Lost Kingdoms Review
Lost Kingdoms is the first true RPG for the GameCube. Known as “Rune” in Japan, It brings out what role playing fans expected from the game, but the lastability just doesn’t cut it. Read on for more…
Simply put, Lost Kingdoms just isn’t fun to play. It is excusable for an RPG, although it does get extremely boring. You can be doing the same thing over and over again..for a long period of time. I can’t find any room for fun to squeeze in. I always thought all Activision games were entertaining, until i turned on this one. The rumble feature comes in handy once again, making you feel like you’re experiencing the fight between the blood hurdling creatures and yourself. You basically just maneuver the Control Stick and press “A” during your regular adventure, but during a fight it changes. “A, B, X, and Y” are used to choose different cards for battle. “Z” gets you another card from your deck. The game doesn’t have much use for the shoulder buttons or the C-Stick however.
The storyline goes as follows. This dark, mysterious force has invaded the Five Kingdoms of Argwyll, eradiciatingentire cities and their inhabitants as it spreads rapidlyfrom village to village. The only kingdom it hasn’t touched is the Kingdom of Alanjeh. And, boy, what a coincidence, that happens to be the kingdom that the Princess of Alanjeh rules. You take the role as the princess and fight your way through all the madness. Kind of a bland storyline, if you ask me. There is a boss at the end of each area, no surprise there. It is usually a bigger, more powerful monster than the previous in the level, although it even brings along a few sidekicks. You, the princess, must save the entire kingdom from this horrible mess. LK is really a mixed bag of cashews gameplay wise.
Features of the game:
- Real Time Action RPG - Collect and power up morethan 100 guardian Creature Cards.
- One of the first RPG’s for the Nintendo GameCube.
- Immersive RPG Adventure - Explore more than two-dozen worlds filled with graveyards, mountains, forests, and more.
- Two Player Mode lets you play a one-on-one battle with your friends (and foes!).
The sound fits the game like a glove. With mostly soft, slow, beautifully orchestrated tunes that an easily catch any gamer’s ear. The music is really the high point of this game. It can really convince you to just leave the title screen on for 5 minutes, just listening to the background theme. On sound effects, the “sparkle” and “charm” of each button prssing is lovely indeed, and truly captures each moment. You can even hear the panting breath of the princess as she embarks on her epic quest. Swords clanging, monsters roaring, and intense backgrounds. Sometimes I wish they would release CD soundtracks for games, but oh well.
Graphics, on the other hand, aren’t the best in gaming, but they’ll do. They are very choppy at times, and the characters facial expressions need some work. Backgrounds have nice textures, and the layout of rocks and other debree works well. Every wall that is destroyed is excellently carved to a brilliant shape. The monsters’ do take advantage of the enhanced GameCube graphics, they look absolutely superb! Couldn’t live without 128 bit, that’s for sure. Sometimes you can be in awe of them, sometimes you feel like throwing your Wave Bird at your TV in disgust. Visuals overall are 50/50.
Enough said. This game is boring. It’s just not fun to play. Walking around in circles for a half-hour straight looking for a special item makes the game’s replay value disappointing. Two player mode helps a lot. It’s fun for a while, but it just doesn’t last. Some people can’t even get through this game once without giving up. Not because it’s difficult, but because you’d have much more fun playing Super Smash Brothers: Melee or Super Monkey Ball. Lost Kingdoms is a decent rental, but definitely not a buy.
Visuals: 6.5
Sound: 10
Originality: 7
Replay: 3
Overall: 6