Odin Sphere
<div class="IPBDescription">If it's worth my money, it's worth yours</div>(linked for NSFW language)
<a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2007/20070425.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2007/20070425.jpg</a>
[youtube]xyCBEUgy3R4[/youtube]
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Odinssphere.png" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114359276.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114403870.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114408588.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114407995.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Now maybe pictures and videos aren't enough to sway your heart into buying this. Maybe TEXT is your thing. <b>So be it!</b>
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->NOO!<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Dude, I was JUST finishing up this huge wall of text and I accidentally clicked Back. And I'd rather kill myself than type it all up again. Gah.
Okay, okay. I'll let my friend do the talking, since this is what he typed that got me to buy the game:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The art style is simply far beyond anything else I've ever seen. Never before has a story been brought to life in this manner; it's as if an exquisitely detailed portrait with moving parts is being shown to the player. This is what true art is.
The music heightens the feel of the game and complements the artwork very nicely. Sakimoto and Iwata's sweeping orchestral pieces bring life and character to every part of the world.
The storyline is essentially a modern-day form of the fairy tale. You don't get all of the character details (at least not at first), but you don't need them. One simply needs to suspend their disbelief and accept what the game is telling them to enjoy a wonderful story. The unrealistic nature of the characters only serves to further enhance their lifelike and vivid personalities; every character seems to pop out of the screen, due to the combination of every element I've mentioned so far. It also doesn't hurt that the voice acting is incredible - every single character, even the minor ones, is portrayed with a real sense of life and vigor.
The gameplay is exquisitely refined to the highest level; whether one chooses Easy, Normal, Hard, or even one of the higher difficulty modes, the game's balance is perfect. Bosses are a perennial joy; every single boss fight involves high-level strategy and efficient use of items in order to eke out a victory. The game's involved alchemy and cooking systems are not only fun to mess around for completionist gamers, but also provide tangible benefits to the main game and serve an integral role in the whole picture. The battle system has been pushed to the limit in terms of quality; every movement is precise, and every attack pattern and enemy has been carefully planned out.
Buy Odin Sphere. You will absolutely, positively not regret it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'll add one more reason why you should buy this:
I paid $40 for it and didn't regret it. And, like, I <i>love</i> my money. The last video game that I bought was SotC, because Disgaea 2 costs $50 and I can't borrow it from anyone. That's how conservative I am with my precious, precious cash. And if it's worth my money, it's definitely worth yours. IT IS. DON'T ARGUE. JUST GO BUY IT. Or rent it you're a pansy.
It's an awesome game. And if you don't take my word for it...
<a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/936463.asp" target="_blank">http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/936463.asp</a>
Edit: If you don't like reading and you didn't see the Penny Arcade comic, this is what the gameplay is like...
[youtube]xynxGDuId74[/youtube]
<a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2007/20070425.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2007/20070425.jpg</a>
[youtube]xyCBEUgy3R4[/youtube]
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Odinssphere.png" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114359276.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114403870.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114408588.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<img src="http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/782/782698/odin-sphere-20070423114407995.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Now maybe pictures and videos aren't enough to sway your heart into buying this. Maybe TEXT is your thing. <b>So be it!</b>
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->NOO!<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Dude, I was JUST finishing up this huge wall of text and I accidentally clicked Back. And I'd rather kill myself than type it all up again. Gah.
Okay, okay. I'll let my friend do the talking, since this is what he typed that got me to buy the game:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The art style is simply far beyond anything else I've ever seen. Never before has a story been brought to life in this manner; it's as if an exquisitely detailed portrait with moving parts is being shown to the player. This is what true art is.
The music heightens the feel of the game and complements the artwork very nicely. Sakimoto and Iwata's sweeping orchestral pieces bring life and character to every part of the world.
The storyline is essentially a modern-day form of the fairy tale. You don't get all of the character details (at least not at first), but you don't need them. One simply needs to suspend their disbelief and accept what the game is telling them to enjoy a wonderful story. The unrealistic nature of the characters only serves to further enhance their lifelike and vivid personalities; every character seems to pop out of the screen, due to the combination of every element I've mentioned so far. It also doesn't hurt that the voice acting is incredible - every single character, even the minor ones, is portrayed with a real sense of life and vigor.
The gameplay is exquisitely refined to the highest level; whether one chooses Easy, Normal, Hard, or even one of the higher difficulty modes, the game's balance is perfect. Bosses are a perennial joy; every single boss fight involves high-level strategy and efficient use of items in order to eke out a victory. The game's involved alchemy and cooking systems are not only fun to mess around for completionist gamers, but also provide tangible benefits to the main game and serve an integral role in the whole picture. The battle system has been pushed to the limit in terms of quality; every movement is precise, and every attack pattern and enemy has been carefully planned out.
Buy Odin Sphere. You will absolutely, positively not regret it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'll add one more reason why you should buy this:
I paid $40 for it and didn't regret it. And, like, I <i>love</i> my money. The last video game that I bought was SotC, because Disgaea 2 costs $50 and I can't borrow it from anyone. That's how conservative I am with my precious, precious cash. And if it's worth my money, it's definitely worth yours. IT IS. DON'T ARGUE. JUST GO BUY IT. Or rent it you're a pansy.
It's an awesome game. And if you don't take my word for it...
<a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/936463.asp" target="_blank">http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/936463.asp</a>
Edit: If you don't like reading and you didn't see the Penny Arcade comic, this is what the gameplay is like...
[youtube]xynxGDuId74[/youtube]
Comments
All I have to say.
I ATE FOOD AT 1 O CLOCK, SO I HAVE TO WAIT 4 HOURS TO SLEEP! THE PAIN!
>=/
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If I want a side-scrolling beat'em up that plays like a fighting game, I'll just play Ragnarok Battle Offline.
It's not story based or anything, but it's for up to 3 players and it's really fun. Plus I didn't pay for it.
Apparently the reviewer has never played Tales of Symphonia.
I've been waiting for Odin Sphere ever since my friend told me about it a month ago... the various gameplay elements (like the plants system) and whatnot ontop of cool art and characters just makes me fidget impatiently XD
Once I move, and actualy can figgure out what my new budget will look like I am planning on pickign up a PS2 and a massive nubmer of games.
Am I the only person that thinks the game looks lame?
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I'm sure not. Every thread about anything no matter how awesome has to have one person that says it sucks. And that person must express this opinion. Its the unwritten law of the internet. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Source: <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/06/01" target="_blank">http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/06/01</a>
And I've heard nothing but good about Odin Sphere, but of course with no consoles in my house it'll be a long time (perhaps forever) until I ever play it.
Opera doesn't lose any text you've entered if you hit "back" while you're typing.
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nor does FF
mirite?
More like Odin <i>Circle</i>
mirite?
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I lul'd