A piece of advice to all writers of strategy guides: always include a map of the Overworld, if there is one. They may not seem as necessary as maps for individual levels, but they are as needed as appendices of items and accessories. My current example of this omission is the Lost Odyssey guide. I have a feeling that the developers did not include one because players do not utilize the Overworld like they would in say a Final Fantasy game. The Overworld is presented similarly to the space-like Overworld of Kingdom Hearts, except that it is not as connect-the-dots as Kingdom Hearts.
Let me try to clarify that. The Overworld in Kingdom Hearts depicts each world that Sora and crew can visit, but each world is connected by a line of travel. In addition, there is nothing else surrounding the world, as each world exists in space. Neverland is most obviously its own entity as is Hollow Bastion. Therefore, when the guide suggests to visit Hollow Bastion, there is no doubt where Hollow Bastion is. It’s not the world on the coast or near the mountains. It’s out there on its own.
Lost Odyssey’s Overworld attempts to implement this same style of Overworld, except that the areas to visit are one continental map, like Final Fantasy. So Kaim and Company can’t roam all over the countryside like Final Fantasy partymembers would, but players can select each area to visit like they would in Kingdom Hearts.
However, if players haven’t found the area before, they must roam the seas and attempt to find the next region of play. It’s at these moments that an Overworld map would be greatly appreciated in a guide, especially when the guide says to find the inner lake just north of Ipsilon. While it’s true you can bring up the Overworld map listing all the found areas during voyages, an Overworld map in a guide would just be a nice extra addition for ease. Isn’t that pretty much one of the main purposes of having a guide? Ease?
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