The Last Remnant

Hey everyone, for my first post and review I'd like to talk about a game I've been playing on and off recently, the Last Remnant.

Square-Enix have bought out yet another linear Japanese style RPG, this time using the Quake engine. Yes, I know Quake is an FPS game, tell Square that.

Square made the horrible mistake of throwing the game out onto the shelves before it was finished. The most prominent issue is the frame rates, or lack of them. As you get into the game you'll find it slowing down mid-battle, and sometimes even pausing. Don't let this get you down though, the game isn't absolutely abysmal, and it has a lot of selling points.

The Last Remnant doesn't really derive from the good old Square-Enix RPG formula, but they haven't broken any new ground since early final fantasy anyway.

The battle system develops well as you get further into the game, at first I found it a little dull, until I got a few hours in, and I started dying. There are many difficult fights, and sometimes you'll be forced to move from the main plot into some side-quests to power up your party.

The fighting is very simple, you input a command turn based style, and your party proceeds to attack. Your spells develop as you use them, and fighting more enemies at one time yields greater rewards. You can recruit many members to your party throughout the course of the game. While they share little plot relevance, you have a nice selection to develop your army.

Finally, I thought I'd paste a little information about the plot without spoiling anything:

Rush Sykes is the prototypical RPG hero, innocently sulky but totally devoted to his sweet sister Irina. When Irina is kidnapped, Rush hurries to liberate her, but unsurprisingly, it's not the most straightforward of rescues. Rather, Rush finds himself caught in a political struggle centered around powerful magical artifacts called remnants. These objects are both the center of society as well as a great curiosity, heavily researched at the Academy by hosts of scientists, including Rush's own parents.

Overall, I'd say the game is definitely worth playing if you can grab it cheap. It's certainly not worth full price, and if you aren't a hardcore RPG player then it's probably not for you. Anyone in love with Square-Enix should also get this game.

A more comprehensive review on the Last Remnant can be found here.

Check out the top 5 PC turn-based RPGs here!