Odin Sphere

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 76
  3. Negative: 3 out of 76
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  1. JayK.
    Jun 4, 2007
    9
    One of the absolute best games for the PS2. Probably #1 for visuals, and right near the top for innovation and fun. One of the only action games that can hold my interest, even in the face of high difficulty. The mechanics are innovative and very satisfying; the story is better than most RPGs; the atmosphere is unique and rich. I can see how some might not like the difficulty, but there One of the absolute best games for the PS2. Probably #1 for visuals, and right near the top for innovation and fun. One of the only action games that can hold my interest, even in the face of high difficulty. The mechanics are innovative and very satisfying; the story is better than most RPGs; the atmosphere is unique and rich. I can see how some might not like the difficulty, but there is an easy mode. The little corner map with the enemies is a bit too necessary (I often have to watch this while fighting rather than the main screen, due to its wider view). Buy this game; if you don't like it, it's probably be worth serious money in a few years.… Expand
  2. AndreT.
    Jun 4, 2007
    6
    Odin Sphere is a beautiful game. Nice arts populate the different levels. The sound is also amazing. The soundtrack, the voice over are one of the best. I had quite some fun at the beginning with the gameplay. The mechanics is excellent, the recipes and items management are good ideas. But after a while, there was all that dying thing and the very steep difficulty. The bosses takes Odin Sphere is a beautiful game. Nice arts populate the different levels. The sound is also amazing. The soundtrack, the voice over are one of the best. I had quite some fun at the beginning with the gameplay. The mechanics is excellent, the recipes and items management are good ideas. But after a while, there was all that dying thing and the very steep difficulty. The bosses takes constantely advantage of the fact that you don't see them coming from left or right (The small indicator at the top doesn't help that much). They take advantage of the split second you eat food. They take advantage of the overflow of ennemies crossing the screen to attack you, to a point where you don't understand anything of what is going on. All that incessant dying left me frustrated to no end. Now it a dust keeper. If you have the patience to redo the same levels over and over 6 to 7 times, in order to level up and beat one boss, this is your game. For me, I find this kind of gameplay pretty bad in itself and it ruined the experience and the game. Overall, I don't see why poeples have a buzz about that game apart the fact that it's nice to look at.… Expand
  3. PneumaticHat
    Nov 8, 2012
    5
    I see what Vanilla Ware were going for, but the game just isn't that accessible or consistently enjoyable. You will die without grinding for the right items for the right rooms. You will die without grinding for the right amount of experience points. You will die for trying to avoid stockpiling healing items to cope with the tons of unavoidable hits. Odin Sphere is a farming-intensiveI see what Vanilla Ware were going for, but the game just isn't that accessible or consistently enjoyable. You will die without grinding for the right items for the right rooms. You will die without grinding for the right amount of experience points. You will die for trying to avoid stockpiling healing items to cope with the tons of unavoidable hits. Odin Sphere is a farming-intensive game, plain and simple, and if not for the gorgeous production values it would have raked in mediocre scores from every reviewer around. Even the graphics manage to hurt it, as the PS2 version suffers from terrible, unforgivable slowdown and the worst load times since Shadowman. Frequently, restarting a level (which you will do, all the time, either because you died or you're grinding), means a 30-second load screen, skipping a cutscene, then another 30-second load screen. Between each stage's 7 or 8 areas are 10 to 15-seconds of loading, and each room then takes another 15 seconds to load enemies in. Coming into a battle ill-equipped, which also happens constantly and can make some battles literally impossible, means at least 5 minutes of sitting around staring at a spinning icon while you replay the entire level. This is far too frustrating to merit the slim chance of a smooth playthrough.

    At the end of the day, Odin Sphere is fun very rarely, and only once you've mixed enough potions and slogged through enough repeats of the same dungeons to setup a perfect battle. That really disappoints me, too, because freed of all the limiting nonsense and flat terrain, the core game would revolve around solid 2D platforming goodness. I love to see experiments in game style, but originality can't hold its novelty when weak design keeps taking center stage.    … Expand
  4. Stealthgear
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    Great Graphics and its gets addictive. This is more of a strategy game than action game. If you button mash you will not win. I think they should have allowed more action. The herb mixing system is very fun. I almost have to print out a guide because I do not have good memory. The story is OK and the voice acting is awesome. Its not a full RPG experience though. The levels are all roundGreat Graphics and its gets addictive. This is more of a strategy game than action game. If you button mash you will not win. I think they should have allowed more action. The herb mixing system is very fun. I almost have to print out a guide because I do not have good memory. The story is OK and the voice acting is awesome. Its not a full RPG experience though. The levels are all round circles...hence the Sphere. That was disappointing to me. This is probably the best Atlus game, since every other Atlus game I've tried I consider for retarded people (sorry). If you wanted streets of rage or devil may cry, you will be disappointed, but its an OK game and its pretty long. They could have made the levels more interesting. They could have also made the save system more apparent. Its a better than average game and you should probably get it if you have PS2. Its better than Persona and all those RPGs once you get the hang of it. Make sure you turn on easy mode though. Beautiful game so get it.… Expand
  5. VidyaBum
    Jul 30, 2014
    8
    Odin Sphere is almost great. As in it's got everything to be great but falls short. In pretty much every aspect this game ends up feeling a little too clunky and unpolished to truly be a great game, but the spirit is there, that's for sure.

    Combat is addictive and fun and never stops pushing you back to the wall. The swarms of enemies can be a load of fun to beat into a pulp and excel    Odin Sphere is almost great. As in it's got everything to be great but falls short. In pretty much every aspect this game ends up feeling a little too clunky and unpolished to truly be a great game, but the spirit is there, that's for sure.

    Combat is addictive and fun and never stops pushing you back to the wall. The swarms of enemies can be a load of fun to beat into a pulp and excel at giving you a sense of constant threat; Simply put, you're never bored with this game's combat.

    The alchemy system offers great variety for fighting, healing and different powerups and options such has halving damage or unlimited power(which is necessary to attack constantly and not get tired). There is an insane amount of time to lose in trying every potion and finding the use of each of them.

    Visuals are excellent and the music and general sound effects are very good too. The story is divided by the tales of five different characters, each of them bringing a new point of view on the world's events, and each of them being the protagonist in their own little story(none of them being short, it usually takes me 6 hours to finish any of them).

    With that said, the weakness of this game shows up in every single aspect I just mentioned.

    For the visuals, while the drawings and many animations are really good, some aren't, and it shows particularly with the cutscenes and the characters' mouth movements. It honestly looks poor. This isn't a big problem but it harms the attention I could give to the story if I wasn't so bothered by how unnatural some movements look.

    For the story, the writing is all about the fantasy: characters speak like heroic fantasy characters and not in any way like real people. This has the merit of reinforcing the game's fantasy side, but it weakens the invidividual characters quite a bit since they don't feel very real. For a fantasy story it might not be a big problem, but it's told by portrayal of five protagonists.

    None of these characters are bad BTW, but I can recall only one that I truly appreciated, the Pooka Prince. Rest ranged from eh to ok I guess. None shoned.

    For the sound, it's ok. Really, I'm always very critical of music and I found this game to be ok, no more. Some themes get boring but never tiring. It's on the good side, but there isn't a song I would listen to out of the game.

    Now for the two really bothersome aspects that keep this game from being great. While the elements cited earlier certainly harm the game, in my eyes especially because the story is one of the stronger points of this game, it's really the clunkiness of the combat and alchemy that give me a lot of trouble.

    For the Alchemy, it's fairly simple: everything relies on you picking up different vegetables and items and mixing them together in a bottle. With one different potion for every letter of the alphabet, so you'll very often have to go back into the menu to see what potions you can make with one ingredients. That's a time loss.
    Then you have to take care of the mixing itself: pick an empty bottle, fill it up with certain items, and then add your final ingredient. Except it's terribly long to make. You go in the menu, select the bottle, select your first ingredient you want to sacrifice, and mix. The bottle falls on the ground. Pick it up, go in the menu, find the bottle again, select the second item, the bottle falls again.
    When you have to add 8 random items plus a final ingredient to make just one potion, that shouldn't take you to pick up the same bottle and re-select it 8 times!
    To say the least this is long and unpleasantly designed.

    Then there is the combat. The biggest problem I have is the control. You will face enemies in midair that demand good jumping controls, which this game very sorely lacks. You'll press the button and do a huge jump, and then you'll tap the button and do the same jump. To attack an enemy just a little above you, you have to do this huge jump up and hit it on the way down, as the input lag can sometimes forget your command to jump if you press the attack button right after the jump button.

    Some bosses such as Wagner or the sorcerers are outright dickish with attacks that are extremely hard to avoid if not impossible, or immediate teleportation as soon as you hit them. There is nothing more frustrating than constantly trying to just do a simple 4-combo attack and be surprised by a miniboss that literally teleports above you and deals a huge amount of damage. The crazy number of enemies in both normal fights and boss fights is the worst: sometimes, you'll get swarmed by literally 15 foes at the same time, and good luck dodging that with bad jumping and generally imperfect controls.

    To sum up the combat, the biggest problem I have is that OS wants to be hard. It wants to be challenging with lots of monsters, bosses and very fast and varied patterns. But the control is just too clunky for you to face the challenge well enough.

    An almost excellent game that lacks polish.    … Expand
  6. Wolfie1987
    Mar 27, 2014
    8
    The visuals are gorgeous, the game is one of the most aesthetically pleasing titles on the PS2. The story is well written, the voice acting is decent, the mechanics feel satisfying, good replay value. New game plus RPG, so your character and items carry over when you start a new playthrough, that's a big bonus.
  7. Kaprawiec
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    Best game from Vanillaware i played. Beautifull graphics, excellent combat system, cool cooking motive and overall a great atmosphere. I wish they made it accessible on my Vita, because it would be perfect to have on the go.
    Graphics 10/10
    Sound 10/10
    Gameplay 9+/10
    Verdict: Wayyy better than Dragons Crown, its one of the best games i played on my PS2. Strongly recommend it.
  8. Mike
    May 10, 2007
    8
    Ok, so this game is not going to appeal to everyone. It's about as niche as they come. But, if you are at all interested in playing a unique action-rpg with gorgeous hand drawn animation, check this game out.
  9. ScottJ.
    May 28, 2007
    10
    This game is a must-own for anyone with a PS2. I was hyped about it and I wasn't let down. It's a wonderful blend of genres that brings to mind action RPGs like Secret of Mana (if it had been heavier on the action and lighter on the RPG). This game is pretty enough that your friends might enjoy just watching you play.
  10. GregG.
    Sep 15, 2007
    10
    I held back on this game for just a bit, because of the comments about repetitive gameplay. However, I finally gave in and picked it up, and it is an absolute masterpiece. The item/cooking/alchemy system is brilliant, the combat is a blast, and it's nice to see an RPG that actually requires a bit of skill. A must-have, and one of the best games I've played in years. In all I held back on this game for just a bit, because of the comments about repetitive gameplay. However, I finally gave in and picked it up, and it is an absolute masterpiece. The item/cooking/alchemy system is brilliant, the combat is a blast, and it's nice to see an RPG that actually requires a bit of skill. A must-have, and one of the best games I've played in years. In all fairness, the voice-acting is poor, and there is definitely slowdown. But those problems really pale in comparison to this game's strengths.… Expand
  11. JohnV.
    May 25, 2007
    8
    The Good: Amazing artwork (sometimes jaw-dropping) Addicting gameplay (especially the farming/cooking aspects) Old school feel (like a super-charged SNES game) The Bad: Load times (my god, 25 seconds to enter a restaurant) Repetitive levels Sometimes stiff animations Initially bland storyline Bottom Line: I thoroughly enjoyed this game, although it falls short of perfect due to its load The Good: Amazing artwork (sometimes jaw-dropping) Addicting gameplay (especially the farming/cooking aspects) Old school feel (like a super-charged SNES game) The Bad: Load times (my god, 25 seconds to enter a restaurant) Repetitive levels Sometimes stiff animations Initially bland storyline Bottom Line: I thoroughly enjoyed this game, although it falls short of perfect due to its load times and sometimes stiff feel.… Expand
  12. ChrisC.
    May 30, 2007
    7
    Combat system: Great. Quick paced, fun. Everything else, not so great. Sure, having five characters with the tight woven stories that happen simultaneously is a great idea. But it doesn't work if you write it like an anime oriented at preteens. There are also a lot of really annoying game flow issues. Constantly having to plant seeds just to get healing, the way they give you LESS Combat system: Great. Quick paced, fun. Everything else, not so great. Sure, having five characters with the tight woven stories that happen simultaneously is a great idea. But it doesn't work if you write it like an anime oriented at preteens. There are also a lot of really annoying game flow issues. Constantly having to plant seeds just to get healing, the way they give you LESS items if you're trying to play at a lower level (Because it takes longer to kill enemies and you get lower grades), the weak alchemy system, having to restart entire dungeons just to re-fight one screen, the way healing items are so weak you have to fix it so you gain an item level just for them to restore a useful amount of HP. This game, if it had far better written dialogue, could be fixed into a perfect 10.… Expand
  13. KevinC.
    Jun 27, 2007
    10
    Odin Sphere...an amazing title, to say the least. After a few long years of waiting for a half decent RPG, this little gem comes into play, into my PS2; and then, it stole my heart. Odin Sphere allows you to play as five unique individuals, who are in constant conflict against one another as the world is nearing it's end. The plot itself is amazing- if this game was a novel, Odin Sphere...an amazing title, to say the least. After a few long years of waiting for a half decent RPG, this little gem comes into play, into my PS2; and then, it stole my heart. Odin Sphere allows you to play as five unique individuals, who are in constant conflict against one another as the world is nearing it's end. The plot itself is amazing- if this game was a novel, it'd undoubtedly be a bestseller. You can expect romance, strife, betrayal, politics, and action. Each character's story consists of seven chapters- each which include a dungeon, and a boss. This is executed through the game's wonderful battle system, which utilized a unique spherical battlefield- hence the title, Odin Sphere. The music in the game was also wonderful, and I was always tempted to jack up the volume, even if playing at the dead of night. Other features to keep me entertained were the interesting leveling system, and synthesis systems. All in all, Odin Sphere is a gem in the modern gaming world, and it was so excellent to the extent that I've cried, bragged, and argued various points about the game. Now go out and buy it. Now. Have fun.… Expand
  14. PaulA.
    Jun 7, 2007
    7
    The game takes a little while to catch up with the hype that was showered on it upon release. bottom line is that if you're a fan of story driven 2d hack and slash then this game is something of a godsend. don't waste you time if you don't enjoy the above. the reason i gave it a seven was because of the tremendous slow down, i mean ridiculous slow down sometimes, almost The game takes a little while to catch up with the hype that was showered on it upon release. bottom line is that if you're a fan of story driven 2d hack and slash then this game is something of a godsend. don't waste you time if you don't enjoy the above. the reason i gave it a seven was because of the tremendous slow down, i mean ridiculous slow down sometimes, almost crippling. if you can look past this flaw then you will probably enjoy the entire game.… Expand
  15. JacobSmith
    Oct 13, 2009
    9
    I loved this game, the difficulty was a nice change of pace from most of the junk that comes out anymore. Even more alluring is the wonderful story and beautiful visuals. The only thing keeping it from perfection is the irritating item system (I shouldn't have to spend half my time organizing or clearing my inventory) and the occasional slowdown. All and all it is one of my favorite games.
  16. BasilZero
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Odin sphere is one truly rare gem, very unique gameplay, differentiating itself from most RPGs on the Playstation 2 with additional platform features bundled in a package fit for a RPG-Adventure fan. Odin Sphere brings in a story based upon the Norse legends of Old and brings in fantasy characters such as Dwarves, Fairies and dragons all into one storyline. Although the gameplay can becomeOdin sphere is one truly rare gem, very unique gameplay, differentiating itself from most RPGs on the Playstation 2 with additional platform features bundled in a package fit for a RPG-Adventure fan. Odin Sphere brings in a story based upon the Norse legends of Old and brings in fantasy characters such as Dwarves, Fairies and dragons all into one storyline. Although the gameplay can become repetitive, fans will not shy away from the incredible artwork, music and storyline.… Expand
  17. gawster
    Mar 9, 2014
    10
    Odin Sphere is hands down one of my favourite games ever made. While many see it as a 2d hack and slash the combat has a lot of depth. While some battles at first seem impossible with the right approach and equipment can become easy. The art is great with certain sections looking amazing. The only problem is you don't often get to look at it with so many enemies to deal with, but that isOdin Sphere is hands down one of my favourite games ever made. While many see it as a 2d hack and slash the combat has a lot of depth. While some battles at first seem impossible with the right approach and equipment can become easy. The art is great with certain sections looking amazing. The only problem is you don't often get to look at it with so many enemies to deal with, but that is not really a bad thing.

    Finally the story is my favourite part of the game, while it might seem like your usual world is in danger affair the story is deep with characters you will care about and perfect voice acting. I don't want to give to much away. If you don't like this game then you are officially banned from playing games ever again.    … Expand
  18. pahero
    Jan 28, 2017
    9
    Graphics are beautiful
    Story is extraordinary
    Characters are memorable and stylish
    Music is great

    The only thing bad about this game is the little bit of repition on enemies and bosses, but that is not enough to make this feel like a bad game.
  19. toirko13
    Jul 7, 2015
    9
    I think this is a great game and im pretty sure if your a fan of this kind of games you will enjoy for certain. everything form the story too how it looks is pretty epic. There is alot of stuff to do and alot of stuff to gather through your adventure, This music is also pure epicness and so is the japanes voice acting.

    Be sure to buy this game its worth your money without a doubt.
  20. DarkwingSchmuck
    Jul 27, 2023
    5
    Odin Sphere is a great game in every way except its gamplay. The first outing from mid-budget developer, Vanillaware, Odin Sphere is certainly not without effort and care, and was the first to showcase Vamillaware's signature, gorgeous art style -- it's the sort of game you actively want to like, but is held back by its woefully dull and repetitive gameplay. Furthermore, the original PS2Odin Sphere is a great game in every way except its gamplay. The first outing from mid-budget developer, Vanillaware, Odin Sphere is certainly not without effort and care, and was the first to showcase Vamillaware's signature, gorgeous art style -- it's the sort of game you actively want to like, but is held back by its woefully dull and repetitive gameplay. Furthermore, the original PS2 version is hindered by atrocious slowdown -- making it all but unplayable unless you stick with the recent remastered version.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PS2 Game of 2007
10
#10 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2007
11
#11 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. Gaming Nexus
    90
    You can see that this game is a labor of love, which these days feels all too rare.
    Read full review
  2. ZTGD
    90
    With so much focus these days on polygons and lighting effects it is nice to see that some developers can still create a gorgeous experience using traditional methods.
    Read full review
  3. AceGamez
    100
    If there is one phrase that can cover just about everything Odin Sphere is about, it would be this: Odin Sphere has 2D sensibilities. If you remove the technological aspect of the game - not that you'd want to - you have a game that could just as easily been released on the Super Nintendo and ruled the hearts and dreams of fan boys and girls around the world.
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