The Last Remnant (Xbox 360, 2008)

The last remnant is one of those game that really tries to be great and falls just short of its mark. While the idea behind the game is great some flaws take away a little too much from the game to where it feels like they rushed this game out. Here are some good points and bad points that I've noticed while playing.

Story?
It's thin, very very thin. I'm hoping it'll get better since I haven't yet finished the game but insofar you get tidbits and lots of loose ends that just hang out there. Information is obtained out of thin air and the plot moves sluggishly. The character voice overs are done well but the dialogue is stretched almost to breaking point with awkward silences between sentences like "OK".

Graphics
Beautiful. The artwork in this game is stunning and full. Unfortunately the engine can't keep up and so after loads or area transitions details take up to 5 seconds to fill in which gives the feeling of being a little buggy. Character artwork is also beautiful and well drawn.

Mechanics
Characters mouths move when dialogue is being written on the screen, not too big a deal but it is noticeable. Beyond that the mechanics work well. I've had no trouble becoming accustomed to the buttons and the battle system is very easy to get the hang of. Already it feels like second nature.

Battle system
Besides slow transitions between attacks which can be attributed to the same engine flaw that hurts the graphics the battle system is indeed unique and adds a lot to the game. You have teams of units that you can put together yourself and attack different groups of enemies at once making you feel like a general on a battlefield. The critical strike timers jump on you out of the blue but once you learn to notice them are very lenient. Union status during battle is confusing at first but due to the constant tips during loading screens they are memorized easily.

Other Highlights
The ability to save anywhere is a huge plus, your entire team fully recovers after each battle so my recommendation would be to save after every battle in case you're overwhelmed accidentally.

Overall the Last Remnant feels good during battles but it feels like that's what the game was made for. Besides the battle system the other components feel thrown together so that the game could be released. I'll definitely finish the game but in terms of repeatability... well with two discs of material I don't think I could take the story more than once.