The nation of Valentine was once a grand kingdom with powerful magic. With the power of a magical relic known as the "Cauldron," King Valentine subdued the neighboring nations and brought them under his control. His kingdom enjoyed a long period of prosperity... but a sudden disaster destroyed it overnight. War broke out between the Fairy Kingdom of Ringford and the warrior nation of Ragnanival over ownership of the now-abandoned Cauldron, and control of the wasteland that was once Valentine. With the battle growing fiercer by the day, Demon Lord Odin, King of Ragnanival, sets forth a plan to conquer Ringford and claim the Cauldron once and for all. Meanwhile, in the neutral realm of Titania, King Edmund had become a puppet king of his court sorcerer Urzur, who schemes to follow a forgotten prophecy and bring about the Armageddon; a prophecy stating that the world will be destroyed in five great disasters, but the survivors will become kings. As the nations struggle for control, the world steadily slips unknowingly toward its demise, and the prophecies become clear...
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For example, circular rooms for a platformer are an extremely smart and elegant solution to the challenge of keeping 2D worlds from feeling like flat planes with unreal perspective. Layered, parallel storytelling with multiple characters also offers an excuse to reuse some assets and enemies while still having an engaging, rich narrative (in some ways even richer than linear storytelling). Odin Spheres issue is a matter of poor foresight.
Therefore it certainly isn't the smoothest or most advanced of beat-em-ups. Lengthy recovery (whether for offense or knockdowns) and stamina curb the flow of gameplay a little too much, and - with the exception of Oswald and Velvet, its physical movesets are limited the way old-school brawlers are, possessing only one combo string and a few situational moves. Nonetheless, their combat - taking place in small looping stages, succeeds in its command over ground and air space (handled by its five playable fighters in different ways) and in the vital roles items & magic fulfill (the first devoted to utility, EXP and especially crafting, and the second as powerful limit breaks charged by defeating foes). Their effect redistributes ARPG gameplay between fighting, looting, mixing and deploying.