Odyssey

STORY / GAMEPLAY:
Years ago there was a powerful king who, aided by a trusty wizard, reigned over seven islands, each inhabited by strange creatures and subject to powerful forces that only the wizard could master. One day, a son was born to the king, a son who would one day be heir to the throne and the untold riches of the kingdom. But the king also had a brother. An evil man who sought the throne for himself and was prepared to do anything to get what he wanted. One day the king's brother aided by a band of criminals stole the wizard's spell book, murdered the king and seized the throne! But the wizard managed to escape, taking with him the young prince. Year after year they lived in exile as the wizard taught the boy everything he could remember from the spell book. The prince is now ready to travel to each island fighting his way through until he faces his wicked uncle in battle.
The game involves puzzles to solve, obstacles to avoid and defeat all the enemies that stand in his way. But, thanks to the spells learned from the wizard, you can change your form into different creatures. One moment a bird, the next a spider, then a boulder that can roll and batter through defenses! For example, is a large, completely unscalable wall causing you trouble? No problem. Transform into a bird, fly to the top and see what’s on the other side. There are many other creatures that you can be and own special abilities, but first you must discover the crystal that provides the "life force" for each creature. When you have completed all six islands and got all magic spheres of influence, then and only then, you'll have to go to the last island where your uncle has his castle.
Odyssey is a charming action adventure, combined with RPG practices at the same time, which is absorbing, enchanting and pretty much fairy-tale like.

GRAPHICS / SOUND:
The game's graphics are good, with colorful scenes of the islands' surfaces but, in general, they mostly look a bit flat and lack detail. The look of the caves or inside the king's castle can be rated as "functional" rather than actually pleasing. The environment scrolls quickly in all directions, and the individual characters make up for their short stature with realistic and very lively animations. The backgrounds are partly animated at certain scenes while each of your hero's morph brings out a small vector animation.
The fine acoustics are also partly responsible for the remarkable atmosphere. The title screen is accompanied by beautiful drum beats, while the background noises and the sound effects during gameplay, individually tailored to each action (including reverb in the caves), create the right ambience.