Odin Sphere

[Demon Cleaner]

I just saw that Odin Sphere from Atlus has also been released (5 days after its Japan release!!) and it good very good reviews. The visuals are awesome and look very colorful. You can read a review with loads of screenshots at RPGFan.

[Ghost]

Unfortunately yet another 'mythical kingdom' like RPG, I would really like to see more Sci-Fi themed pseudo RPGs for the consoles, not always the evil wizard/evil demon type stuff.

[Harrison]

I personally quite like the mythical fantasy based RPGs, especially the many that come from Japan and draw heavily on their own mythology. Although I do agree with you that more Sci-Fi centred RPGs would be good.

And I actually downloading Odin Sphere last week without realising it was only just out. Hope I got the English version.

[Demon Cleaner]

First english version is by STRIKE. Available on Usenet and PB. My d/l is at 93%.

Odin_Sphere_USA_PS2DVD-STRiKE

EDIT:Just read that this releases does not work (I will test it anyway). Working one is by DAGGER, which is also available at PB now.

Odin_Sphere_PROPER-USA-PS2DVD-DAGGER

[Submeg]

Lol, its been out, what four days?

[Demon Cleaner]

I played it yesterday, and although it's a bit weird, it plays rather good.

The setting is 2D/3D. The landscape is somehow 3D and has several layers, and you move your character only on a 2D basis. The visuals are very colorful and beautiful drawn. The characters, enemies, friends, bosses also look very very detailed, but a bit like in Paper Mario.

And the different stages are divided into levels, wow, hard to explain. You get to a place, and you can run left or right, which doesn't matter, as you move in a circle like environment, which is also shown in your bottom right corner of the screen. There you can see enemies, friends and exits. Once the stage is cleared, you can leave via the exit, which then displays the different levels of the stage, where you can go. This is very well done, it also shows the difficulty of the path you take, and the treasure you'll get when finishing it.

It uses real time combat, but it feels like playing Street Fighter or any other 2D beat'em up game against more enemies and freedom to run around. But it uses all the RPG elements you can imagine. I haven't fought in a party yet, only with one character, I assume that party fighting will come later.

It is very different from other RPGs, but I have to say that I kinda liked it. And as usual, I only played it for an hour, so can't really review it. But it's a game I will definitely consider to play when I have the time. Others will come first though.

[Harrison]

This does sound interesting. I will have to try this out later. The 2D style sounds a bit like Valkyrie Profile 2?

[Demon Cleaner]

The 2D style sounds a bit like Valkyrie Profile 2?

Exactly (depends on which one you mean). I wanted to mention it, but it's still different. Like when you enter a battle in Silmeria, the view changes to an FF12 like battle field, but not here. It's more like Lenneth, but only real time.

[Harrison]

So the combat is side on 2D much like the original Valkyrie Profile or Tales of Destiny on the PS1 then?

[Demon Cleaner]

Just like a 2D beat'em up game. Can't remember Tales of Destiny. The original Valkyrie Profile had a similar system, but as I haven't gotten into a party fight yet, I cannot tell so far. It's still different. Just try it out

The difference is that you seem to battle on the same level, in Valkyrie Profile, your characters were a little displaced (shifted), so that you had the imagination of 3D, that's not the case here.

Btw, the DAGGER release works fine. Have not tried the other one.