Hopefully, not the last Remnant after all.
What They Say:
Last released in 2008, The Last Remnant captured the hearts and minds of gamers with its enthralling story, countless characters and intricate battle system.
Now this classic RPG is back with a Remastered version and is coming to PlayStation 4 with even more beautiful graphics, enhanced via an updated game engine.
The Review:
The Last Remnant Remastered brings this rather unique Square Enix JRPG from the last generation to PS4. There really isn’t any game like this one and so I certainly couldn’t pass up the chance to try it again, especially since I got close last generation but didn’t actually finish it.
The Last Remnant Remastered follows the story of Rush as he attempts to save his little sister from an evil menace that threatens not just him but the entire world. The intimate tale of Rush and his journey is tied directly into a larger story about fellow hero David and his four generals as they try to rule their land and keep it safe. It’s a generally interesting story, filled with plenty of twists and turns.
It’s a pretty straightforward story that is benefited by the fact that it is paced really well. Though it does feature the same old lengthy Square Enix cutscenes as you’d expect, the game doesn’t waste a lot of time before throwing you into the large world. There is your expected tutorial that explains the game’s systems and introduces you to the characters but it is far shorter than most JRPG’s like this one.
Before long, you are given access to new parts of the world to explore and side quests to complete. Exploring the world is done through various dungeons and towns on a world map that you can jump to and check out. Cities themselves are broken up into different sections that you switch between in a menu.
Exploring in The Last Remnant Remastered isn’t the most elaborate or detailed as you would want but it helps that dungeons gradually get larger over time but never feel too long or annoying. For the most part, they accomplish what they set out to do, which is the general feel I got from this remaster.
The resolution has been enhanced, the graphics are a little sharper be it the characters or the environments. But beyond the graphical improvements, there isn’t a whole lot else. There is a turbo mode that you can turn on to speed up battles some but the difference wasn’t as drastic as in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.
In addition, the remaster has some issues that are unique to its own. Perhaps its age or I just never noticed 10 years ago, but the characters are noticeably stiff during cutscenes. Facial animations are minimal at best and lip sync doesn’t always line up correctly.
There is also this weird issue with sound that was, thankfully, able to be fixed. The background music is, by default, way louder than it should be and would easily drown out the voices in battle and in cutscenes. Fortunately, this was easily fixed by adjusting the game volume a bit.
Then there’s the gameplay itself, which remains mostly the same outside of the new turbo mode. This is the real star of The Last Remnant Remastered. Even if you aren’t interested in the standard JRPG story, there’s a lot to love about the game’s combat. Though it is technically turn-based combat, it is complex and more unique than any other turn-based JRPG out there.
For one, you don’t control a single person at a time for the most part. Instead, you are controlling a squad of multiple people at once. Your “party” is, therefore, composed of multiple squads that can make your entire team be in the dozens of characters.
It’s a very odd system but compelling in its own right. Instead of telling a person to use a sword attack or magic spell, you command the entire squad to use standard attacks, magic attacks, skills, or a combination of those. You then see each person do their individual actions followed by enemies in between.
You do have some direct control in the form of quick-time events. When each person uses their ability, there is a chance that a prompt will quickly appear onscreen and you will have to instantly press the correct input. If done correctly, it leads to benefits like fellow squad members acting before enemies and so on.
The Last Remnant Remastered features such deep and rich gameplay due to this impressive battle system. It allows for such deep gameplay even outside of combat. You have so many different soldiers you can recruit, formations you can set up, and items to equip. This is even before mentioning how the squads attack foes can affect morale, which in turn affects damage and so on. If you’ve never played this game or it’s been a long time, we highly recommend you check this remaster out.
In Summary:
The Last Remnant Remastered is a mediocre port of a great JRPG. There are some issues with animations and audio but that shouldn’t stop you from checking out this one of a kind JRPG from Square Enix. With a good story, a nice cast of characters, and one of the coolest turn-based battle systems around, now’s the best time to play through this game for the first time or the first time in a long time.
Grade: C
Released By: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
MSRP: $19.99
Release Date: December 6, 2018
Platform: PS4 (reviewed)
This review was done with a review copy provided by the publisher. We are grateful for their continued support.
