Ragnarok Odyssey
Today's new RPG release is for the PlayStation Vita. Ragnarok Odyssey, developed by Game Arts and published by Xseed Games, takes place in a world heavily based on Norse mythology. The word "Ragnarok" itself is of Nordic descent if I remember correctly, and it references a point in the future similar to the Christian belief of Judgment Day. More specifically, many of the gods in the Norse pantheon expire in a grand battle, and the world is covered in a flood before it is reborn and repopulated by two human survivors. The plot of Ragnarok Odyssey sees humans battling giants after the death of the old gods so the name isn't just a throwaway name that sounds cool.
Ragnarok Odyssey has an anime-esque art style that will most likely be familiar to any fan of JRPGs. The game was designed by the same people that made the Lunar and Grandia games, two series well-regarded in certain RPG communities. There are 6 different job classes to choose from and players can play online with four people. The game seems to follow the Monster Hunter model of gaming, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some would argue this is exactly what the PS Vita needs at this point.
Allow me to clarify. Since its release, the Vita has struggled to find its place in a market traditionally dominated by Nintendo, and now dominated by tablets and smartphones. For years people were asking Sony for another analog stick for the PSP. Now that they have delivered some are saying it is too little, and too late. The Vita is slick hardware, no one is denying that (the majority of the reviews seem favorable to me, at least) but there seems to be the perception that there are no decent games for the thing, so hopefully Ragarok Odyssey can help alleviate that concern. Review scores have been favorable so far, and if Sony continues to release quality titles to the same acclaim, they may find themselves a capable competitor to Nintendo's 3DS, which currently dwarfs their sales numbers.
Ragnarok Odyssey retails for $39.99 for the Standard Edition and $49.99 for the Mercenary Edition that includes the soundtrack and a few other bonuses.
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