| Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean | |
|---|---|
 North American GameCube box art featuring the protagonist Kalas | |
| Developer(s) | Monolith Soft tri-Crescendo |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Director(s) | Yasuyuki Honne Hiroya Hatsushiba |
| Producer(s) | Tadashi Nomura |
| Artist(s) | Nakaba Higurashi Shinji Noguchi Yasuyuki Honne |
| Writer(s) | Masato Kato |
| Composer(s) | Motoi Sakuraba |
| Platform(s) | GameCube Nintendo Switch Windows |
| Release | GameCube Nintendo Switch
|
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean[a] is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo and published by Namco for the GameCube. In it, the player assume the role of a "guardian spirit" – an unseen player avatar – who guides protagonist Kalas and his party of companions in an adventure across an aerial floating island-based kingdom in the clouds. The game is focused around the concept of "Magnus" – magical cards that capture the "essence" of items found in the in-game world. The concept is used as a plot device, for in-game item management, and as a basis for the card-themed battle system. The game was noted for its unique battle system, which included aspects of turn-based and action-based battle systems, collectible card games, and poker.
Developed specifically for the GameCube due to its lack of JRPGs in its game library, the game was generally well received by critics, but received lukewarm sales. Despite this, a prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins was green-lit and released at the end of the GameCube's lifespan, receiving a similar reception itself. Outside of the cancelled Baten Kaitos DS, no further entries have been announced or released, with the team largely focusing on other projects, like the Xenoblade Chronicles games. In the years following, Monolith Soft staff have mentioned the desire to return to the series should the opportunity ever arise. On February 8, 2023, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was announced and eventually released on the Nintendo Switch on September 15, 2023 and on Steam on June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Baten Kaitos". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
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