Since magnus is the essence of pretty much anything, quest magnus can even contain intangibles such as fun and exhaustion. Pretty much anything can be stored as magnus-those used outside of battle are stored in blank magnus cards called quest magnus. The player may also use a turn to discard multiple magnus or pass. Cards without a number, such as healing items, must be used alone. The more extravagant the attack, the more time a character will also need to recover before his next turn. Long combos charge the party's magnus power more quickly, which is spent on special techniques and certain items. If a character uses at least one special attack during his turn, the player may continue the combo chain using the next ready character by starting with a 1 card. Card types 1 through 3 are generic attacks (weak, medium strong), and 4 and above are special techniques. Type 0 cards are usually equipment (weapon, armor or accessory), and a character may only equip one at a time. During a character's turn, cards are played from low to high, and no number may be used twice. The party now shares a single deck and hand, and many cards may be used by all characters.
For BKO, Monolith Software and tri-Crescendo wisely distilled the "magnus" of these gameplay elements into something far more approachable. While the battle system's difficulty was ultimately rewarding, the cards' random nature often caused grief. During battles in the original, players had to avoid clashing elements, construct poker hands for bonuses, actively block enemy attacks, and combine magnus to make new cards. Those same veterans will also be caught off guard by the prequel's revamped battle system. Those new to the world will more fully enjoy the world's crazier moments, since the game reuses many of Baten Kaitos' settings, although players familiar with Baten Kaitos will also enjoy revisiting the earlier era and its inhabitants. For example, people ride on a living, breathing shark ship to commute among continents. The world is largely presented through pre-rendered, animated backgrounds and contains its fair share of outlandish locales and critters.
Humans here also have "wings of the heart," somewhat vestigial appendages that reflect the power and kindness of one's heart. magnus) of anything from swords to smoke. Magnus cards, a staple tool for this world, can store the essence (a.k.a. In the world of Baten Kaitos, humans are largely confined to a handful of self-governing islands floating above the clouds. Baten Kaitos Origins admirably retains its predecessor's spirit while mending some of its faults, providing an engaging and lengthy adventure.īaten Kaitos Origins takes place in the same world as Baten Kaitos, roughly 60 years before the first game's events. It had its setbacks, though-the battle system was too complex and its clever item combinations proved troublesome. Monolith Software and tri-Crescendo's card-based RPG presented a fresh and challenging battle system and an above-average story. In the emerging world of Final Fantasy spin-offs and Mega Man Battle Network parades, RPG fans found an abode of originality in 2003's Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean.