Some Thoughts on: Odin Sphere

I'm not going to go in all out details because I probably won't ever do a video game review, but I do want to touch on some points with this game because it was a pretty out-of-nowhere game that struck a good few notes. It's a good game. Truly is.

Character designs are great and the graphics, despite it being mostly 2D sprites, was really good. The five playable characters are all vibrantly designed. While their gameplay mechanics remains the same, how they are used have a unique twist to each. Gwendolyn and Cornelius are your most basic characters, hack and slash and all but even they have their own style that sets them apart from each other. Oswald may just be your typical sword slasher, but he comes with a berserk mode. Then there's the long rangers: Mercedes and Velvet; both bring something to new to the table. And I haven't even touch on the part that they all move through the stage in their own way(Gwendolyn and Mercedes have wings, Velvet uses her chains to swing through the stag, etc). It's a simple enough gameplay too; classic side scrolling arcade game with a bit of rpg elements. It has enough quirks to it to deter it from getting stale. Like I said, each character is different enough without straying away from familiar mechanics.

 

Their personalities are distinct and each have something to offer to the story. And said story can be a bit confusing with how the timeline goes, but it does come together in the end, and the end... each character really shine. Even my least favorite character, Mercedes( the Fairy with the crossbow) had a pretty strong finish.

And this game doesn't shy away from fan service. It is subtle and kind of mute compared to other games, but it's enough. Velvet is the fan service. Don't believe me? Look at that outfit.

And that isn't the only time that happens either.

The story is dark, heart wrenching at times, told in a rich and different way, and despite the vibrant sprites and level/land designs(most levels; there's "Hel, which is the land of the undead; we know how that can go) it really has an ominous feel to it. It does a good job meshing warm and cold themes together.

Great vibe. Awesome set of characters. A tragic and dark story. And it kept my attention. This game has a lot to offer for sure! I had lots of fun and it was simple enough that it allowed me to get into it off and on with how erratic my schedule is. Gaming is hard to find time for and games like Odin Sphere with its simple but genius layout is something I can really appreciate.