touching one will regain some of Katia's HP, restore one used card, or restore all of her magic stones. Speaking of which, Katia begins with a maximum of ten magic stones, which increased as Katia's level increases by killing enemies. Each card requires magic stones to use, and using a card which requires more stones than Katia has will cost her some HP. Again, this adds another layer of strategy to a pretty good card system, and don't worry, you can also pick up magic stones dropped by enemies when you attack them, so you shouldn't run out of stones too often.
You can also catch red fairies, often hidden, in each of the dungeons, which you can take to Alexander's house. He studies the fairies, and will reward you with rare cards if you bring him enough red fairies. While on the topic of cards, you can also visit Gurd's place to buy and sell cards. You can also duplicate cards or upgrade them to stronger cards, though this costs EXP that the cards gain by being in Katia's deck during battle (if a card is used to finish a creature off, it will gain more EXP, otherwise, cards gain EXP from the magic stones collected in battle). You can also hear about other areas Katia can access and get advice on your quest. So there's a fair bit to do.
Aside from what is mentioned above, there is one other problem with the game, and that is the decidedly short quest on offer. It's fairly easy to breeze through the game in about 15 hours, hardly enough to please the most demanding RPG fans. Some people will come back to the game in the interest of collecting all 105 of the cards available (quite clearly the most rewarding part of the game) but many will not be interested enough. There is also a two-player mode, where players can battle creatures against each other, in a style not unlike Pokèmon, but in light of the countless, better multiplayer games out there, this barely warrants a mention.
Graphics:
Lost Kingdoms doesn't really look good or bad, it's just... there. Characters and enemies are moderately well modeled and environments are reasonably detailed. There is a real lack of special effects or flair in the visuals, and the dungeons and areas to explore feel somewhat basic for the most part (though a couple of the more closed-in ones, especially the hidden areas, can be fairly impressive). Draw distance is average. On the upside, the frame rate is quite solid and nothing stands out as particularly bad. On the downside, there is no Progressive Scan support, though this game probably wouldn't look much better for it.
Sound:
Like the graphics, only more so. Music is tolerable but uninteresting (again, though, a couple of the tunes are quite nice). The problem with the music seems to be a lack of any sort of distinct tune, anything hummable or memorable, which also applies to the other aspects of the aural experience, too. Sound effects are scant, offering merely the bare essentials. No voice work at all, aside from a few grunts, cries and yells. No DPLII.
Closing Comments:
Despite its flaws (short quest, occasionally slow controls, limited battle areas, et cetera), I must say I found Lost Kingdoms to be genuinely addictive for a while. The card system in it, is rewardingly deep and has been given a decent treatment, allowing you to buy, sell and upgrade cards, among other things. You can view information on each of Katia's cards from the menu, too, as well as information on each of the creatures the card is based around, making it clear that the card system was given good treatment by From Software. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate to the rest of the game, and the lack of replay value makes this game more of a solid rental than anything. If you see it selling cheap (like I did, picking it up for just $50AU, packaged WITH Bloody Roar), by all means get it if you like your RPGs. Otherwise, turn your attention to the superb airborne RPG, Skies of Arcadia Legends, or Lost Kingdoms' much more polished sequel, Lost Kingdoms II.
Summary:
Presentation
Princess Katia comes with only the bare essentials. Perhaps they should have stamped 'accessories not included' on the back of the game case.
Graphics
Yes, there are graphics...
Sound
Not bad, but almost completely forgettable music is couple with minimal sound effects. The GameCube is capable of much more.
Gameplay
A wonderfully deep card system overshadows the game's many shortcomings - small and fairly linear quest, limited battle system and lack luster multiplayer. Better as a rental.
Lasting Appeal
Virtually no reason to come back once you've seen Katia through to the end. Now, where did I put my copy of Lost Kingdoms II?
My Overall Score 6.1/10 (not an average)
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