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Ragnarok Odyssey |OT| Hunt Monsters, Pop Porings



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Publisher: XSEED Games
Developer: GungHo Online Entertainment
Platform: Playstation Vita
Genre: Action/Adventure
Release Dates:
  • JP: February 2, 2012
  • NA: October 30, 2012
  • EU: Winter 2012
Price: $39.99, ¥3980
Players: 1-4

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  • BUILT UPON THE BELOVED WORLD OF RAGNAROK ONLINE, BUT ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE
    While drawing inspiration from the popular world of Ragnarok Online, Ragnarok Odyssey was developed by Game Arts,
    the developers behind the Lunar and Grandia series, with an original story anyone can enjoy.
  • 'FLING, FLY AND SMACK' ACTION BATTLE SYSTEM
    Fling enemies skyward, defy gravity to continue your assault in mid-air, then finish off the combo by smacking them
    clear across the stage.
  • BUILD A UNIQUE CHARACTER
    With over 20,000 combinations based on gender, facial features, accessories and more, plus six selectable job classes,
    no two player-created characters will ever be alike.
  • 4-PLAYER CO-OP VIA ONLINE PLAY
    Up to four players can play together online or via ad-hoc networking to take on some of the most fearsome and
    challenging giants in the game.

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A well-balanced and excellent job for beginners, the Sword Warrior wields a massive blade with style and grace. Specializing in
physical damage, the Sword Warrior may also utilize the size and durability of his/her weapon to guard against enemy attacks.

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The Hammersmith is a power fighter who wields an enormous drill hammer and specializes in close-quarters pulverization of
anyone who dares to stand in his/her way. Although a bit slow and deliberate, the Hammersmith's might attacks are in a league
all their own.

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The most agile of all the job classes, the Assassin uses short-ranged katars attached to both of his/her arms to attack, allowing
for amazingly acrobatic feats of quick, deadly accuracy. Assassins are particularly well-suited to fighting off swarms of enemies
due to their unbelievable attack speed.

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Although unfit for close-quarters combat due to low HP and defense, the Mage is virtually unbeatable when it comes to ranged
attacks. Equip him/her with a staff and watch as the magic flies. Advanced Mage spells include wide area-of-effect attacks and
supportive arias.

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As a man/woman of the cloth, the Cleric specializes in healing others and wielding a mace and shield for defensive purposes.
The Cleric's defense is unmatchable, easily the best among all the job classes. And though physically weak, Clerics are able
to counterattack when struck, providing the timing is impeccable.

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A long range specialist, the Hunter wields a bow and arrow with vicious aplomb. His/her primary function is to defeat monsters
before they draw near enough to attack, making one of the Hunter's special skills, the ranged kill shot, absolutely invaluable to
their continued safety away from harm's way.

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Since ancient times, mankind and the Sundered Land were always divided by what was called the "Millennium Peaks" -- a range
of mountains even a flying dragon couldn't cross. Naturally, mankind had thus always been curious about the seemingly
inaccessible territory, wondering what secrets it may hold. And in an ironic twist of fate, that curiosity and thirst for knowledge
and adventure would be fulfilled in a most unwelcome way.

With a thunderous sound that shook the entire land, the mountains trembled and a gap appeared in the Millennium Peaks,
unveiling ancient ruins from the era of the gods. People could finally bear witness to what had been hidden away in the
Sundered Land for nearly an eternity - and unfortunately, it turned out to be hundreds and thousands of giants. It became
immediately apparent that these were not friendly creatures as they poured from their opening, mercilessly turning cities to
rubble with mere swings of their gigantic arms, crushing families and histories alike.

Now, the kingdom of Rune Midgard is fighting valiantly for the survival of their country against the invading giants. The war
has been fierce thus far, with massive casualties, but the resilient humans have managed to keep the giants at bay - if only
temporarily. In an effort to prevent any further invasion by these intractable foes, those in power ordered an enormous
fortress built at the entrance to the Sundered Land, to stand as a last barrier of hope and help contain the monsters.

The residents of the kingdom may never return to their once peaceful way of life, but they will fight for whatever measure
of prosperity they can still find. Their one and only reason to be has been ingrained into every citizen and turned into a
rallying cry that echoes throughout the land:

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So what type of game is this?
It's an action RPG of sorts where you hunt monsters in a mission based story.

Monster hunting eh? How does it compare to that other franchise?
The combat is much different. It has a focus on combos and aerial combat. It's much more fast paced.
Everything else is similar, i.e. collecting loots, materials, upgrading and creating new armor and weapons.

How many jobs are there?
There are only six job classes.

Can I switch jobs?
Yes, after completing a specific mission in chapter 2 you get a Spectrolyte fragment in your room (that let's
you switch jobs).

How the heck do I run?!
Hold the R shoulder button.

What is that circular bar in the top left corner?
That's your tension meter. When it gets full, you can activate Dainsleif mode.

What is Dainsleif mode, how does it work?
Think of Dainsleif mode as a berserk mode, you do way more damage, lifesteal with each attack, AP never
drops, never get staggered and you get a consecutive dash, but you lose health while it's active.

How do I activate Dainsleif mode?
When your tension meter is full (the circular one in the top left), an icon will appear in the middle right-hand
side of the screen, just above your social menu. You have to tap it to activate Dainsleif mode. Tap it again to
deactivate it - this is good to remember in case you accidentally activate it.

What is that jewel in the bottom left of the screen?
That's your talisman. It changes with your character's status, making the color/glow of the jewel change.
If it's bright you're in good shape, if it's dimmed you have a status ailment.

What are all those gems and orbs I'm picking up?
Green gems restore HP, orange gems temporarily raise your attack, yellow gems retore AP, blue gems
temporarily raise your defense, star gems fill your tension meter a bit, a blue box has crafting materials,
a purple box has quest items, a weapon shaped drop is a weapon and a card is - you guessed it, a card!

Are there multiple towns?
No, the central hub town serves as the last defense against the giants.

How are maps laid out?
Maps are not open ended, they are more like arenas connected by stairs or pathways.

How's the loot in this game?!
Defeated monsters will drops materials, weapons and on rare occasions, cards.

How does loot work in multiplayer?
When playing multiplayer, all players will share the loot, for example, if a player picks up a card or weapon, the others in the
party will get a copy of the weapon or card, too.

Are weapons job specific?
Yes. You can only use certain weapons for certain jobs.

What about armor?
There are certain armors that are only usable by certain classes, while there is a lot that can be used by any class.

How do stats work with weapons?
Your starting weapons have no skills so they are the most inferior weapon in the game. Only weapons with skills and cards
matter. Some weapons with skills can be upgraded and have the skills level up or evolve into something else at the blacksmith.

So, does equipped armor have stats?
No, you have to attach stat cards to them. All outfits are the same, they all can be expanded so you can have more cost
capacity to equip higher cost cards.

How does weapon/armor upgrading work?
All weapon upgrades, weapon synthesis, armor synthesis, armor upgrades, hats, and even potions require resource gathering.

How much can you customize your characters appearance?
You can customize your skin tone, eyes/face, hair, hair color, outfit color and voice.

Do equipped armor and weapons change your appearance?
There are three base armor sets for each class, outside of DLC (that change your appearance). Weapons do as well. You can
also equip hats.

How does offline and online work, in terms of difficulty?
The missions are the same but when you go online, the difficulty is raised (for co-op).

How does story progression work, in terms of offline and online?
The game is mission based, so theoretically someone could keep hosting missions that invited hunters can join on.

How is end game difficulty?
Players who have played the Asian/Japanese release confirm that the game does get much harder later on.

How does NEAR functionality work?
You can trade monster/boss cards with other hunters.

How do I download stuff from NEAR in game?
Talk to the Cuei (the pink poring with angel wings in your room) to download DLC or things from NEAR.

I'm a fan of Ragnarok Online, will there be fanservice in this game?
Absolutely! Between monsters, unlockable tracks and costumes, there is plenty of fanservice.

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Destructoid - 9/10

For all its missteps as an action-RPG, it is simply flawless as an example of how to make a Vita experience work.
Judicious use of touchscreen controls, beautiful visuals, a smartly broken-up mission structure and eerily swift loading times
makes this the gold standard for Sony's portable. If handheld developers don't take any cues from this one, they're absolutely
doing it wrong.

1UP - B-

Ragnarok Odyssey has a lot of faults. It's too easy, it favors button mashing, it's not particularly deep and the graphics
aren't that great for a Vita title. But it also does something that a lot of games like this seem to have forgotten: it's
fun and easy to pick up. And hey, you can play online. No portable Monster Hunter can do that yet!

Playstation Lifestyle - 8.5/10

A Vita game that you need to pick up and enjoy, because it is one of the best experiences on Sony's handheld yet. Sure
the game has some frustrating moments and can become a bit repetitive, but it delivers intense action, smooth visuals, and an
online experience that will have you coming back for more.

Hardcore Gamer - 4/5

Ragnarok Odyssey rules; it's just that simple. It's an action RPG for folks who not only love the genre, but have been
burned by them in the past. The pace is quick and the game is complex, but not hard to learn. It appears that Game Arts made
this to appeal to more than just a niche audience, and the game is much better for it. The visuals have their flaws, but remain a
highlight that adds both lush views of the world and comedic animations to the list of reasons the game is worth buying. Sadly,
the soundtrack isn't one of them unless you're a huge fan of medieval tunes. If you like action RPGs in the vein of PSO and
Monster Hunter, you’ll love Ragnarok Odyssey.

Pushsquare - 7/10

Ragnarok Odyssey falls short in a few areas, but there is still enough quality gameplay to encourage you to persevere
through the repetitive missions and slow character progression system. Fans of the RPG genre in particular should check out this
title, while everyone else might want to adopt a more cautious attitude before approaching.

RPGFan - 7/10

Despite its issues in just about every department, the core of Ragnarok Odyssey is a competent Monster Hunter-style
adventure. For the right audience, the fast-paced combat counterbalances any issues with repetition and awkwardness.

IGN - 5/10

Vita owners deserve more than a half-baked RPG with no style and very little substance. RPG fans want customization,
not just a nod at it. They want stats, experience points and character building. They want menus that make sense. They want a
story. They want to feel engaged because the game makes them want to play, not because there’s some vague hope that it may
get better later.

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Docs:

Item Drop List
 
1up review is up B-

Cons are button mashy, graphics not the best.


Weird that there is even a cleric class for a mostly single player game o_O.
 

ZeroAKA

Member
I was looking forward to this OT. I'lll be buying the digital version day one, so feel free to add me. :)

PSN ID: AbstractChaos
 

Raxious

Member
can anyone tell me if this game is region locked? I read somewhere this game was region locked, and that it was only possible to play with ppl within your region.
 
I accidentally pressed the publish button when I was previewing it. Oops! I'll be getting the screenshots and videos up.
 

Eusis

Member
can anyone tell me if this game is region locked? I read somewhere this game was region locked, and that it was only possible to play with ppl within your region.
I think that's usually the case with games that didn't have international plans from the offset, like Demon's Souls. So I'd assume it unless otherwise noted.
 
The setup in this game is almost directly lifted from Shingeki no Kyojin. Dat plagiarism.

Looks fun though. Will get if I get a Vita.
 

tnaden

Member
I accidentally pressed the publish button when I was previewing it. Oops! I'll be getting the screenshots and videos up.
While you're at it PM a mod to fix the title ;)
Ragnarok Odyessy |OT| Hunt Monsters, Pop Porings
Fixed.

Loved Ragnarok Online, but I'm waiting for a proper sequel. (2 doesn't count)
 

Noi

Member
Excellent. Fashionably late, but no matter!

Might want to crop the empty space on the last picture by a bit though. It's making my window scroll to the right.
While you're at it PM a mod to fix the title ;)
Ragnarok Odyessy |OT| Hunt Monsters, Pop Porings

Yeah, I was gonna say...
 
Excellent. Fashionably late, but no matter!

Might want to crop the empty space on the last picture by a bit though. It's making my window scroll to the right.

Yeah, I was gonna say...

Yeah I dunno why some of the sizing with the stuff I did was completely off @_@ I'm sizing that down. PM'ed a mod after you guys pointed that out.
 
Man, I want a Vita so bad. It's finally getting to the point of breaking down and grabbing one. With this out and a handful of other titles, I think it may be worth it about now. Still, I wish the system wasn't $250. :/
 
It is coming to the EU regions btw, but I didn't see a concrete price or date, although they have confirmed it's digital only for EU ;(
 

SAB CA

Sketchbook Picasso
Wohoo! Poring-Popping is GO! Good work so far, looking forward to seeing the additional sections added.

Now just to wait for that Swanky Mercenary to arrive...

Weird that there is even a cleric class for a mostly single player game o_O.

Naaa, not in this universe! The Battle Aco / Battle Priest of RO is a traditional class of fusing the healing powers of a Cleric, with the Mace-smiting powers of a (in this case, Hammer) Smith. Raised the right way in Ragnarok Online, they were the best at taking on undead head-on, as they even had spells to increase their defense to very high numbers VS them, and could even use Healing spells as an offensive attack.

They were some of the best solo-ers too, because they didn't have to weight themselves down with potions. Just keep mindful of their MP, and heal up after a battle!

==

I've kept kinda in-the-dark about the classes in this particular game, personally, to stay somewhat suprised about the skills and abilities earned. Looking forward to starting this RO the same I started Rag-Online years ago; With a Mage! Will have to jump into Hammersmith at some point, though... My fav Melee class in the original.

And that Hammersmith DOES look like Reyn, lol.
 

Tizoc

Member
I think that's usually the case with games that didn't have international plans from the offset, like Demon's Souls. So I'd assume it unless otherwise noted.

Umm what do you mean by that? Does that mean that an EU Vita/EU account on a Vita, won't be able to play the US ver. of the game?
 

erpg

GAF parliamentarian
Man, I want a Vita so bad. It's finally getting to the point of breaking down and grabbing one. With this out and a handful of other titles, I think it may be worth it about now. Still, I wish the system wasn't $250. :/
Keep your eyes open for deals. Here in Canada for instance, the AC: Liberation bundle will come with a 50$ gift card and steelbook at launch (at FutureShop).
 
There is/was a similar deal going on at Target, here in the states. Buy a Vita and get a $50 gift card. It was tempting for sure, I just lack/ed the funds. One day... :B
 
I'm still having a hard ass time finding any late game videos.

Anybody kind enough to link me?

Beginner game footage is hardly indicative of end game for these style of games.
 

thuway

Member
How is the SP Campaign? I am going to play it on plane trips, so I'm hoping it has a good enough hook to reel me in. I previously played Lunar and LOVED it for the flights.
 

SAB CA

Sketchbook Picasso
nice! looks... spammy, dodge baddy attack, repeat. hmmm...

any videos for other classes?

Here's a nice one for Mage in an early Boss Battle. That KineticElements guy's videos are all about showing off each class, but I'm not sure he's the best to watch for overall gameplay... doesn't seem to be too deep into the games mechanics (I only watched some of 1 of his vids.)

How much can you customize your characters appearance?

Well, Here's a vid showing off the starting customization.

There are earnable costumes in the game that look like the old RO classes, I believe. And additional headgears. Each of these things can be dyed into 4 different color sets.
 

depward

Member
Can't freaking wait. Will be playing this A LOT and hope to play with gaffers!

Any info re: guilds? Saw info on PR about it but don't know the extent of the functionality.
 

Ken

Member
and the graphics
aren't that great for a Vita title.

I thought the graphics were pretty good for when it came out...

I can upload some screenshots from the Vita version of an early area if anyone wants.
 
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