Baten Kaitos review:5 stars (Very good, few problems) - This is a wonderful game, unlike many games I've played in the past it has good replay value, an absolutely amazing battle system and great visuals and sound. The perspective you play from is unique, as the main character's guardian spirit, allowing you to make desicions that will change your relationship with Kalas, the main character. When I first heard that the game was card-based, I thought that the game would be a copy of Yu-Gi-Oh with a whole bunch of rules and special rules that would only allow you to play a certain defensive aura card in the third row from the bottom and would only affect magic- fairy type monsters, but it isn't like that at all. The battle system is incredible, and the cards work like this: You tkae out the card you want to use, called a Magnus, then you release the essence of the item that was trapped in the card, and the essence materializes in your hand as a weapon, so you aren't attacking with the card, you're using an actual weapon. Another really fun part of the game is the spirit numbers. Each card hes spirit numbers on it, and you try to string the numbers into certain combos, like straights, pairs and three of a kind. All the cards also have to be used in the pairs, so you cant play down cards with the spirit numbers 2,2, and 5 and get a pair, it has to be 2,2,2 or 2,3,4 etc. The voice acting, however, is terrible. The only good voice acting is done by Mizuti, who is actually really fun to listen to, but otherwise the voicezs are terrible. The kids are especially terrible, each of them sounding like theyre about 5 years old. The music is good and the graphics are absolutely stunning, especially in Mira, city of illusions. When you go into a building where they make pastries and other goodies, you see chocolate flowing down walls, and in Komo Mai, city of flowers, you can see garlands hanging across the screen and watch the wind gently ruffle the flowers. Aside from the voice acting, this game is amazing, a defenite must-buy for any RPG fan.4 stars (Very, Very Good Game) - Baten Kaitos (named after the center star in the Cetus (A.K.A. the Whale) constallation) is a definite buy. True, it does not have the same greatness that was Tales of Symphonia (another Namco game), yet it does bring a very, very good game.The story I found to be somewhat lacking. Overall it was very interesting, yet I found that it could've been a bit more in-depth. Yet it still was definatly well done. The battle system is the gem in this game. The story is very, very good, but the battle system was the most well done thing in this game. I've been playing RPGs for 13 years, and this is the best battle system I've ever played with. It's so interesting and fun. I played for hours just leveling up because the battle system was so much fun to use.The music was very well done. It went very well with the game. However, the voices were absoloutly lacking. The voice acting done by the main characters was quite good, but everyone else talked too slow and without almost any emotion. But overally, it didn't really effect the game that much, so it's a minor problem.Overall, I give this game a 8.0 out of 10. There were no cutscenes (only the intro which was absoloutly AMAZING), only in-game cutscenes, which really was annoying. But overall, a very good game, and I definatly reccomend it.It's one of the best games I've ever played.3 stars (Only the hardcore need apply) - The Gamecube has had a serious lack of RPG's. Even the ones that are RPG's don't even get recognized. FF: Crystal Chronicles is a really fun game but having multiplayer being the best option it's a rather tedious way to play. Tales of Symphonia is ok but the battles do get annoying. And that voice acting, ugh. Paper Mario 2 is one of the better ones. With Baten Kaitos, it's one of those that just comes up short of being awesome. Really short.

Story: You are actually a guardian spirit but you control Kalas, who is interested in figuring out who killed his father and brother. He gets caught up in saving the world from a monster who wants to awaken another monster and rule the world. Standard RPG fare no?

Graphics: Absolutely.Stunning. Seriously, this is the best looking game since Crystal Chronicles or the Metroid games. The games are just so vivid and colorful that even inane looking places still look detailed.

Sound/Music: There's gonna be a pattern here. Story bad, graphics good so this area is bad. The music is great with the Pherkad music being stunning. But the voice acting is just horrible. Flat, wooden delivery and overacted at the same time too.

Gameplay: This isn't the good category but it's not bad. Basically your battle system is a card system, like Yu-Gi-Oh! or Phantasy Star Card Revolution. Every turn you have the option to pick an attack, defense or magic and other cards for your turns. Probably is they're random so you can get stuck looking for something really quickly. Also be prepared for a LOT of leveling up has enemies can come out of nowhere and demolish you.

If you're curious about the game, give it a rent but I really recommend try to see if you're into it.
Baten Kaitos Features:
Video Games
PS2 (PSX2)
Sony Playstation (Play station) 2
Playstation2 (Play station2)
Role Playing Games (rpg, rpgs)
Strategy (Strategic)
Gamecube (Game Cube, Game-cube)
Card-type role-playing game
Guide Kalas and Xelha on a quest to reveal the mystery of the lost sea
Magnus card system capture the essence of items, weapons, and spells and even affect the passage of time within the game
More than 1000 Magnus cards provide a near infinite combination of attacks and spell effects
For 1 player

Baten Kaitos is the Video Game version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 20.98USD.