Just wanted to blog about this dungeon in Lost Odyssey - the Temple of Enlightenment. It's an optional area that isn't required to beat the game (but it will give you a small background on Mack's newly-found spirit magic powers).
It's a very challenging dungeon. The design of it is very interesting because it feels 'three dimensional'; it's not a simple matter of going north, south, east and west; it also has pathways that go up and down, and that adds to the confusion. The pathways also change depending on how you move certain switches in the game, so it's very, very easy to get lost. Couple that with large mobs of very high level monsters that will attack you at any given opportunity....it's quite a challenge, folks.
As for the boss in the dungeon, he put up a good fight, but because of all the leveling you'll get from playing in this area, it wasn't too difficult. The boss also has a cool spell that I wish I could equip on my party...the 'Halberd of the Heavens' (something along those lines; i forgot the exact name....but it's really, really cool)
It's a very challenging dungeon. The design of it is very interesting because it feels 'three dimensional'; it's not a simple matter of going north, south, east and west; it also has pathways that go up and down, and that adds to the confusion. The pathways also change depending on how you move certain switches in the game, so it's very, very easy to get lost. Couple that with large mobs of very high level monsters that will attack you at any given opportunity....it's quite a challenge, folks.
As for the boss in the dungeon, he put up a good fight, but because of all the leveling you'll get from playing in this area, it wasn't too difficult. The boss also has a cool spell that I wish I could equip on my party...the 'Halberd of the Heavens' (something along those lines; i forgot the exact name....but it's really, really cool)
Just a tip for other players in this area....when you first arrive here, face the high level monsters and give your characters some muscles. But when you've grown a bit weary of fighting so many enemies, don't forget that you already have the 'Turn tail' skill by this point in the game. This skill is very useful if you don't want to lose your bearings/don't want to get lost in the confusing pathways of the Temple of Enlightenment. Once you're satisfied with your characters' levels, use 'turn-tail' to escape your enemies instantly and continue exploring the temple.
These kinds of optional, high level areas should be part of every kind of RPG, not just JRPGs but even WRPGs like Mass Effect or Oblivion--a dungeon which really requires your high-level skills and a bit more effort than the areas for the main quest. I liked how this area adds even more gameplay to an already massive JRPG.
Gameplay time is now at 88 hours, with characters crossing level 70+; Kaim already has over 9999 HP thanks to the Gigantes Brooch accessory! Still, so many achievements not yet unlocked; I don't know if I ever will get all of them. But I do want to face 'The Immortal', the boss of the Backyard battles.