Developer: FromSoftware Publisher: Activision Released: May 28, 2002 Genre: RPG
For most gamers From Software is a name they only became familiar with when Dark Souls released. But they have a long history in the industry, both good and bad. But even their failures (in my opinion) are often interesting. Lost Kingdoms is not one of those thankfully. The GameCube was not an especially strong RPG platform so any new release in the genre came under scrutiny. Erase any memories of tripe like Virtual Hydlide or Beyond the Beyond. This is a solid game that is only held back by its structure.
The black fog has begun sweeping the world but no one knows where it came from. All anyone can infer is that it devours everything in its path, people, monsters, and entire cities. When the black fog reaches the kingdom of Argwyll King Jade ventures alone to discover its source. Unfortunately he never returns, leaving his daughter Katia to continue his quest.
Like many From Software Rpgs the story takes a back seat to the gameplay. You are only given small bits of the plot here and there with the rare NPCs you encounter only guiding you to the next location. The game has no towns and a very small cast of principle characters. It is not until the last third that the game begins to dish it out more frequently and even that is only slight. Luckily the mechanics are strong enough to carry it but it is still disappointing.
Cards form the basis for nearly everything in the world of Lost Kingdoms. They are the game’s sole item; there are no weapons, armor, or any other kind of item. To earn gold you sell cards at the only shop in the game. Not that it is necessary; the game gives you plenty of cards as is. Throughout the quest you will find cards in treasure chests and win a chance at rare cards after defeating bosses. Katia does not earn experience, her cards do. With experience you can copy or transform cards in to more powerful forms. Katia receives a scant few stat upgrades at set points but that is all. In total there are about one hundred cards, offering a large degree of variety.
Deck building is the most important aspect of the game as Katia cannot attack on her own. You are allowed thirty cards in your active deck and cannot switch while in a dungeon outside of deck points or purple fairies. Cards have a large variety of effects. Some summon active monsters that function as a party member until destroyed. Others summon demons for a single attack or effect. Weapon cards perform a single attack and have multiple times as well. Buffs and debuffs are present but the most important are ones that restore health and even cards in battle. In battle a random set of four cards are chosen while new ones shuffle in as they are spent. Using cards costs magic points which are replenished by crystals dropped when enemies are hit. With no MP Katia spends hit points instead which usually means a quick death.
Outside of deck building the battle system is the game’s best aspect. Battles are dynamic and take place on an enclosed portion of the same map. Positioning is key as every attack has a radius. While you are using cards you are also dodging attacks and trying to outmaneuver the enemy. The environment can be a help or hindrance and some are even destructible. Learning the quirks and effects of each card is critical not just to avoid wasting cards but to clearing each dungeon as well. If you use up all thirty cards before the end there is no choice but to restart the dungeon. Any chests collected remain but no one likes to replay the same area twice.
In the same way that the card system makes Lost Kingdoms unique it also inhibits it. Since you are limited to thirty active cards each dungeon is incredibly small. Outside of one or two rudimentary puzzles they are incredibly straightforward. The game is surprisingly short: I beat the game in a little over four hours. There are a few optional areas but they do little to add to the game’s length. Because the game is so brief there is little reason to engage with most of its systems such as transforming cards or even capturing them. The game goes out of its way to give you everything you need in one run. If Lost Kingdoms were longer it could have been special.
Part of what makes the game so short is its easy difficulty. Most battles contain only one or two enemies and rarely three. The pacing of encounters is also great. They happen at set points and are easily avoidable. Since Katia does not earn experience directly sometimes it is better to run anyway. While leveling up your cards is worthwhile it only makes an already accessible game simpler. The only troublesome spots are the boss battles as the chaos and enclosed space make the camera commit suicide. But it is nothing that is not manageable.
In Closing
Lost Kingdoms is a nice compact RPG that is solid overall. The mechanics are sound and while the presentation is nothing special is not offensive. With a little more work it could have been exceptional but is still worth a cheap purchase.
