[PS2] Odin Sphere - Hot sex from Atlus

I live near a Best Buy, three Gamestops (one is in a mall right across the street from the other), and a Rhino Games, so I thought I'd have no problem finding this game. I went to Best Buy, they didn't have it (big surprise). Rhino, nothing. They usually get games a couple of days later than Gamestop despite being owned by the same company. I go to the separate Gamestop, sold out.

I go to the standalone one, they say that they only have enough for reserves, but they offer to call across the street at the one in the mall. They call.

"They have one copy and they're holding it for you."

This makes playing it all the sweeter. I'm loving how far I am (Which is only a couple of hours, at the beginning of Chapter 3 although I've been grinding for money and HP levels in the forest [Get the Juggler, it's amazing]).

My current stats with Gwendolyn right now is Psypher Level 17, HP level 15

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've been listening to the English voice track thus far through the game and I'm impressed. I hear many voices I'm familiar with, and none of them disappoint.

How ya doing, buddy?

I hadn't heard of this game at all until my Roommate linked me to it in February, so I didn't have long to wait at all. He showed me Odin Sphere and Grim Grimoire at the same time, so now I'm looking forward to the latter as well.

Edit: Just beat Valkyrie and started The Pooka Prince.

Spoiler:

The end of Valkyrie made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It really did feel like a storybook ending. I was wondering if it was going to end up tragic with Oswald staying dead but seeing them together was great <3

As far as the next story goes, it seems that each story is completely separate from the other, or at least they dont' move in chronological order. Gwendolyn's sister is still alive and Oswald doesn't seem to be in the picture at all (yet). No mention of a Cauldron, and Velvet has ties with Cornelius this time, no mention of being Odin's daughter so far.

Further edits.

Originally Posted by Jinn

Anyways, I'm really excited to get deeper into this wonderful gaming experience. Now my only worry is that it may be too short, but presently I have nothing to gauge that with.

You'll probably be happy to know that after finishing the first of at least seven books (since after I cleared it one of the stars lit up on my save file), I was almost 8 hours in. I don't think length is going to be an issue.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm not seeing where all of the control issues are coming from. I haven't had any major control issues. I figured out early that you can't be running in order to use items or magic. You just have to learn how to manage mobs of enemies and give yourself room to heal or cast if you take too much damage.

There really isn't anything wrong with the controls, they all work very well. If you could cancel out of your combo you'd never be hit, and how you can't tell which enemy is attacking in a mob as you're comboing is why the game suggests that you lure enemies out into one on one battles.

Also just spamming regular attacks won't win fights. You have to use every type of melee attack at your disposal in combination with phozon skills. Some enemies can only be effectively dealt with if you knock them down with a crouch hit first while others are easily dealt with by air specific attacks rather that just regular air combos.

How ya doing, buddy?

Very likely. By chapter 6 you should have the recipe for Healing Tonic, a 3-time use 200 HP restorative. It takes a Carroteer and a Material 0, both of which are really common.

Plot stuff:

I'm now in Chapter 6 of The Pooka Prince and the story has connected to Valkyrie. The Pooka Prince starts off a bit before the Cauldron War and goes through it, as well. Also talking to townsfolk you find out that "Odin's daughter is dead," which Cornelius takes to mean that Gwendolyn died.

The plot of the whole game is developing, too, and I'm seeing the Cauldron (or Valentine) as the final boss of the game.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Wow. Get through the first few hours of the game, people. The item and alchemy systems both work extremely well, and the game isn't that hard.

Yes, the game downplays hoarding items. It seems to be a foreign concept to many RPG players, but that's how the game works. You either use items when you need them, not spreading them thin, or just ignore the drops and save the inventory space. Or run through an area another time or two and get money for bags. In the later chapters of each story vendors start selling bags with 8 slots, and even then that's excessive. After each area I sell all of the things I don't need (Most 0 Materials since they drop really often, for example), keep a few healing tonics, and use any extra fruits that I've grown in the Pooka Kitchen and/or Cafe to turn my excess items into HP levels. Managing items isn't hard, you just have to do it differently than most other RPGs.

Also by refusing to do alchemy you only make the game that much harder. Some of the most useful items, like Unlimited Power or Yogurt or the oh-so-essential Healing Tonic, can only be created through Alchemy.

I can't emphasize enough that once the Pooka Kitchen and Cafe open up in each story to stop using fruits for HP experience. Healing Tonics become your primary source of healing and fruits and herbs that you grow can be used for recipes that can give upwards of 2000 - 4000+ HP Exp (one recipe I have gives 8200 HP Exp and +35 Max HP) as well as extra max HP bonuses as opposed to a tiny heal and just 250 HP Exp.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The map looks good. Easy to read, with all of the necessary information.

Last night I finished The Pooka Prince and this morning I've started on Fairy Land.

More plot stuff:

I very much enjoyed Cornelius' story. It was kind of heartwarming to see all of the trails and suffering he went through for Velvet's sake, and that she still accepted him even as a homeless Pooka.

Throughout the book there was more foreboding of the oncoming apocalypse. The story was far less political than Valkyrie, and it showed a more "commoner" view of the world.

In Fairy Land I've started playing as Mercedes, and it looks like it's going to be the view of the Cauldron War from the other side, as well as some political strife as Melvin attempts to take over the fairy kingdom.

FELIPE NO

I FINALLY beat the most annoying boss in the game thus far, the chapter 4 boss in Mercedes' story.

What you're looking forward to:

A powered up mage enemy, three slime monsters, two floating eye monsters, and two minibosses was not a very fun fight.

Now I can finally continue.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

You can always press Start and choose "Home." That'll take you out of the area with all of your current items and levels. Great if you're trying to grind psypher levels.

How ya doing, buddy?

Some are locked after certain points in the story. In order to replay them you have to go back to the book after you've finished it and start over.

There's nowhere I can't reach.