20. Mirania
Mirania is a mysterious mage who specialises in healing magic. No one knows where she came from, or where she grew up. What is known, however, is that she is a kind and gentle soul, be she addressing man, woman, child or animal, and she has a great love for all things to do with nature.
Mirania is infamous for her ravenous appetite; for such a small person, she sure can pack away a lot of food!
19. The Gathering & Gale
Every party member in The Last Story has their own skill set and moves that none of the others can learn. There is a blue bar underneath each character’s HP bar which is split into quarters. Filling one of these quarters allows the character to use one of their techniques.
Two of Zael’s abilities, Gale and the Gathering are used so often in combat that we will be covering them here. Gale can be utilised in dealing damage to a group of enemies and, crucially, dispelling magic circles for additional effects. This will be discussed in more detail in a later tidbit.
The Gathering is arguably the most important ability in the game, and it has multiple effects. First and foremost, activating the Gathering will cause every enemy in the vicinity to target Zael. Not only is this very useful for keeping enemies away from mages in the middle of casting a spell, but any spells being cast by a mage will get cast at twice the speed while the Gathering is active. Attacking any enemy while the Gathering is active will restore a little of Zael’s health. Unfortunately, if Zael gets knocked down by a major attack while the Gathering is activated, it will dissipate.
18. Count Arganan
Count Arganan is the current ruler of Lazulis Island. His employment of Dagran’s mercenary group is what brought them to the island. He came into power after the death of Calista’s parents, and keeps her locked away in his castle, forbidden ever to leave. During his reign the power and influence of the island has increased significantly; proof of his prowess as a cunning leader.
17. General Asthar & Therius
General Asthar arrives on Lazulis Island early in the game to much fanfare, his apprentice Therius in tow. General Asthar is famous across the entire continent for his prowess as a knight, and Therius is well-suited to following in his footsteps. Asthar’s arrival on Lazulis Island is proof of the growth in status that Count Arganan has brought to his domain.
Asthar is a mighty man who commands the attention of every person in the room when he enters it. He is a kind and noble soul off the battlefield, but a terror to face on it. Therius is a skilled but arrogant warrior who sneers down at the mercenaries when he first meets them. Asthar is constantly trying to teach Therius to treat them all with respect.
16. Zangurak
…
Zangurak.
Zangurak is the primary antagonist in The Last Story. He’s the leader of the Gurak race of humanoid creatures who, in the past, continually harassed the people of Lazulis Island. Their attack on Lazulis City is the first in a century.
He was the first of his kind to unite all the Gurak tribes under one banner. Although he harbours a great love for his own people, he loathes the human race and will do all that he can to wipe them out.
15. Bosses
Regular fights in The Last Story are not that difficult. Boss battles, on the other hand, are much harder, and there is often a specific strategy required to take them down. But the game doesn’t leave you entirely in the dark; Zael can examine enemies to determine their weak spots, and the rest of the party is generally yelling and telling Zael what needs to be done next.
The Last Story also features a life system, giving you five attempts to get through a fight. Lose all five though, and it’s standard JRPG fare: Back to the title screen you go!
14. Quests
There are many quests to be found around Lazulis City. Some are simply requests for some items which may or may not be easy to get, while others are more complex and require the mercenaries to take down a major enemy. Quests are difficult to find, as there is no real way of knowing when someone has a quest for you, or even where any quest givers are located. Sometimes approaching them will cause them to say something, or talking to someone will point you towards a troubled individual. Otherwise, search high and low for every quest.
13. Arena
The arena is a large building within Lazulis City that is excellent for training and difficult to miss. There are three different stages that can be fought in the arena, and no more than four party members can enter at any one time. Cleared stages can be reattempted as many times as you like, but remember that the enemies in each stage will get stronger with each subsequent victory.
The arena is a good source of cash, and, later, rare items, so it’s well worth your time to go and take a good look.
12. Hardware
The Last Story uses a dual-layer disc, which means the disc is capable of storing more data than a regular disc. Other games with dual-layer discs include Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Metroid: Other M, Sakura Wars: So Long My Love and Xenoblade Chronicles. Some of the original Wii consoles are known to have issues reading dual-layer discs, but it should be fine if it can play any of the aforementioned games.
The Last Story can be played with either a Classic Controller or with the Wiimote and Nunchuck combination. The game also comes with auto-attack on; be sure to switch it off in the menu as soon as you start playing, as manual attacking will make your game so much less frustrating!
11. Zael’s Crossbow
Zael’s crossbow is indispensible in battle. No other member of the party is able to use one. There are many different types of arrows, all of which are better used in certain situations. Wizard Slayers are best against mages, while Burst Arrows are excellent for blowing things up; the latter make a great alternative to collapsing bridges and other features of the terrain if you don’t want to use one of your magic users.
There are only a handful of crossbow types available for use and they need their own special item in order to be upgraded. Don’t ever forget about Zael’s crossbow; I cannot stress enough how useful it can be in a tight battle!
