History VideoGame / OdinSphere

An UpdatedRerelease, ''Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir'', was released for [=PS3=], [=PS4=], and UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita on January 14th, 2016 in Japan and in June that year in other territories. It features UsefulNotes/HighDefinition graphics and the ability to switch from the classic gameplay mechanics to revamped ones based on ''Odin Sphere'''s [[CreatorDrivenSuccessor successors]], ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'' and ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown''.

''Odin Sphere'' is an ActionRPG published by Creator/{{Atlus}} and developed by Creator/{{Vanillaware}}, released in the late end of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2's life cycle.

** The Napples return from ''VideoGame/PrincessCrown''. A common misconception is they are also a reference to ''VideoGame/NappleTale''.

* GameGourmet: Have fun cooking up all kinds of salads, soups, omelets, snacks, desserts and so on!

* CameraScrew: Averted; the game features an amazingly informative on-screen minimap that'll show what isn't actually happening on-screen. Also, during boss fights the camera pulls back slightly.

* WhipItGood: Velvet uses a double-ended weighted chain flail to fight.

An UpdatedRerelease, ''Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir'', was released for [=PS3=], [=PS4=], and UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita on January 14th, 2016 in Japan and in June that year in other territories. It features UsefulNotes/HighDefinition graphics and the ability to switch from the classic gameplay mechanics to revamped ones based on ''Odin Sphere'''s {{Spiritual Successor}}s, ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade'' and ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown''.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/PrincessCrown'', a 1997 Creator/{{Atlus}} title for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn developed by the dev team that went on to become Creator/{{Vanillaware}}. During development, ''Odin Sphere'' was even referred to as ''Princess Crown 2''.

* ProphecyTwist: Quite a few, detailed in the NoManOfWomanBorn section. The vague wording of the prophecy of the Armageddon leads to many [[PropheticFallacy Prophetic Fallacies]] as well. Hindel, the future-seeing dragon, lampshades this and is something of a deconstruction. Because every hint of the future he gives always had twists, he stopped giving help.

* BareYourMidriff: The Vulcans and the Fairies of Ringford have their bellies exposed, among other things. The former can be justified as they are live in a land of flame and magma, and seem to be composed of lava themselves.

** The above becomes unintentionally [[HypocriticalHumor funny]] when combined with a later fudge -- Oswald kills a villain with the justification, "[[spoiler:I cannot allow someone as [[{{Hypocrisy}} evil as you]] to continue to live...]]" Especially since he highlights his own lack of morals first. Originally he just said "[[spoiler:[[CombatPragmatist You're too dangerous to let live]]]]".

* EarnYourHappyEnding: In the bad ending, [[spoiler: [[KillEmAll everybody dies]] and there is no hope to restore the world]]. In the good ending, [[spoiler: Everybody dies except four of the five protagonists. Oswald and Gwendolyn earn their happy ending together and help usher in a new world, and Cornelius and Velvet survive as Pooka. Mercedes dies, but is reborn as the World Tree, and in ''Leifthrasir'' is reunited with Ingway]]. In the best ending, [[spoiler: Cornelius and Velvet become human again]]. The good ending requires the player to [[NoManOfWomanBorn interpret a series of prophecies]] so that each of the five heroes fights during the Apocalypse in the correct order. Unfortunately, to get the best ending the player has to [[OneHundredPercentCompletion see every cutscene possible]]... Including the DownerEnding cutscenes that spring from messing up the correct boss fight order. This means you have to fight through the Apocalypse at least four times total in order get the best ending. ''Leifthrasir'' fixes things immensely both by allowing you to skip scenes you've already seen and allowing you to return to the attic after you've viewed what you needed, making it so that you only need to actually see the bad ending once.

* KillEmAll:
** In the bad ending, [[spoiler: every playable character dies after they face one of the disasters, and Erion is completely destroyed.]]
** In the good ending, [[spoiler: Gwendolyn and Oswald survive to become the "crownless lords" that will [[AdamAndEvePlot revive the world]], and so do the Pooka cursed Cornelius and Velvet, but everyone else dies.]]

* AnAxeToGrind: Several enemies, including Aesir warriors, Berserkers, and Axe Knights.

* {{Gainaxing}}: The Vulcans' assets seem to bounce while ''breathing''. Velvet visibly bounces when crouching, getting up and running too. At least Odette has an excuse: Her huge breasts have no muscles to support them because of her skeletal shoulders and back.

* NonMammalMammaries: The [[AmazonBrigade Vulcans]] in their true form are supposed to be [[MagmaMan lava elementals]], but they do sport some [[{{Gainaxing}} jiggly boobs]]. One of the forms of the Myrconid, a shapeshifting boss that resembles a mushroom, resembles a beautiful young woman with large assets. Also the female Geist seen in the Underworld are big-breasted. Weirdly inverted with the Pooka females, who ''are'' mammals.

* Cornelius, the prince of Titania who gets [[BalefulPolymorph transformed into a rabbit-like Pooka]] and must find a way to break the curse and stop the villain who has taken his place.

* BalefulPolymorph:
** Cornelius is transformed into a rabbit-like "Pooka" even during his opening prologue, later learning that it's (more or less) irreversible, and that the entire Pooka race share the same curse. [[spoiler:Velvet receives the same fate during the Good Ending, and both of them manage to reverse it for the living and the dead by collecting all of the Valentine coins]].
** Mercedes encounters a talking frog early in her story, who was also once human. [[spoiler:It's Ingway, who ticked off the Wise Men and was subsequently cursed by Urzur.]]
** And of course, the "Frog" {{Status Effect|s}}, which can be cured (or caused) by a "Metamorphosis" potion. Which, ironically, comes with CollisionDamage jumping attacks and [[UniversalPoison poisonous]] touch built right in.

* NintendoHard: As with all Creator/{{Atlus}} titles, this one is no exception. Enemies and projectiles flying off in multiple directions simultaneously can occasionally trigger a [[DisasterDominoes cascading disaster]]. For example, you can get dizzied by a laser beam, torched by wizard's flame, [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a frog]] and ''then'' [[DeathFromAbove one-hit killed from above]] by a midboss' jumping attack. All within the span of ten seconds. The remake is much more forgiving compared to the original, although if you choose to play Hard or Heroic mode, it becomes as difficult as the original.

* StatusEffects: Poison, Flame, Freeze, and [[BalefulPolymorph Frog]].

** Oswald's MoralDissonance as a political assassin gets lost. "[[spoiler:As you commanded, I have disposed of the Paladins in opposition.]]" became "[[spoiler:As you command. The Paladins who were in opposition have [[DirtyCoward hidden themselves in secrecy]].]]" Hence his [[{{Foreshadowing}} ominous exchange]] with a Paladin beforehand.

** In Oswald's story, Oswald himself admits this to [[{{Jerkass}} King Onyx]] [[spoiler:regarding their feelings for Gwendolyn and their hidden fears she would only them as monsters]], which is what motivates his SympathyForTheDevil attitude after their fight.

** Gwendolyn saves Velvet from being executed by Brigan so that her father won't suffer the pain of losing someone he loves. For her trouble, she gets stripped her status as a Valkyrie and wed off to a stranger.
** All Cornelius wanted to do was see Velvet and express his undying feelings for her. What happens? [[spoiler: A jealous Ingway curses him into Pooka and he's sent to the Netherworld by the Wise Men.]] Much of the first half of his story is him just looking for help, only to either be attacked, forced to do some difficult task, or being outright humiliated.
** Probably the worst case ends up happening to Mercedes, whose entire plotline is essentially a ShootTheShaggyDog story. She successfully quells a rebellion instigated by her cousin, calms a raging dragon, returns a frog to its human form [[spoiler: and falls mutually in love with said human]], rescues a dwarven blacksmith from the Netherworld, and defeats the most feared warlord in the land, earning the respect of everyone in Erion. What happens? [[spoiler: Her kingdom is destroyed and all its citizens slaughtered, she discovers that her lover died before they could meet again, and the final battle she has against Onyx ultimately results in her death.]]