Video Game Review: The Great Debate - Odin Sphere vs. Muramasa: the Demon Blade
It's time for another review, and even better, another review series. I call this..............THE GREAT DEBATE!
In this series, instead of reviewing one game, I review two. Two games that have something in common, and in part, because of that, are comparable to each other. They could either share genres, developers, and the like. I would have done this with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but I have yet to play the latter. See, here are the rules:
-The games have to be of the same genre or similar in its approach (Sega Superstar Tennis for the Wii vs. Mario Power Tennis for the Gamecube, for example)
-The games have to either be by the same developer, or somewhat comparable in approach by two different developers (King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga vs. Samurai Shodown Anthology, X-men Legends vs. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, or even Street Fighter Alpha Anthology vs. Street Fighter Anniversary Collection are some examples)
-They have to be games that I have played enough of to know what to expect, have beaten or completed, or generally that I own
-No, I won't be reviewing a game and its direct sequel, so no I won't debate Mario Galaxy with Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, or any of the Mario Party games, even though I own every title and finished most of them, as mentioned.
-No, I won't review games that are not even close to comparable, so for all of you looking to see me put Soul Calibur Legends against either No More Heroes game, I won't do it. That doesn't mean I won't review the games mentioned.
-I just realized I have done this before, but for wrestling companies as I compared the new ECW to TNA, ROH, and Wrestling Society X, so, it's not very original, but I think I could get more out of it for video games.
That said, let's dive in to the first debate as I place Vanillaware's most favored titles (even to the point that they are receiving HD remakes for XBox 360 and PS3): Odin Sphere for the PS2 vs. Muramasa the Demon Blade for the Wii. Same review rules apply here. So, let's get cracking and see which game, in my opinion, holds up better all around. And before anyone says anything, no, spiritual sequels don't fall under the sequel rule as they are more than likely not going to be the same. These two games are different enough to be compared, even though Muramasa came out after Odin Sphere, and for another generation of system (no jokes about the Wii being a last gen system, either).
Okay, enough stalling, let's get it going.
Graphics: Tie
Yea, you weren't going to get anything divisive here. Trust me. I'm not saying the games look exactly the same, not at all. I am saying that Vanillaware goes out of their way to make such an appealing style of graphics for whatever game they create, and they do not skimp on the delivery. It's 2-D with multiple frames of animation. It kind of reminds me of games on the CPS2 engine, courtesy of Capcom, only with more graphics to utilize. Both games are very detailed and well-crafted. Vanillaware takes the mythos surrounding both games and the history they are paying reference to and does their very best to create or re-create the characters artistically. The detail that goes into each character, and especially each boss is astounding. The frames of animation that go into each character is also very astounding, as, for a 2-D game, these games show tremendous graphical strides, proving that 2-D isn't dead, nor should retire. I really enjoy seeing the ancient deities in Muramasa, drawn as they were in the Edo period, as well as the various demons. I also love how detailed the dragons look in Odin Sphere, as well as the 5 forces of Armageddon (the Darkova, King Gallon of the Underworld, Inferno King Onyx, The Cauldron of Power, and Leventhan the Last Dragon) as they are massive in size and power. It makes for great storytelling, really, like a tapestry coming to life. Art! (Right, Ico? Sorry, had to do it)
Sound: Tie
What? Two ties? Are you serious? In all fairness, yes. I found both games with great music, as well as realistic sound effects. Both games have their musical scores add to the atmosphere of the games represented. Also, I am hard-pressed to say that there are any bad songs in each game. There aren't to me, as they all serve a purpose. As for sound effects, they are all very realistic as mentioned previously. When it comes to voice acting, Muramasa is purely in Japanese, with the dialogue in English, via subtitle and message box. Looking back, that's probably the best way to approach the game since it takes place in ancient Japan, most likely during the Edo period. I really can't expect any English voice actors to truly articulate the words given. Although, they did pretty much try with Samurai Champloo, but you had to expect that, what with it being from the same group that made Cowboy Bebop. That said, strictly being in Japanese works for me, however, I did find myself skipping the end of what was being said, since I couldn't tell if they were finished saying it. As for Odin Sphere, you have the option of hearing it in Japanese or in its default language of English. My preference: leave it in English. It just seemed weird to me, seeing people in Scandinavian countries speaking Japanese. I guess it seems out of place to me. But again, that's my preference. And for what it's worth, I don't think the voice acting is all that bad. It's not over the top, or scenery-chewing. It is at the perfect pitch for what is occurring: endless and countless battles, dire journeys, preparation for war, and the like. My only gripe: at times the music drowned out the speech, but that could be an issue with my television
Control: Tie
Oh come on, three ties in a row? Yes, but there is a winner in all of this, believe me. That said, let's see why controls are tied. Both games have the distinct ability of mapping various controls to the controllers for their respective systems. In fact, I'm pretty sure every button has a use, which does help, to say the least. It can also be problematic as you find yourself fumbling around the buttons to see what to press in tough boss battles. For the PS2 and Odin Sphere, the face buttons allow you to access your inventory, access your spells, attack, jump, and pause the game. On the shoulder buttons, you can access the map, check your status, and re-order your inventory, as a few things that can be done. So, yea, every button has a use, but use them wisely, as they will be needed for latter parts of the game, or just for general mental bookkeeping, so as to not get confused. As for Muramasa, since it is on the Wii and was released, well, after Super Smash Brothers Brawl, you get the choice of using the Wiimote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller, or Gamecube Controller. I chose the final of the three as I found the Gamecube controller very handy in this case. The face buttons do something similar to that of Odin Sphere as you can attack, jump, use the inventory, and activate whatever spells coincide with the weapon you chose. The shoulder buttons do similar things as in Odin Sphere as well. However, with the Gamecube controller having a very large A button, it's almost obvious what the attack button will be. When it comes to handling, I don't really have many problems with either game. I just prefer not to use the Wiimote and Nunchuck only due to button placement, and at the weird possibility that you have to use motion for attacking. I don't prefer that at all, at least not for this game. As it turns out, there are no motions that need to be made for this game, but that control pad is needed to cycle through items and to choose items. Not necessarily a bad thing, granted you know when to choose items and when not to.
Etc: Not a tie (Got ya there, eh?)
Odin Sphere: The story behind this classic deals with a young girl named Alice who is reading 6 various books about 5 different heroes in Norse mythology and how their actions caused Armageddon and later on prevented it. You control Alice when the game starts, pick up the book from the floor, sit down and read it to start that part of the game. You could also pick up her cat, sit down and pet him, and see the different cut scenes in the game telling the full story of our heroes. The 6th book, Armageddon is more of a final boss/boss rush book where you take on the final challenges of the main game to unlock the good or bad ending. Okay, here's one key problem I had with this setup: You can't do any other stories in advance. You have to finish each book, one after another in order to use all 5 characters. Now, I understand this is necessary to progress the story along when it comes to importance and such, but, when you access the story menu and see that certain things happened before your chapter in question for another character, the suspense can be quite killer. At least to me, it is. This game kind of reminds me of Eternal Darkness with the books acting as connecting pieces to a large story where all 5 characters interact, in different parts of their stories. You have Gwendolyn, the Valkyrie daughter of the demon lord, Odin, and her quest to win her father's affection while fighting to save her kingdom, and truly learn how to live as a warrior, and as a strong and independent woman. Next is Cornelius, the prince of the royal family of Titania, who was turned into a Pooka (a rabbit) and is now fighting to find out how to change back, while uncovering the conspiracy that surrounds his kingdom and trying to maintain the love he has for one not of royal descent. We then have Mercedes, the fairy princess, who wins the throne as queen of the fairies upon the death of her mother, and is looking to become a true and strong queen while trying to lead her kingdom to success in battle. Then, we have Oswald, a mysterious knight, shrouded in black with amazing and dangerous powers, and is fighting to save his life while proving to others that he is not an object for anyone's use, but a human being. Lastly, we have Velvet, a female mystic, in love with a prince who her brother disapproves of, and is fighting to prevent her fate of dying along with her brother as they are the remaining members of their bloodline. Quite the mouthful, eh? It gets better. When it comes to extras, it's all about unlocking the various scenes in the game within story mode, and in order to do that, you have to traverse through the first 5 books, and then traverse the 6th book in all the various orders that will give you various scenes based on the combinations of character usage in order to get the true ending. There's only one true ending and to find it, you have to pay attention to the various texts you pick up and clues left in each book. After you do all this, you will unlock another book, pretty much summing up the story for each and every character. Other than that, unlocking every thing in the text menu grants you another mode of play, Heroic mode, or the hardest difficulty in the entire game. Speaking of which, let's get into the game's difficulty. The game is tough, no matter what difficulty you choose. The only reason they have the choices is because of how much damage the enemies take. Also, it does with intelligence, too. Trust me, it won't matter what you put the game on, as you won't be rewarded for finishing the game on a higher difficulty. In fact, the difficulty of said game is one of the few points to remember as the developers went out of their way to make this game and others very challenging. And, speaking of challenging, you can't endlessly hack your way through things, as you have a POW meter, which drains every time you attack, more-so if the attack is strong. So, yea, you have to plan your attacks, even when there are swarms of enemies coming at you, varying in size and strength. Which brings me to the lasting appeal of the game. You might find yourself getting very tired of having to endlessly hack through people to get to the end, especially when the difficulty doesn't quite ramp up on whatever setting you have, but it does get much cheaper. Let me tell you. I found myself almost destroying my furniture over some very cheap moments, that I had hoped to not do again. In fact, that's how I traveled through each story: guts to the gravel, nose on the grindstone, and not having to deal with the parts ever again. I used foods just to recharge myself, and not to raise my health experience. I didn't take the alchemy portion of the game very seriously (yes, you have to mix potions to make power ups and better healing items). In fact, the one place you have to go to do your best healing, the Pooka village, is only accessible after certain chapters, in certain books, some earlier than others. Your task is to fulfill those recipes, eat the food, and power yourself up for tougher battles. Only problem is, holding onto those items, let alone currency is not so easy, as the best way to do that is to go through the mini stages within each chapter, before getting to the boss battle of each chapter, and you have to do that quick and efficiently, as you are being graded on it for damage and time. Yay. Oh, and by the way, when I finished with all my characters and got to the last book, I realized just how underpowered my characters were, coercing me to go back into their books for preparation for the boss battles they had ahead of them. Upon doing so, I realized two things: First, if I do power myself up and go through the books, I have to do so again as the characters in question for different scenes if I want to unlock everything, let alone get the true ending, and I don't know if I will be able to save the weapons I used after beating one boss run and it will carry over. Otherwise, if not, I have to go through the chapters again, and power myself up again, and again, and again. Secondly, once the first 5 books are finished, and you go back to them, the good news is you get all your current strengths and powerups from the final battle. The bad news is you have to go through the entire book again. I'm not kidding. If you didn't take the opportunity to go back and go to the necessary stages to stock up for the final book, let alone other bosses, you will have to do it the hard way, going through everything again, meaning every annoying boss, annoying enemy, annoying everything. Yea......I need the hair on my head for the winter, so....
Muramasa, the Demon Blade: The story or stories in question deal with Kisuke, a renegade shogun, and Momohime, a young girl possessed by an evil spirit. Kisuke has to make his trek from the battle ground across Japan to fight the person or persons who want him dead for his crimes. He also has to fight the various deities in the way, in order to make up for his sins in his life, and at most, see the woman he loves once again, after her death. Momohime, ironically travels in the other direction as Kisuke, and even though they cross paths, never really interact just yet. Her task is to assist the demon in getting across Japan and find him a new body to possess, while she must free herself from him, as well as the danger that surrounds her, now that he was responsible for all the deaths she has committed under his control. When it comes to the story, you have the chance to choose either Kisuke or Momohime from the beginning. In fact, as you do, based on where you saved last, you can go back to their files and continue their games with no issues. Pretty streamlined, if you ask me. After all, you are dealing with 2 people, as opposed to 5, and also, their stories tend to cross into each other pretty seamlessly, with some cameos here and there. Oh, and by the way, you have access to their stories immediately, as opposed to Odin Sphere where you have to finish a whole book before getting to use a new character. Also, like Odin Sphere, you can play on different difficulty levels, but difficulty won't determine the extras you get. However, after finishing the game, you will unlock Shigurui Mode, the toughest mode in the game, where you have only 1 HP all the time. Other extras to consider are the three endings per person, giving you a grand total of 6 endings to choose from. Basically, finish the game initially to get either standard ending, finish the game with a specific sword (most likely, the second strongest sword, if I'm not mistaken) to get a different boss and a different ending, and lastly, end the game with the Muramasa to get the ultimate boss and the ultimate ending, which ultimately is the happy ending. In order to get the latter swords in question, you have to level up the swords you have through using them, and thankfully, there is a sword menu that helps you keep track of which swords you can get or have gotten. Other things to look to get, but won't really earn extras in completion are every recipe for food, and every possible item. In fact, unlike Odin Sphere, you can equip various items to yourself to strengthen yourself, unlike in Odin Sphere, when you can only equip one thing. Now, that brings us to the game's lasting appeal. To be honest, this game, as mentioned, is more streamlined than that of Odin Sphere. You can level up your swords through usage, as well as collecting souls to power up the swords when used, and once a level is reached, you can unlock a new sword to use, that may or may not be better for you. Also, each sword has a spell to them, like Odin Sphere, but instead of 6 predetermined spells through experience, you get various different perks that Odin Sphere separated between spells and alchemy. Instead of having to activate a potion for regeneration, you can activate it by your sword, so running out of chances to use it are almost impossible. Also, instead of a POW meter, you get a sword meter that runs out when used a lot, when your attacks are blocked, or when you block attacks. If the meter drains, the sword breaks. Not to worry though, as your meter can recharge, and also, you do have 2 other swords to utilize instead of one default weapon. Accessing shops are identical to that of Odin Sphere, but, it's not just shops you can watch for. Restaurants are strewn about on certain map parts, as mentioned, instead of at the end of a chapter. This proves to be much more helpful when making recipes and needing the food on the go or to stay to level up your health. Also, you can access a hot springs area to heal yourself and your swords (don't ask how) as a brief time out. If you're lucky, you'll run into a person or two. Also, there are save points instead of saving via the pause menu, not to mention parts where you can travel between different parts of the country, by boat or taxi. This can prove to be very useful when rounding up items, ingredients, secret areas for treasure and the like, or just general map completion. Did I mention that the various things mentioned can all occur on the same map part or portion without having to go to a completely different map part? Well, you can, and also, instead of finding the map in a random area, you can buy the map from a shop, which saves a lot of time. Now, with all these nuances, you probably think the game is significantly easier than Odin Sphere. In truth, it's more balanced, and much more equitable, but the challenge is still there. Some ninjas will block you, some won't. Some enemies will take to the air, forcing you to platform jump. Some ninjas will drop bombs near you. And sometimes, you fight Oni that put some of the axe knights in Odin Sphere to shame. And, thanks to the developers, you have to option to evade battle with the smoke bomb item. Also, with more ground to cover, there are more bosses to encounter, and they are just as challenging as that of the bosses in Odin Sphere. This can be a detriment to Muramasa, as it can make the game long and tedious, as well as endlessly challenging. However, you won't find yourself in all hopelessness trying to finish the game. I'm not sure if they made these games these ways to differentiate the mythos surrounding them, or if they did this to make up for one of the more challenging aspects of Odin Sphere, but I can see myself at least having something of a fighting chance with Muramasa.
Point goes to: Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Winner: Muramasa: The Demon Blade
At the end of the day, I'd go with Muramasa as the better game to play on one key front I can think about: the flow of the game. Both games have great stories to tell. Odin Sphere has more story by default because of the multiple characters to use. However, the flow of the storyline, although connected, is rather slow and at times, draining. You have to finish one chapter off before getting to someone new. This may or may not tie in to the general flow of the game as various things take almost forever to get to or get through. It feels almost impossible to save anything for the next restaurant run, as you need to conserve space for various things that are useful, like potions and items to use. Once you finished a chapter, you have to go back to the beginning to find items for yourself in order to prep yourself for the final book. That, in of itself, is a long and arduous task. The graphics on both are stellar, the sound on both are impressive, and even the controls aren't too bad. But, when it comes to the rest for the games, Odin Sphere has more story to tell, but it just takes longer and is more tedious. Muramasa allows the same to be done in one encompassing universe, in various spots, making for a more convenient experience. The gameplay system is also a bit more forgiving and balanced. You have options if you lose a sword, as opposed to say, one weapon that has to be recharged if overworked. You have more chances to do things that are helpful to your quest, as opposed to say, one chance per chapter, and then you have to backtrack to the previous chapter before you go further, and have to remember to do so. That said, I'd choose Muramasa as the better game of the two.
But, that's just my opinion. Comment away if you've played or owned these. Tell me what you think, and I'll hope to share or debate your sentiment.
In this series, instead of reviewing one game, I review two. Two games that have something in common, and in part, because of that, are comparable to each other. They could either share genres, developers, and the like. I would have done this with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, but I have yet to play the latter. See, here are the rules:
-The games have to be of the same genre or similar in its approach (Sega Superstar Tennis for the Wii vs. Mario Power Tennis for the Gamecube, for example)
-The games have to either be by the same developer, or somewhat comparable in approach by two different developers (King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga vs. Samurai Shodown Anthology, X-men Legends vs. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, or even Street Fighter Alpha Anthology vs. Street Fighter Anniversary Collection are some examples)
-They have to be games that I have played enough of to know what to expect, have beaten or completed, or generally that I own
-No, I won't be reviewing a game and its direct sequel, so no I won't debate Mario Galaxy with Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, or any of the Mario Party games, even though I own every title and finished most of them, as mentioned.
-No, I won't review games that are not even close to comparable, so for all of you looking to see me put Soul Calibur Legends against either No More Heroes game, I won't do it. That doesn't mean I won't review the games mentioned.
-I just realized I have done this before, but for wrestling companies as I compared the new ECW to TNA, ROH, and Wrestling Society X, so, it's not very original, but I think I could get more out of it for video games.
That said, let's dive in to the first debate as I place Vanillaware's most favored titles (even to the point that they are receiving HD remakes for XBox 360 and PS3): Odin Sphere for the PS2 vs. Muramasa the Demon Blade for the Wii. Same review rules apply here. So, let's get cracking and see which game, in my opinion, holds up better all around. And before anyone says anything, no, spiritual sequels don't fall under the sequel rule as they are more than likely not going to be the same. These two games are different enough to be compared, even though Muramasa came out after Odin Sphere, and for another generation of system (no jokes about the Wii being a last gen system, either).
Okay, enough stalling, let's get it going.
Graphics: Tie
Yea, you weren't going to get anything divisive here. Trust me. I'm not saying the games look exactly the same, not at all. I am saying that Vanillaware goes out of their way to make such an appealing style of graphics for whatever game they create, and they do not skimp on the delivery. It's 2-D with multiple frames of animation. It kind of reminds me of games on the CPS2 engine, courtesy of Capcom, only with more graphics to utilize. Both games are very detailed and well-crafted. Vanillaware takes the mythos surrounding both games and the history they are paying reference to and does their very best to create or re-create the characters artistically. The detail that goes into each character, and especially each boss is astounding. The frames of animation that go into each character is also very astounding, as, for a 2-D game, these games show tremendous graphical strides, proving that 2-D isn't dead, nor should retire. I really enjoy seeing the ancient deities in Muramasa, drawn as they were in the Edo period, as well as the various demons. I also love how detailed the dragons look in Odin Sphere, as well as the 5 forces of Armageddon (the Darkova, King Gallon of the Underworld, Inferno King Onyx, The Cauldron of Power, and Leventhan the Last Dragon) as they are massive in size and power. It makes for great storytelling, really, like a tapestry coming to life. Art! (Right, Ico? Sorry, had to do it)
Sound: Tie
What? Two ties? Are you serious? In all fairness, yes. I found both games with great music, as well as realistic sound effects. Both games have their musical scores add to the atmosphere of the games represented. Also, I am hard-pressed to say that there are any bad songs in each game. There aren't to me, as they all serve a purpose. As for sound effects, they are all very realistic as mentioned previously. When it comes to voice acting, Muramasa is purely in Japanese, with the dialogue in English, via subtitle and message box. Looking back, that's probably the best way to approach the game since it takes place in ancient Japan, most likely during the Edo period. I really can't expect any English voice actors to truly articulate the words given. Although, they did pretty much try with Samurai Champloo, but you had to expect that, what with it being from the same group that made Cowboy Bebop. That said, strictly being in Japanese works for me, however, I did find myself skipping the end of what was being said, since I couldn't tell if they were finished saying it. As for Odin Sphere, you have the option of hearing it in Japanese or in its default language of English. My preference: leave it in English. It just seemed weird to me, seeing people in Scandinavian countries speaking Japanese. I guess it seems out of place to me. But again, that's my preference. And for what it's worth, I don't think the voice acting is all that bad. It's not over the top, or scenery-chewing. It is at the perfect pitch for what is occurring: endless and countless battles, dire journeys, preparation for war, and the like. My only gripe: at times the music drowned out the speech, but that could be an issue with my television
Control: Tie
Oh come on, three ties in a row? Yes, but there is a winner in all of this, believe me. That said, let's see why controls are tied. Both games have the distinct ability of mapping various controls to the controllers for their respective systems. In fact, I'm pretty sure every button has a use, which does help, to say the least. It can also be problematic as you find yourself fumbling around the buttons to see what to press in tough boss battles. For the PS2 and Odin Sphere, the face buttons allow you to access your inventory, access your spells, attack, jump, and pause the game. On the shoulder buttons, you can access the map, check your status, and re-order your inventory, as a few things that can be done. So, yea, every button has a use, but use them wisely, as they will be needed for latter parts of the game, or just for general mental bookkeeping, so as to not get confused. As for Muramasa, since it is on the Wii and was released, well, after Super Smash Brothers Brawl, you get the choice of using the Wiimote and Nunchuck, Classic Controller, or Gamecube Controller. I chose the final of the three as I found the Gamecube controller very handy in this case. The face buttons do something similar to that of Odin Sphere as you can attack, jump, use the inventory, and activate whatever spells coincide with the weapon you chose. The shoulder buttons do similar things as in Odin Sphere as well. However, with the Gamecube controller having a very large A button, it's almost obvious what the attack button will be. When it comes to handling, I don't really have many problems with either game. I just prefer not to use the Wiimote and Nunchuck only due to button placement, and at the weird possibility that you have to use motion for attacking. I don't prefer that at all, at least not for this game. As it turns out, there are no motions that need to be made for this game, but that control pad is needed to cycle through items and to choose items. Not necessarily a bad thing, granted you know when to choose items and when not to.
Etc: Not a tie (Got ya there, eh?)
Odin Sphere: The story behind this classic deals with a young girl named Alice who is reading 6 various books about 5 different heroes in Norse mythology and how their actions caused Armageddon and later on prevented it. You control Alice when the game starts, pick up the book from the floor, sit down and read it to start that part of the game. You could also pick up her cat, sit down and pet him, and see the different cut scenes in the game telling the full story of our heroes. The 6th book, Armageddon is more of a final boss/boss rush book where you take on the final challenges of the main game to unlock the good or bad ending. Okay, here's one key problem I had with this setup: You can't do any other stories in advance. You have to finish each book, one after another in order to use all 5 characters. Now, I understand this is necessary to progress the story along when it comes to importance and such, but, when you access the story menu and see that certain things happened before your chapter in question for another character, the suspense can be quite killer. At least to me, it is. This game kind of reminds me of Eternal Darkness with the books acting as connecting pieces to a large story where all 5 characters interact, in different parts of their stories. You have Gwendolyn, the Valkyrie daughter of the demon lord, Odin, and her quest to win her father's affection while fighting to save her kingdom, and truly learn how to live as a warrior, and as a strong and independent woman. Next is Cornelius, the prince of the royal family of Titania, who was turned into a Pooka (a rabbit) and is now fighting to find out how to change back, while uncovering the conspiracy that surrounds his kingdom and trying to maintain the love he has for one not of royal descent. We then have Mercedes, the fairy princess, who wins the throne as queen of the fairies upon the death of her mother, and is looking to become a true and strong queen while trying to lead her kingdom to success in battle. Then, we have Oswald, a mysterious knight, shrouded in black with amazing and dangerous powers, and is fighting to save his life while proving to others that he is not an object for anyone's use, but a human being. Lastly, we have Velvet, a female mystic, in love with a prince who her brother disapproves of, and is fighting to prevent her fate of dying along with her brother as they are the remaining members of their bloodline. Quite the mouthful, eh? It gets better. When it comes to extras, it's all about unlocking the various scenes in the game within story mode, and in order to do that, you have to traverse through the first 5 books, and then traverse the 6th book in all the various orders that will give you various scenes based on the combinations of character usage in order to get the true ending. There's only one true ending and to find it, you have to pay attention to the various texts you pick up and clues left in each book. After you do all this, you will unlock another book, pretty much summing up the story for each and every character. Other than that, unlocking every thing in the text menu grants you another mode of play, Heroic mode, or the hardest difficulty in the entire game. Speaking of which, let's get into the game's difficulty. The game is tough, no matter what difficulty you choose. The only reason they have the choices is because of how much damage the enemies take. Also, it does with intelligence, too. Trust me, it won't matter what you put the game on, as you won't be rewarded for finishing the game on a higher difficulty. In fact, the difficulty of said game is one of the few points to remember as the developers went out of their way to make this game and others very challenging. And, speaking of challenging, you can't endlessly hack your way through things, as you have a POW meter, which drains every time you attack, more-so if the attack is strong. So, yea, you have to plan your attacks, even when there are swarms of enemies coming at you, varying in size and strength. Which brings me to the lasting appeal of the game. You might find yourself getting very tired of having to endlessly hack through people to get to the end, especially when the difficulty doesn't quite ramp up on whatever setting you have, but it does get much cheaper. Let me tell you. I found myself almost destroying my furniture over some very cheap moments, that I had hoped to not do again. In fact, that's how I traveled through each story: guts to the gravel, nose on the grindstone, and not having to deal with the parts ever again. I used foods just to recharge myself, and not to raise my health experience. I didn't take the alchemy portion of the game very seriously (yes, you have to mix potions to make power ups and better healing items). In fact, the one place you have to go to do your best healing, the Pooka village, is only accessible after certain chapters, in certain books, some earlier than others. Your task is to fulfill those recipes, eat the food, and power yourself up for tougher battles. Only problem is, holding onto those items, let alone currency is not so easy, as the best way to do that is to go through the mini stages within each chapter, before getting to the boss battle of each chapter, and you have to do that quick and efficiently, as you are being graded on it for damage and time. Yay. Oh, and by the way, when I finished with all my characters and got to the last book, I realized just how underpowered my characters were, coercing me to go back into their books for preparation for the boss battles they had ahead of them. Upon doing so, I realized two things: First, if I do power myself up and go through the books, I have to do so again as the characters in question for different scenes if I want to unlock everything, let alone get the true ending, and I don't know if I will be able to save the weapons I used after beating one boss run and it will carry over. Otherwise, if not, I have to go through the chapters again, and power myself up again, and again, and again. Secondly, once the first 5 books are finished, and you go back to them, the good news is you get all your current strengths and powerups from the final battle. The bad news is you have to go through the entire book again. I'm not kidding. If you didn't take the opportunity to go back and go to the necessary stages to stock up for the final book, let alone other bosses, you will have to do it the hard way, going through everything again, meaning every annoying boss, annoying enemy, annoying everything. Yea......I need the hair on my head for the winter, so....
Muramasa, the Demon Blade: The story or stories in question deal with Kisuke, a renegade shogun, and Momohime, a young girl possessed by an evil spirit. Kisuke has to make his trek from the battle ground across Japan to fight the person or persons who want him dead for his crimes. He also has to fight the various deities in the way, in order to make up for his sins in his life, and at most, see the woman he loves once again, after her death. Momohime, ironically travels in the other direction as Kisuke, and even though they cross paths, never really interact just yet. Her task is to assist the demon in getting across Japan and find him a new body to possess, while she must free herself from him, as well as the danger that surrounds her, now that he was responsible for all the deaths she has committed under his control. When it comes to the story, you have the chance to choose either Kisuke or Momohime from the beginning. In fact, as you do, based on where you saved last, you can go back to their files and continue their games with no issues. Pretty streamlined, if you ask me. After all, you are dealing with 2 people, as opposed to 5, and also, their stories tend to cross into each other pretty seamlessly, with some cameos here and there. Oh, and by the way, you have access to their stories immediately, as opposed to Odin Sphere where you have to finish a whole book before getting to use a new character. Also, like Odin Sphere, you can play on different difficulty levels, but difficulty won't determine the extras you get. However, after finishing the game, you will unlock Shigurui Mode, the toughest mode in the game, where you have only 1 HP all the time. Other extras to consider are the three endings per person, giving you a grand total of 6 endings to choose from. Basically, finish the game initially to get either standard ending, finish the game with a specific sword (most likely, the second strongest sword, if I'm not mistaken) to get a different boss and a different ending, and lastly, end the game with the Muramasa to get the ultimate boss and the ultimate ending, which ultimately is the happy ending. In order to get the latter swords in question, you have to level up the swords you have through using them, and thankfully, there is a sword menu that helps you keep track of which swords you can get or have gotten. Other things to look to get, but won't really earn extras in completion are every recipe for food, and every possible item. In fact, unlike Odin Sphere, you can equip various items to yourself to strengthen yourself, unlike in Odin Sphere, when you can only equip one thing. Now, that brings us to the game's lasting appeal. To be honest, this game, as mentioned, is more streamlined than that of Odin Sphere. You can level up your swords through usage, as well as collecting souls to power up the swords when used, and once a level is reached, you can unlock a new sword to use, that may or may not be better for you. Also, each sword has a spell to them, like Odin Sphere, but instead of 6 predetermined spells through experience, you get various different perks that Odin Sphere separated between spells and alchemy. Instead of having to activate a potion for regeneration, you can activate it by your sword, so running out of chances to use it are almost impossible. Also, instead of a POW meter, you get a sword meter that runs out when used a lot, when your attacks are blocked, or when you block attacks. If the meter drains, the sword breaks. Not to worry though, as your meter can recharge, and also, you do have 2 other swords to utilize instead of one default weapon. Accessing shops are identical to that of Odin Sphere, but, it's not just shops you can watch for. Restaurants are strewn about on certain map parts, as mentioned, instead of at the end of a chapter. This proves to be much more helpful when making recipes and needing the food on the go or to stay to level up your health. Also, you can access a hot springs area to heal yourself and your swords (don't ask how) as a brief time out. If you're lucky, you'll run into a person or two. Also, there are save points instead of saving via the pause menu, not to mention parts where you can travel between different parts of the country, by boat or taxi. This can prove to be very useful when rounding up items, ingredients, secret areas for treasure and the like, or just general map completion. Did I mention that the various things mentioned can all occur on the same map part or portion without having to go to a completely different map part? Well, you can, and also, instead of finding the map in a random area, you can buy the map from a shop, which saves a lot of time. Now, with all these nuances, you probably think the game is significantly easier than Odin Sphere. In truth, it's more balanced, and much more equitable, but the challenge is still there. Some ninjas will block you, some won't. Some enemies will take to the air, forcing you to platform jump. Some ninjas will drop bombs near you. And sometimes, you fight Oni that put some of the axe knights in Odin Sphere to shame. And, thanks to the developers, you have to option to evade battle with the smoke bomb item. Also, with more ground to cover, there are more bosses to encounter, and they are just as challenging as that of the bosses in Odin Sphere. This can be a detriment to Muramasa, as it can make the game long and tedious, as well as endlessly challenging. However, you won't find yourself in all hopelessness trying to finish the game. I'm not sure if they made these games these ways to differentiate the mythos surrounding them, or if they did this to make up for one of the more challenging aspects of Odin Sphere, but I can see myself at least having something of a fighting chance with Muramasa.
Point goes to: Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Winner: Muramasa: The Demon Blade
At the end of the day, I'd go with Muramasa as the better game to play on one key front I can think about: the flow of the game. Both games have great stories to tell. Odin Sphere has more story by default because of the multiple characters to use. However, the flow of the storyline, although connected, is rather slow and at times, draining. You have to finish one chapter off before getting to someone new. This may or may not tie in to the general flow of the game as various things take almost forever to get to or get through. It feels almost impossible to save anything for the next restaurant run, as you need to conserve space for various things that are useful, like potions and items to use. Once you finished a chapter, you have to go back to the beginning to find items for yourself in order to prep yourself for the final book. That, in of itself, is a long and arduous task. The graphics on both are stellar, the sound on both are impressive, and even the controls aren't too bad. But, when it comes to the rest for the games, Odin Sphere has more story to tell, but it just takes longer and is more tedious. Muramasa allows the same to be done in one encompassing universe, in various spots, making for a more convenient experience. The gameplay system is also a bit more forgiving and balanced. You have options if you lose a sword, as opposed to say, one weapon that has to be recharged if overworked. You have more chances to do things that are helpful to your quest, as opposed to say, one chance per chapter, and then you have to backtrack to the previous chapter before you go further, and have to remember to do so. That said, I'd choose Muramasa as the better game of the two.
But, that's just my opinion. Comment away if you've played or owned these. Tell me what you think, and I'll hope to share or debate your sentiment.
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