Odin Sphere

Kinda like Dark Stalkers RPG style

Review by: Dave Kozicki

Back Story

Odin Sphere is one of many “Japan only” RPGs that are finally starting to trickle down to European regions. It’s a damn shame we only get to taste the best of what Japan has to offer at the end of the PS2’s lifespan. Let’s hope this opens the floodgates to many more titles of this caliber.

With so many games going for flash over substance nowadays, it’s a real treat to have a lash at something that takes it back to basics and gets it right. No sleight of hand tricks, just a well thought out, well crafted piece of interactive entertainment. I’ve seen a lot of RPGs in my time, so why does Odin Sphere stand out from the crowd? For starters, it breaks the classic RPG mould. Instead of giving you a party of characters to switch through, each of the five characters’ adventures you play are contained in a volume of a book being read by a typically Anime little girl. Each book has a different perspective, so the story unfolds Rashomon style, as we see how each character’s actions impact the overall storyline. Oh yeah, it’s also a 2D side scrolling RPG. Sound cool? A little different? You bet your sweet ass it is!

You kick off with Volume one, “Valkyrie”. A terrible battle has ensued, and a tussle with the famed Shadow Knight has claimed the life of your sister Griselda. She entrusts you with her mighty spear and asks you to carry on her fight, and prays your father, King Odin (yes, it’s that Odin), will be proud of her exploits, now that she is passing into the afterlife. Before you can say “Great Odin’s Raven!” (sorry…couldn’t resist) you’re off to slice an dice the enemy.

Combat is fairly basic with a series of attack combos unleashed when you hit square, coupled with jumping, and gliding attacks with X. Stronger attacks can be used sparing with triangle to conjure up mini cyclones and other unnatural forces of nature. But, before this degenerates into a button bashing horror story, Odin Sphere creates an innovative way to bring a little strategy to the RPG. It’s called the POW meter.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

To keep you on your toes, in the top left corner is a POW meter. Each time you attack, it drains a bit off the meter. Attacking hard and fast will quickly empty the bar and your character suffers from fatigue and gets dizzy, taking them out of the action. It’s a fantastic little idea, and really changes your tactics. Instead of rushing headlong into a battle, you find yourself sizing up the opposition first, looking at the defensive position, are they attacking from the air, are they in a defensive position on the ground? All these factors come into play.

It adds incredible depth to a simple scrolling format, as each battle has a different flavour to the last. As you take down the enemy troops in your bid to unravel the secrets behind the Crystallization Cauldron (mystical artefact of immense power), the speed at which you despatch your would be attackers can lead to big rewards. With a quick take down (or the right potion) enemies cough up goodies or flashing treasure chests (no…we’re not talking about Scarlett Johansson’s boobies) that disappear if you don’t crack them open in time, and their bounty is lost.

As you clear each stage, you’re given a score based on speed, damage taken etc. The better your score on each level, the greater the treasure you receive at the end. It’s just like getting your holiday loading on top of your regular pay, a little bonus to keep you satisfied and offers incentive to take it up a notch next round.

YOU GO THIS WAY, I’M GOING THAT WAY

As you knock out a level, you reach an exit sign that leads you to the next battle. This is where it gets interesting. The storyline branches in several directions from here (via the map) and you can take any branch you’d like. The neat thing about the map is that it shows you exactly what you’re in for. Each level has a star rating for how difficult your enemies are, what rewards you’ll receive after your skirmish and even if it’s a mini boss or boss battle. I love it. You can level up, do one section, go back, try a harder branch to get greater rewards…it’s a bee-yoo-ti-ful idea.

FEEL THE AWESOME!

There’s so much on offer here it’s hard to jam it into one review, so here’s some of the cooler moments. Fallen enemy soldiers souls transform into phozons which you can absorb for XP with R1, you can get into basic alchemy and cooking, food and health are very important and you actually gain XP the more you eat! The sheer sense of scale is overwhelming, with Odin taking up nearly half the screen.

But, it’s not just he who dwarfs you. Your first major boss is a massive dragon that envelops the whole screen. The ground tremors as he approaches and his look is exceptionally detailed for flat graphics. Ahh…the look of the game. I can’t go on enough about it. Ridiculously out of proportion characters with massive upper bodies and little chicken legs below, every female character has an inherent sexuality to them, the Valkyries look like they’re wearing French maid’s outfits, the Forest witches have their long dresses hiked up at the front to show off garter belts and suspenders, wizards look like a classic wizened old bastard should, down to the bushy beard and pointed hat.

I know I'm raving on, but it’s rare that a RPG takes you somewhere you didn’t expect, and this one does it constantly, with it’s tongue planted firmly in its cheek, and never to the detriment of gameplay. RPG fans…look no further.

Verdict:
I give major points for style, and this puppy has got it in spades.