2D is probably the final bastion for artistic expression in the videogame world. This is because of the Uncanny Valley, and it's a problem we'll probably have to deal with for quite a long time. Because of this, 2D will thrive. That said, Odin Sphere is probably one of the prettiest games I have EVER laid my eyes on.
============================
The game starts out in a room on someone's attic. A girl and her black cat enters the room, and the girl proceeds to read a book she found lying on the ground. This serves as the central hub of the game and enforces what the game is trying to pull off with its visuals: A playable story book. Each book contains the adventures of a character in the game's universe (loosely based on Norse mythology). The story may not make sense when you're playing with the first character, but everything will start to make sense once you get to play through the other characters. The story is basically about five people entrenched within a series of events that would somehow lead to the end of the world.
As mentioned above, there are five characters, each with his or her own special abilities. Gwendolyn [http://ui21.gamespot.com/1428/odinsphere10_2.jpg], the daughter of Odin, can block using her shield and glide. Cornelius [http://ui19.gamespot.com/658/odinsphere9_2.jpg], a prince, can double jump. Mercedes [http://ui05.gamespot.com/1860/odinsphere11_2.jpg], a Fairy Princess can fly around and shoot stuff with her magical crossbow. Oswald [http://ui26.gamespot.com/1465/odinsphere12_2.jpg], the token Dark Knight, can enter into a sort-of-berserk state, increasing his speed and damage. And lastly, we have Velvet [http://ui24.gamespot.com/215/odinsphere13_2.jpg], seemingly the only girl who knows what's going on, who can swing around the levels a la Spider Man.
The game uses many layers in parallax, which provides a great sense of depth. Not to mention that the sprites are quite detailed and feature a lot of different animations. This is a game that looks good in screenshots and looks even better in motion. That said, however the PS2's hardware is more suited to rendering 3D, which causes the game to chug a lot during some of the most hectic scenes (the fights with a certain Queen of the Underworld, in particular), though not to the extent that it becomes game-breaking.
The game has an overworld map where you can see each area that you may visit. Each area contains several circular "stages" you must progress through until you get to the boss. Each area contains a set number of enemies you must kill. Depending on some variables, you will be graded after each stage, which determines the kinds of rewards you will get.
Odin Sphere is not your typical RPG. It plays out like a 2D beat 'em up of the old days. However, you get a power meter (ingeniously named 'POW') here. This meter determines the amount of attacks you can pull off. Your character will be put on a daze if it gets emptied and you will not be able to move or attack to defend yourself. It fills up on its own and when you absorb "phozons". These phozons act as your Weapon Experience, POW refillers, and magic attack counter. Magic attacks are unique for each character and has their own uses depending on the situation. The POW meter gets a little bit of breaking in, because it encourages you to be careful with what you do and not just attack relentlessly. There is also this control issue with Gwendolyn: Press Square to attack, hold Square to block. This is a very bad decision on the developer's part, especially since you can't edit your controls.
Food also plays an additional role. In addition to healing you, it also gives "Food Exp", which fills up a meter that increases your HP if it gets topped out. Food items can be eaten on their own or saved up for later when you visit the restaurant. You pick up various recipes during the course of the game and it's in the restaurants where you can make them. Find the appropriate ingredients, then go to the restaurant to cook the recipe for you.
An item crafting system is also in place. You gain phozons for every successful item crafted. This encourages you to make judicious use of crafting, because not only are items expensive, you also get additional Weapon experience. There is another flaw here, in the form of your inventory. Your inventory is composed of different bags, with each bag a radial menu. If you want to keep your items organized, prepare to do some serious inventory management.
Another flaw is the Currency System. The game's currency is divided into different coins of different value. While this does not seem terrible at first, the recipes require you to use a specific coin to obtain the recipe. This poses a problem in the early going, but once you find out where to farm for the right coins, this problem can be overlooked.
The controls need to get used to. A lot of enemies use a "Jump Crush" attack for massive damage, and it's hard to tell when your attack can interrupt an enemy's or not. However, with enough playthroughs, you will start to play the game as intended (using crafting, evading instead of guarding, not attacking carelessly, etc.) and you'll find the difficulty not so steep anymore. That, and you'll probably have to sit through some long loading screens. The game also features great music and a dual audio track, so you can switch between both English and Japanese voices. While the English track does a decent job, some voices seem out of place, so I played through using the Japanese track (or maybe the weaboo in me told me to do it).
============================
Bottom Line: If you want a good JRPG that's a little different, you might want to try this out. The initial difficulty spike caused by the game's controls will let up as you play through it. And have I mentioned that this game is pretty?
============================
The game starts out in a room on someone's attic. A girl and her black cat enters the room, and the girl proceeds to read a book she found lying on the ground. This serves as the central hub of the game and enforces what the game is trying to pull off with its visuals: A playable story book. Each book contains the adventures of a character in the game's universe (loosely based on Norse mythology). The story may not make sense when you're playing with the first character, but everything will start to make sense once you get to play through the other characters. The story is basically about five people entrenched within a series of events that would somehow lead to the end of the world.
As mentioned above, there are five characters, each with his or her own special abilities. Gwendolyn [http://ui21.gamespot.com/1428/odinsphere10_2.jpg], the daughter of Odin, can block using her shield and glide. Cornelius [http://ui19.gamespot.com/658/odinsphere9_2.jpg], a prince, can double jump. Mercedes [http://ui05.gamespot.com/1860/odinsphere11_2.jpg], a Fairy Princess can fly around and shoot stuff with her magical crossbow. Oswald [http://ui26.gamespot.com/1465/odinsphere12_2.jpg], the token Dark Knight, can enter into a sort-of-berserk state, increasing his speed and damage. And lastly, we have Velvet [http://ui24.gamespot.com/215/odinsphere13_2.jpg], seemingly the only girl who knows what's going on, who can swing around the levels a la Spider Man.
The game uses many layers in parallax, which provides a great sense of depth. Not to mention that the sprites are quite detailed and feature a lot of different animations. This is a game that looks good in screenshots and looks even better in motion. That said, however the PS2's hardware is more suited to rendering 3D, which causes the game to chug a lot during some of the most hectic scenes (the fights with a certain Queen of the Underworld, in particular), though not to the extent that it becomes game-breaking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMMaZ2zG5-c&fmt=18
The game has an overworld map where you can see each area that you may visit. Each area contains several circular "stages" you must progress through until you get to the boss. Each area contains a set number of enemies you must kill. Depending on some variables, you will be graded after each stage, which determines the kinds of rewards you will get.
Odin Sphere is not your typical RPG. It plays out like a 2D beat 'em up of the old days. However, you get a power meter (ingeniously named 'POW') here. This meter determines the amount of attacks you can pull off. Your character will be put on a daze if it gets emptied and you will not be able to move or attack to defend yourself. It fills up on its own and when you absorb "phozons". These phozons act as your Weapon Experience, POW refillers, and magic attack counter. Magic attacks are unique for each character and has their own uses depending on the situation. The POW meter gets a little bit of breaking in, because it encourages you to be careful with what you do and not just attack relentlessly. There is also this control issue with Gwendolyn: Press Square to attack, hold Square to block. This is a very bad decision on the developer's part, especially since you can't edit your controls.
Food also plays an additional role. In addition to healing you, it also gives "Food Exp", which fills up a meter that increases your HP if it gets topped out. Food items can be eaten on their own or saved up for later when you visit the restaurant. You pick up various recipes during the course of the game and it's in the restaurants where you can make them. Find the appropriate ingredients, then go to the restaurant to cook the recipe for you.
An item crafting system is also in place. You gain phozons for every successful item crafted. This encourages you to make judicious use of crafting, because not only are items expensive, you also get additional Weapon experience. There is another flaw here, in the form of your inventory. Your inventory is composed of different bags, with each bag a radial menu. If you want to keep your items organized, prepare to do some serious inventory management.
Another flaw is the Currency System. The game's currency is divided into different coins of different value. While this does not seem terrible at first, the recipes require you to use a specific coin to obtain the recipe. This poses a problem in the early going, but once you find out where to farm for the right coins, this problem can be overlooked.
The controls need to get used to. A lot of enemies use a "Jump Crush" attack for massive damage, and it's hard to tell when your attack can interrupt an enemy's or not. However, with enough playthroughs, you will start to play the game as intended (using crafting, evading instead of guarding, not attacking carelessly, etc.) and you'll find the difficulty not so steep anymore. That, and you'll probably have to sit through some long loading screens. The game also features great music and a dual audio track, so you can switch between both English and Japanese voices. While the English track does a decent job, some voices seem out of place, so I played through using the Japanese track (or maybe the weaboo in me told me to do it).
============================
Bottom Line: If you want a good JRPG that's a little different, you might want to try this out. The initial difficulty spike caused by the game's controls will let up as you play through it. And have I mentioned that this game is pretty?
