Best Games Ever: Baten Kaitos
It’s only fitting that I start this column with Baten Kaitos, since I started the ol’ game reviews with it back in the day. Baten Kaitos is (as is its prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins) an RPG with an unconventional card-based battle system. It was unfairly criticised by some major game sites (no points for guessing which one that’s a euphemism for) for being "too hard," which makes no sense to me. I mean, it’s not a very hard game; I get the idea that modern RPGs are supposed to be exercises in finding the "fight" command enough times to get to the next cutscene, but even by that standard, it’s not too hard. I’ve played hard games, and this isn’t on the same level. It was also criticised for having "too much gameplay" and I won’t even give that the benefit of pretending to understand it.
What sets the Baten Kaitos games apart from other RPGs? The battle system is fast-paced and exciting, and rewards quick reflexes and quick thinking in a way that few RPGs do, while at the same time not seeming "gimicky" or like you’re being forced to play endless tiresome minigames. It’s also paced correctly; both games start you out slowly enough that you’ll have plenty of time to adjust to the odd mechanics before they get difficult, and gradually ramp up the number of choices you have to make and the speed with which you have to do it. The typical battle in the endgame involves trying to play a large series of cards in the optimal fashion so you can to maximum damage (or healing) while at the same time attempting to leave yourself in a good position for the next turn. Foresight is an excellent ability to have to these games.
It’s also worth noting that the two games play completely differently, despite superficial similarities, but they both manage the same type of fast-paced and engaging combat. That’s a refreshing sight in an RPG these days, since combat that’s interesting in a non-spreadsheet-related way is a rarity.
