JRPGs in 2010: The Last Story

With FFXIII coming and going, it's only natural to think ahead to what JRPGs are on the horizon for the rest of 2010. It seems the Wii will be playing more of a part in our lives this year, and Jim sterling has provided good food for thought with a positive Wii article a few weeks ago laying out what we can expect from the Nintendo machine in the coming months. Most encouraging from said article is his conclusion that 'a number of Japanese developers are starting to recognize some potential for the Wii to become a PS2-like mecca of JRPG experiences'. It does seem we'll be trading HD environments for a more traditional open-world, questing experience but I don't think this would put any fans off. In fact it'll bring many deserters back to the fold. No fan of art and story would shun a larger catalogue of JRPGs based on the fact they didn't all look like the uber-mega-blu-ray edition of Lord of the Rings. Things can be beautiful without being high-def.

Of the three titles mentioned for the Wii this year (Arc Rise Fantasia, Xenoblades and The Last Story) the eye is immediately drawn to Nintendo/Mistwalker's The Last Story's artwork.


Looks a little like Final Fantasy with a hint of Fable, yes? Details are a little slim and the official website is in Japanese ( and flash, which renders auto-translators helpless) but fortunately some people can translate. I sure hope this person can translate otherwise I'm bringing you his LIES. I'm sure its fine:

'- characters from last night's art update [below] are the main character and heroine
- "There is a wall between the two," says the director, meaning that something is keeping these two apart
- expect multiple stories in the game, including
* The fear of speaking your true feelings
* The mystery of the father who went missing on boat
* The difficulty a leader has in making decisions
* The close accomplice who's turned to evil
* The foolish archaeologist's prison break'

This ticks all the classic boxes as you'd expect, and any game that claims to incorporate 'the fear of speaking your true feelings' sounds like it has depth and has my interest .


If The Last Story turns out to be anywhere near as good as Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey I'm going to have to get a Wii. I can't manage my time as it is, so a third console is definitely what I need. Hopefully we'll have some trailers soon.

There are some JRPG titles out this year for those other 2 consoles- you know the ones, but to prevent this piece spiralling out of control they'll have to wait for a separate post.