In one of the biggest surprises of the day, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was revealed during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, and it launches this Summer on Switch.
This collection packages together two of Monolith Soft's early RPGs with Nintendo — Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and its prequel Baten Kaitos Origins (called Baten Kaitos II: Beginning of the Wings and the Heir of the Gods in Japan).
This announcement follows rumours of a Baten Kaitos Remake back in January, and while that wasn't entirely accurate, it did at least predict a return for the series. And that's exactly what we're getting here. The games came out on the GameCube in 2003 and 2006 respectively, with the latter only getting a release in Japan and North America. This means us lot in Europe will finally get to play the second game in this turn-based card RPG from the developers of Xenoblade Chronicles.
Here's what publisher Bandai Namco had to share about the rerelease after its reveal:
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.
The initial rumours had us raising our eyebrows a bit, but we were still incredibly excited about the prospect of seeing this series returned — we even wished for an HD remaster of both games (well, this author in particular did). You can thank us a little later for that one.