Today, I'm going to rant about the game series, Baten Kaitos. More specifically, I'm going to rant about how understated it is.

I found Baten Kaitos completely by accident. I was watching a DVD of game trailers that I got free with a magazine, and clicked the wrong link. I immediately found myself watching something that would change my life.

The trailer was outstanding. Full 3D, interesting plot, great characters, and the music was amazing. The story of Baten Kaitos revolves around islands floating in the sky. It's been done before, I know, but I like that sort of thing. Anyway, I watching, and it was going through a sort of animated book, telling you the backstory. Then, suddenly, with a crescendo of brass and strings, the camera was soaring through the sunset sky, rotating around the main character, Kalas. As he narrates, a mechanical wing unfolds from behind his cloak, followed by a large, birdlike wing on his other side. It's such a cool image, with gears and metal bones all sliding apart and forming a wing. Then he runs forwards and dives into the clouds.

I won't describe the rest of the trailer in detail, but let's just say I watched it twice in slow motion, and then rushed to make a Bionicle version of the mecha wing ('Winglet'). Needless to say, I failed. I don't think it's possible to make one that can fold up, and still looks good. I'll keep trying to make one though.

The plot of Baten Kaitos is incredible. I'm not going to spoil it, but it has everything you could think of - power, deceit, love, corruption - everything. It's a massive game, and halfway through, there's a gigantic twist in the story that was so unexpected, but worked so well.

Now, here's the ranting part. Practically everyone seems to understate just how amazing Baten Kaitos is.

For a start, the graphics. The 3D character models are rubbish. I will not disagree with anyone there. The animation is awful, and the voice acting is terrible. But the artwork...all the locations use prerendered backgrounds, and they'll all works of art. Seriously, you have to see them to believe them. Yet nobody seems to appreciate just how amazing they are - giant castles, wreathed in swirling mists and glowing in the sun; deep forests, glittering with insects; dark, deathly labyrinths, full of gloom and shadows. And people say the graphics are awful? Anything but. The backgrounds far outweigh the characters.

Now, the plot. 'It's all been done before', people say. 'It was boring and predictable'. No it wasn't. Nobody could possibly predict the huge twist. Nobody. 'The characters were rubbish'. Nope - their backstories are all inter-connected, and so interesting, whoever came up with them all was a genious.

Sound. The voice acting and sound effects are awful - but people say that about the music too. I was defend the composer, Motoi Sakuraba, to the death if I need to. The music is stunning: Quiet, calm flute melodies; intense, epic brass pieces; fast-paced battle tunes that guarantee to make you tap along to the beat; haunting choral works that chill the blood. Everything is here. It is, simply, the best soundtrack I've ever heard. Yet people say it's not good? Silly people.

This series inspired me like nothing else; I went on to write two fantasy novels based on the same concepts of life and death, and I've made 65 movies using the music. Yet people say Baten Kaitos is no good.

I say, buy it or rent it now - exclusively on Nintendo Gamecube and Wii.

-Aero-