Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey

This is one of the finest JRPGs on the iPad, with production values that equal, if not exceed, other 2D animated masterpieces such as Dragon's Crown or Child of Light. It's a game that will more appeal to players who grew up with JRPGs on the Super Nintendo and so appreciate the lost of art minimalist narrative exploration, but it is nevertheless a tight, strategic, and deeply enjoyable JRPG that I hope spins into something much more grand as the revenue starts rolling in from this first release.

Still, the storyline is pretty interesting and the combat system is unique, which is a plus.

A great JRPG specially designed for iOS devices appeared this year. Plenty of fun and granted with a good battle system.

The game is absolutely gorgeous to look at, but an absolute slog to experience.

Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey is a great translation of traditional JRPG mechanics for a touch screen that excels with visuals but is let down by some glaring issues.

The game fills a surprisingly empty niche, and I appreciate it for coming to the table at all, but beyond that, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed.

Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey feels more like the start of a great idea rather than a fleshed-out experience.

It’s just not a title that stands with the best JRPGs on mobile. But this is a single entry in a planned series, and sequels often bring big improvements.

There's a lot to like in Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey, but there's a good chance you'll have seen a lot of it before.

This first chapter first looks promising. It is undubitably a gorgeous game with a lot of love injected in its arts and audio. And Combat system is great. But Zodiac has some issues in terms of navigation and storytelling that can - must - be resolved in the future to fulfill its ambitions.

Glaring issues with Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey can be summed up by remarking on just how dull and unfinished it feels.