Summary
- Bandai Namco has released Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster on Steam with updated visuals and quality-of-life improvements.
- The remastered cult classic titles were originally exclusive to Nintendo GameCube but are now available on PC for the first time.
- Players can enjoy New Game+ and New Game- modes in Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster, providing a fresh challenge for fans of the series.
Video game publisher Bandai Namco has shadow-dropped Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster on Steam, and at a temporarily discounted price. Consisting of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Baten Kaitos Origins, the pair of Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo-developed RPGs - bundled together as Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster - were originally released in 2003 and 2006 exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube, are now available on PC for the very first time. Players can again step into the shoes of Kalas and Sagi on their respective journeys to stop the nefarious Alfard Empire.
News of the remastered cult classic titles first broke in February 2023, when the games were revealed to be re-releasing in the form of Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster. In the months following the surprise reveal, there were leaks that the classic GameCube RPGs were headed to PC, but Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster launched in September 2023 for the Switch only. With rumors of the PC version being scant in the interim, it made the chances for it appearing elsewhere slim, with the recent shadow drop catching many fans off-guard.
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Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster obviously features updated and enhanced visuals, including higher resolution textures, environments, and character models, as well as an expanded aspect ratio for modern monitors. According to the game's Steam listing, numerous quality-of-life improvements have also been made, including a refreshed UI with new sorting features, auto-save, and a help menu. Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster also includes New Game+, which allows players to retain their magnus, levels, and ranks, and New Game-, a level-restricted mode for players seeking a serious challenge.
Although the title may be considered iconic within some gamer circles, last year the original game's director revealed that Bandai Namco didn't originally want the Baten Kaitos name, with the publisher giving some initial pushback. In a series of translated tweets, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean director Yasuyuki Honne said he first thought of the name when creating an airship for the first game, which in turn helped inform the naming of other things in the first Baten Kaitos. Upper management apparently protested, but eventually approved the unique name.
Classic JRPG Revivals Continue
While the shadow drop of Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster on Steam is likely to be a shock to many, it isn't the only JRPG of note to be recently released in such a way. A pair of Square Enix JRPGs have shadow dropped on Xbox and PlayStation in the form of Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler 2, coincidentally another fan-favorite and its critically well-received sequel.
With the first Baten Kaitos game considered to be one of the best GameCube RPGs of all time, PC gamers can finally get a chance to dive into the world of Baten Kaitos.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster
- Released
- September 14, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Delve into the world of Baten Kaitos as you strategize with the unique card-based battle system in these two immersive RPG masterpieces. Play as a guardian spirit who guides the colorful cast as they struggle against destiny itself.
A long time ago, there was a great conflict between the evil god and the people. After a fierce battle, the people managed to seal off the evil god, but what was left behind was only a desolate land. The people thus chose to abandon the land and live in the sky.
Such fairy tales were passed down as legends. At this time, people had wings called Wings of the Heart and lived a peaceful life. It was an era of long-lasting tranquility....But the collapse had quietly begun.
When a young man calls your name, the name of the spirit, the story begins to unfold. A story set on a floating continent in the sky, where thoughts and prayers intersect.
Unique Magnus Battle System
In the world of Baten Kaitos, the true essences of all manner of things, including equipment and items, can be extracted and stored inside cards called magnus. A magnus' contents can be released at any time, returning the magna essence sealed inside to its original form.
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
