[center][color=0072bc][h3]Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir[/h3][/color]
[img]https://nsx.np.dl.playstation.net/nsx/material/8/8b2f35f4295ab7442c8794a4b58425bc2944a7ba-1123983.jpg[/img][/center]

[color=0072bc][b]Genre:[/b][/color] Fantasy, Mild Steampunk
[color=0072bc][b]Playstyle:[/b][/color] Side scrolling, Action, Adventure

Odin Sphere is a game by Vanillaware Games (Muramasa and Dragon's Crown) which is set within a fantasy world inhabited by Humans, Valkyries, Elves, The Undead, Goblins and rabbit like creatures known as the Pooka. Originally the game came out in 2007 on PS2 but a remastered edition with additional content was released for PS-Vita, PS3 and PS4. Considering this already a game that is almost 10 years old, it held up pretty well with it's remastered version.

The gameplay was pretty strong with 5 different playable characters and unique playstyles [i](2 melee characters, 1 ranged, 1 bezerker, and a midrange)[/i]. What was very interesting was the way each character's story played out. Every character progresses along the same [b]time[/b]line but has their own individual [b]story[/b]line, meaning that you can cross paths with characters you have played or will play during each playthrough. This allows for a continual shift in view for when you go from playing the Protagonist in one story to the Antagonist in another, forcing you to realise that not everything is black and white as it seems.

The result is a somewhat unclear telling of events that is only truly explained when you play the last character [i](ie: Your fifth playthrough)[/i]. Considering the amount of games out there that rely on a narrative in order to engage the player, this comes as a fresh change as you will constantly remember events from before and wonder how they will play out or what lead to their occurrence.

In terms of gameplay this game has been very well designed and the remastered edition improved on the special abilities of each character, granting them more personalised moves that match their character as opposed to a list of generic ones that the original design had. One concern that was raised, and noticed during certain boss fights, was the difficulty. For the most part it was pretty balanced but during certain periods the character that was in use would either have a huge advantage or disadvantage. The Bezerker character often had difficulties with airborne enemies while the ranged character made some of the battles a little too easy even when playing at a level disadvantage.

[color=0072bc][b]Verdict:[/b][/color] Worth Buying

[color=39b54a][b]+[/b][/color] Very Engaging Story
[color=39b54a][b]+[/b][/color] Beautiful Art style and Soundtrack
[color=39b54a][b]+[/b][/color] Approx 40 hours of play before unlocking NG+

[color=ed1c24][b]-[/b][/color] Varying difficulty (overall on the easy side considering game starts player on Normal)
[color=ed1c24][b]-[/b][/color] Little desire to Play NG+
[color=ed1c24][b]-[/b][/color] Able to unlock majority of secrets in first game playthrough, leaving even less desire to play NG+