One of the oldest PS2 games around. Orphen: Scion of Sorcery is an odd, RPG game based on the anime and manga, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen. The game of course, stars the usual cast of the titular sorcerer, Orphen and his companions, Cleo and Majic (renamed Magnus in the game and instruction manual), along with new characters exclusive to the game. The plot is rather interesting of sorts. The game's story is divided into three characters with their own unique stories and the player may choose who to accompany. When one is completed, a deus ex machina occurs with Orphen himself being the only one aware of what transpired previously as he is trapped in a so-called cycle of destiny. Each of the three plots often revolve around an extremely rare and powerful artifact called the Crystal Egg which allows its user to transcend time and life. Throughout most of the game, the player will be in Orphen's shoes. The normal map gameplay is rather bland by today's standards, but the actual battles themselves are really odd. For starters, there are no complicated menus to navigate through, nor are there any turns to take whatsoever. The battles are wholly active-based, with an actual emphasis on active. Players only control Orphen through most of the battle while allies are A.I-controlled. Attacks are all button-assigned and characters can attack any enemy they choose without having to wait their turn. By default, the Triangle button uses 'Projectile Spells', which are self-explantory. The O button is for Elemental Spells which attack multiple enemies in a wide area. The X button is for the melee weapon and the square button is for a shield. What's also add is that experience points are non-existent nor is there any leveling up for that matter. Most the boss battles that you win will yield to Orphen a new spell Graphics are all that impressive, considerin' it was a very early PS2 game. Cutscenes are often told using in-game graphics while intermissions use anime cutscenes with original animation. Orphen was ze second PS2 game I ever played and I was quite impressed as I was a newcomer in RPG games. If you're a fan of the anime, you'll probably pick it up for the hell of it. >:
