Baten Kaitos: I & II HD Remaster announced for Nintendo Switch
Baten Kaitos seemed destined to live forever in the distant shadow of Monolith Soft's other, more successful series - Xenoblade Chronicles. When recent rumors popped up that the beloved cult-classic duology would receive an updated port for Switch, many of us were hopeful.
Today's Direct confirmed the good news: 2003 GameCube RPG Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean - as well as its excellent 2006 prequel Baten Kaitos Origins - are getting a new lease on life with Baten Kaitos I & II: HD Remaster. It is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch this Summer.
Here's what's in store for fans new and old per Bandai Namco's overview:
Players will have the opportunity to discover or rediscover the emotional journeys of the Baten Kaitos series, which features distinct card-based RPG systems that allow for split-second decisions that edges participants closer to victory. Players will take the role of a Guardian Spirit and guide each game’s protagonist and their companions through their journey.
- Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean tells the story of Kalas who, while seeking revenge for the death of his brother and grandfather, meets Xelha as both embark on a journey to defeat the Alfard Empire.
- Baten Kaitos Origins takes place 20 years before the events of the first game. The story involves Sagi, a spiriter that has a connection with Guardian Spirits who is part of the Dark Service, an elite unit of the Alfard Empire. Sagi sets on a journey to clear his name after being framed, and to unveil the empire’s secrets.
Notably, this will mark the first time Baten Kaitos Origins is ever released in Europe. That game, highly praised for its considerably crisper localization courtesy of then-nascent localization company 8-4, is often heralded as the better entry.
That said, as of right now it appears - according to a Bandai NAcmo Q&A - that Baten Kaitos: I & II HD Remaster will feature Japanese voice acting only. A mixed blessing, given the infamous quality of the first game's voice work, although it contrasts starkly with the more celebrated quality of Origins' English voicework.
The Q&A also reveals that the remaster will include a new encounter on/off toggle, as well as auto-battle, auto-save, and skip cutscene functionality.
