User Reviews (21 - 31 of 36)

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Uneven

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: July 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got this game at launch (before all the hype) and really wanted to wait until I finished it to write a review. I really love the graphics, voices and style. I also like the idea of growing your own food (or buying if you just want to go that route). Almost EVERYTHING was working, until, I realized that you have to trudge through the AWFUL slowdown (yes, everyone has mentioned this) but it really does hamper the game at times when you need spot on controls in the heat of a large battle. I then really thought that using 5 different characters was a great idea until I saw that you have to go through the WHOLE game over again with each character fighting through the same levels and even fighting most of the same bosses. Then there is the easy to hard thing. One boss is insanely easy while another is truly difficult. It is a very uneven game to say the least. The only thing I could get from it is that you have to (grind) to level up going through beaten levels over and over to get more money and level ups etc. This is typical of RPGs and I was used to that but honestly, the game just got old fast. Minus the uneven difficulty and ridiculous slowdown the game could have been the game to end all games toward the end of the PS2's life. Nope.

This game (with most games) will garner its fanbase but for me? I LOVE side scrolling games and even difficult games. But this game just kind of trudges along and really they should have either given each character their own levels and balanced the difficulty a bit more. Deleting a few characters wouldn't have hurt either as a few seem kind of a waste.

In the beginning I did enjoy this game quite a bit and played it for the longest time trying to level up Gwendolyn in the first chapter but doing the same levels over and over again I finally lost interest towards the end of Oswald's story.
The game has some very interesting and cool ideas and was worth a try but at best Id recommend renting before buying. Its not for everyone but I LOVE Atlus and most of what they put out and had to try this.

Vastly Underrated

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This may be the most beautiful game ever made. The art is like none other and is so detailed it's amazing. There are less than a dozen areas to visit in this game, yet every time I returned with a different character, they never got old or repetitive. The same with the bosses. Each of the five characters are a different experience to play, although they are all in the same overall plot. Areas are set up as "stages" connecting together shown on the map as circles and are rated by difficulty from 1 to 5 as well as shops and bosses. I liked this set up because it was simple and told me exactly what I was getting into before I got there. The option to play using the original Japanese voice track was a big plus for me as well. I was skeptical of the growing and cooking food aspect of this game at first, but it is actually fun and easy. The only minuses are occasional long load times and slowdown. There is one boss battle where the slowdown is huge, but the battle is still doable on each character. Likewise when there are a lot of enemies on screen it can slow a little. It's a little annoying but is only a real problem with that specific boss. Odin Sphere follows a linear path so that you never have to guess where to go next which makes it easy to play and yet still challenging. It's a shame that this game hasn't gotten all the recognition it deserves.

Great Old School Side Scrolling

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Odin Sphere is a great game, fun to play with AMAZING graphics. It feels like your playing a children's painting. The story is well written and draws you in. Even if it starts as the typical RPG fair. At least nobody is missing their memory. All in all a great game, works great on a PS3 too. If you can grab a copy definitely worth a buy.

The most fun I've had with a video game in a long time...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Odin Sphere is simply a great game. This side-scrolling, hack and slash, RPG, is one of the best games for the PS2, if you like that sorta thing. The 2D graphics will take you back to the good ol' Sega Genesis days, and thats not a bad thing!

Its strengths are its gameplay (if you like side-scrolling hack & slash/Action RPGs), the music & sound in the game is very good. Odin Sphere is very original in many aspects and a very odd game, which is a good thing, its different and I like that. (example: During, after or before a battle you can plant seeds so they can grow into trees so then they can produce fruit for you to eat, which gains experience...) The boss battles are simply awesome, most of the bosses take up nearly the whole screen and are difficult to beat. As the story progresses, you'll eventually end up using 5 different characters, which have different skills and weapons. You can even make potions in the game, which will help you in battle.

I have only a few dislikes with Odin Sphere, which prevents it from being 5 out of 5 stars. At times it can almost be too difficult, and has no difficulty option. I consider myself pretty good at games, in general, and there has been times in this game where I would die nearly 6-7 times in the same stage, having to restart the stage each time. It can be frustrating to lose in a stage where there is a ton of monsters, because you'll have to restart the stage when you die, which means having to battle the same monsters all over again. My only other complaints are that I wish the stages were longer, that there were more stages/areas/levels, and more boss battles.

All in all this game gets 4 stars overall from me. I hope to see a sequel to this game.

Another Addiction .....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: May 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My goodness, I am addicted to this game. It is just soooo freaking good! I mean dang can this game get ever so HARD and sometimes curses come flying out of my mouth like there was no tomorrow. But seriously, this game is a true gem at the end of PS2 lifetime. I can easily see this game becoming increasingly rare by 2008. So pick it up while you can. I can not wait to go back to playing this. The storyline is amazing as well. Good find! Keep it up ATLUS. It seems you are one of the last companies that I still respect (besides Kojima projects, a division of Konami of course!) The ONLY true con about this game is the slowdown in some of the more hectic areas of battle. But again the story and presentation will keep you coming back for more! Addictive gameplay, awesome storyline and wonderful artistic feel. So what are you waiting for Pick it up!!!

A surprising story and game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: May 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game expecting to like it enough to play for a while and put aside. What I received was an ingeniously presented story, some of the most lavish art I've seen (I love sprites, which also helps), and a really enjoyable combat and level system. Telling too much about the game will spoil some of the joy, so I'll keep this brief. I have loved this game since I put it in; the story has kept me going - and the novel way they have you uncover it! - and the graphics are desperately pleasing to the senses. The music for the game is also a gem - pause on the "start" screen for a short bit and an "intro" video will play with the main theme song featuring vocals.

All told, this is one of the best games for any system I have purchased, and I greatly enjoy it. It is a story, an RPG, and a visual symphony.

2D Isn't Dead

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: July 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Odin Sphere is possibly the most beautiful 2D game ever made, and one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. Stunning visuals mix with an epic score by Hitoshi Sakimoto (FFXII, FF Tactics, Gradius V, etc.) to give the game an appropriately operatic feel. Most importantly, it's also ridiculously fun. The way it's structured allows you to re-try levels with no penalty when your character is killed, the alchemy system is interesting, and never gets annoying, and if you find you're getting hosed in an area, you can go back and re-do one of the previous areas for more experience and items. The combat ranking system encourages you to try to do your best in every battle without making you feel like you missed out if you didn't, and in the same vein, this is _not_ an easy game, but it is the kind of challenge that just makes you want to try that much harder to succeed.

There can be slowdowns at times (and hoo-boy, the framerate can slow to a crawl on one of the bosses) but it doesn't make it any more difficult, and really, can save your life in some parts. ;) Aside from that, I can't think of anything I'd call a "flaw" in the game.

I can't recommend it highly enough. It's definitely one of the best games on its generation of consoles, and not one to miss.

One of the last great PS2 RPGs

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: September 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Even though RPG's tend to be more "nerd"-centered, I always find playing them more funner than fighters or sports games because they always centered around an engrossing story. Sure a lot of them are far from innovative or new, but they're all the more interesting anyway. The story, presentation and the characters in Odin Sphere are quite memorable and it's surprising how fast you get suckered into the world. But like a lot of games, it's the gameplay that gets it knocked down a tad and while it's not an ever-present flaw, it's still one of those things you have to suffer in order to get to the good stuff.

Story: You play a young girl who is reading books up in her attic. We then go inside the book's story and find ourselves in the world of Erion where the kingdom of Valentine fell victim to a creation of its own, the Crystallization Cauldron. Pretty soon, the Ringford fairies and the warriors of Ragnanival want it and are at odds. The game is separated into several books with their own chapters and acts and different characters.

Graphics: I'm not kidding when I say this is probably one of the most loveliest and beautiful looking 2D games I've ever seen. With detailed sprites, bright color palettes and background animation meant to breathe life into the environment, the game is quite something to see in motion. The only problem comes when there's too many activity on screen and the sprites are a little bigger than usual (some are literally the height or length of the screen) so the game has slowdown.

Sound/Music: Done by Hitoshi Sakamoto, the game is has some quite nice and memorable tunes which is kind of surprising because I wasn't too impressed with the Final Fantasy XII soundtrack. Also, a nice plus for those who love VA is an option for either English or Japanese. Even though the game in Japanese makes me think of a anime, I like keeping it in English which is good since, despite some occasional awkward readings, it's a solid job.

Gameplay: This is where the game takes a dip. Done in a 2D rotating map where each section on the level acts as a 2D outline but really you're just going in circles, it's kind of neat to find a 2D RPG after so many 3D ones. It's pretty once you get the hang of it and the controls will eventually feel more comfortable. However it's the other parts of your character that are a nuisance. For example, now and then you get special items you can equip which can either net you more EXP when you get Phozons (kind of like MP in a way where you can fill a meter to unleash a special attack), or more attack power, or better chance for items being dropped. But you can only do one at a time and they're not separate from your item list so these things can take up space and since enemies can easily stomp you silly, that's not a good thing. Be prepared to throw away/use a lot of items to make room for others.

Speaking of tough enemies, this game can easily hand you your *** if you're not careful. Sometimes they really pack a wallop or they can break your combos by somehow breaking through your attack and getting a lucky shot in. Then there's the bosses which can easily fill up a screen. To help in your fight you get special skills such as Phozon skills, items like Napalm. But some items hold special abilities such as different kinds of seeds where, when planted, will absorb surrounding Phozon which'll grow and bear health-giving fruit. Only sacrifice is that the Phozon charges your meter allowing for special attacks so it's kind of a trade off. Also another skill you pick up is Alchemy where you can combine items to create a better item or one with more potency.

A game like Odin Sphere is like a lot of games that near the system's life cycle where barely anyone knows about it, let alone played it yet there's a group of people who played it and loved it. Odin Sphere might not get massive amounts of fans but we're just glad we have a great RPG to play, even if people are playing games on the big boys.

Game of the Year 2007!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: December 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Odin Sphere is the Game of the Year for 2007! While it may have a few gripes in terms of gameplay, and is on a last-gen system; one thing stands out the most with Odin Sphere that doesn't with all other games this year: you have absolutely NEVER played a game like Odin Sphere before. Vanillaware has produced a game that blends gameplay, graphics, and story together so strongly and intricately that it is nothing short of amazing. You will play Odin Sphere to build and develop your character, you will play to witness the amazing story that is being unfolded for you through the eyes of 5 different characters, you will play to fight the next AMAZING boss that lies in wait for you. Odin Sphere isn't simply a game, it is an experience! Like Okami, Dragon Quest VIII, and Shadow of the Colossus before it; Odin Sphere is an epic experience that will make you treasure the fact that videogames exist.

odinspheare

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: January 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

tHIS GAME HAS GOOD GRAPHICS AND IS FUN TO PLAY. BUT IT REALLY NEEDS A STRATAGY GUIDE OR SOMETHING TO USE TO GET STARTED.

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