I've made my position plain in the past when it comes to getting excited over previews, but even I can't help being psyched every time I hear about Odin Sphere. Admittedly, I'm somewhat of an RPG fan, and I'll also confess to being more easily sold on pretty screenshots than I should be-- though Joystiq user megaStryke agrees with me, posting the following:"This game is being released relatively quickly after Super Paper Mario. Both are 2-D action RPGs. I hate to say it, but the look and style of Odin Sphere makes Super Paper Mario look like a preschooler's crayon 'drawlings.'"
To be fair, I think part of the stylistic aim of Super Paper Mario was that kiddy-crayon look, but then again, it's always been true that the last breaths of a previous-gen console were often as graphically rich, if not moreso, than the newborn squalls of the newer ones.
To be fair, I think part of the stylistic aim of Super Paper Mario was that kiddy-crayon look, but then again, it's always been true that the last breaths of a previous-gen console were often as graphically rich, if not moreso, than the newborn squalls of the newer ones.Anyway. My gosh, I've been antagonistic lately, haven't I? Back to the game itself-- Odin Sphere is a sequel, at least in spirit, to an RPG for the Saturn called Princess Crown. Thematically, it seems pretty much like any RPG, but stylistically it seems to have nailed that blend of beautiful and adorable that I (and I'm not alone) find so captivating these days.
We've yawned at just about every assembly-line RPG that's been rolled out lately. Except for Ar Tonelico (which I know nothing about), I've hardly even heard about anything that isn't a Final Fantasy redux. I still can't put my finger on exactly why I, and a lot of others in the gaming community, are so interested in this title, but I've got some idea-- I think it balls-out rocks that one of this month's most eagerly anticipated titles is a 2-D RPG for a previous-gen console. It seems, somehow, a victory for the essence of gaming, eschewing the big-budget, high-priced superpower of our current crop of choices.I've been a fan of pretty much everything Atlus's been rolling out lately-- they've really tapped in to that subsect of the market that wants the same play that the Japanese kids get. Encouraging previews, a proven publisher, and a promising concept. Nothing can go wrong! Right?
While we wait, do check out this interview Joystiq did with project lead Bill Alexander (no relation to me).
