Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is yet another addition to the long list of monster hunters on the Vita. Actually, that’s probably being a little unfair to the game, as that makes it sound like the game hopped on to the bandwagon late, whereas in fact, Ragnarok Odyssey created the bandwagon for monster hunting games on the PlayStation Vita. The original title (which was based on the long running Asian MMORPG) was a launch title for the Vita, and ACE, in tradition of enhanced re-releases that all Monster Hunting games must see (see also: Soul Sacrifice Delta, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate), is just a revisit to the original game with enhanced and expanded content.

It’s that retreading of past ground, alongside the fact that ACE sticks so closely to its genre’s conventions, that causes the game to feel so familiar, often to its detriment. Make no mistake, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is a great game, especially if you are a fan of the genre. Its slew of additions to how the genre plays out, and some of its bold mechanical experiments, all pay off well, especially to the patient player willing to learn the ropes of the game’s nuances. But the game, like all other monster hunting games, comes with a set of caveats that are as applicable to it as they are to any other game of this type- the almost never ending grind, the lack of narrative focus, the sheer amount of time that it requires to be invested, and the repetition that inevitably sets in.

" Stop me if you've heard this before- you're a newcomer to a village that is plagued by demons/monsters/something of that sort, and you join a guild/milita/defense force that protects the village from this threat."

Stop me if you’ve heard this before- you’re a newcomer to a village that is plagued by demons/monsters/something of that sort, and you join a guild/milita/defense force that protects the village from this threat. You talk with the charmingly Japanese villagers (who all evoke a lovely feudal rural Japanese air), and learn more about the surrounding area. You venture out with members of your group, who teach you the ropes of your new job, and you take down some monsters, that you can mine for resources that can be taken back to the village where they can be used to power up your gear and weapons.

That’s basically how the genre unfolds. Ragnarok Odyssey ACE does not mess with that convention much. You’ll join a band of mercenaries trying to protect their village from invading beasts that feed on humans, and eventually you’ll be taking on gargantuan baddies all by yourself. In terms of structure, ACE is almost word for word a carbon copy of Monster Hunter.

Thankfully, the game is more daring in terms of how it plays; unlike Monster Hunter (or even Toukiden), which are marked by having slower, plodding action, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE moves FAST. You blaze through combat, stringing together combos in increasingly flashy and visually impressive moves, both physical (which are based on your sword attacks) and special, which are devastating moves that often clear entire fields in one go, but come with hefty cooldown penalties. Ragnarok Odyssey ACE feels fast and it feels fluid.

"Thankfully, the game is more daring in terms of how it plays; unlike Monster Hunter (or even Toukiden), which are marked by having slower, plodding action, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE moves FAST."

The trade-off, and an unfortunate one, especially for a game as long and inevitably grindy as this one, is the loss of depth. The slower combat in other monster hunting games is a design choice- it forces the player to identify the enemy’s weak points, movement and attack patterns, and so on, instead of just rushing in and swinging their weapon wildly (which almost certainly gets you killed). Here, that strategic and tactical depth has been foregone in favor of a faster moving game.

To its credit, ACE tries to make up for that with a slew of other trimmings that it adds to the package- for example, the game has RPG trappings, which means players are defined by their player classes. This is, of course, a cosmetic change from how the genre usually handles this (most monster hunting games don’t have player classes per se, but they do have different kinds of weapons, one of which you must choose as your primary, all of which offer different benefits, drawbacks, and playstyles), at least initially. However, the powers that you get later on, for example, are all linked to your character class, meaning that as time goes by, your playstyle becomes increasingly distinct than that of the other classes.

This, in conjunction with the game’s unique take on experience and leveling (which returns almost unscathed from the original Ragnarok Odyssey), does sort of compensate for the lack of depth that the combat otherwise poses. However, both, special powers and leveling, tend to get repetitive after a while. Leveling, especially, devolves into a grind after a few hours. Leveling itself is dependent on ability cards that you attach to your gear and equipment, which sounds fun and sensible, until you realize that you will often spend hours looking for the card you want, to get the build you want.

" Leveling itself is dependent on ability cards that you attach to your gear and equipment, which sounds fun and sensible, until you realize that you will often spend hours looking for the card you want, to get the build you want."

While repetition certainly creeps in and affects the game’s back end more than it does for other similar games, Ragnarok Odyssey benefits from its multiplayer mode. It’s nothing particularly special, and is in fact fairly standard in terms of what it offers and entails, but it’s refreshing to be able to co-operate with your fellow mercenaries to take the monsters down- especially since, in the absence of the slower, strategic combat in other similar games, co-ordination becomes an entirely different ballgame.

Most players might never see the single player campaign through to the end (especially in the absence of a compelling story pushing them forward, like in Toukiden), but as a multiplayer game, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE shines, especially with its distinct mechanics, and is heartily recommended to all Vita owners.

Ultimately, what are you to make of this title? It’s a recommended game to all fans of the genre, even if you already bought the original back in 2012; its way of doing things is different, which warrants a look from all fans of this kind of game. Said fans, however, would do well to realize that this distinct way of doing things adds even more caveats to what was already an experience that hinged greatly on players being forgiving of a lot of quirks. Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is not the best monster hunting game, and certainly could stand to be improved a lot with future iterations- but for players who are fans of the genre, but crave something just a little different, it’s highly recommended.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation Vita.

The same expansive list of character classes and levels still remains. However, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace expands on the normal version by granting extra abilities to players via the Ace skill system, featuring new Halomonas Weapons, more gameplay content including a random dungeon generation, a new epilogue with Yggdrasil Tower, new enemies and more.

Of course, the same online experience with friends is still available, and you can even choose to play with AI characters.

The game will also include some elements not seen in typical Ragnarok games like platforming. Other standout elements include a guest track by Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame. The PS3 and Vita versions will also allow for cross-play between each other.

Of course, there was only an official release date for the PS Vita version. The PS3 port’s release was still up in the air. As for the reasons behind the delay, GungHo has cited “unspecified circumstances” as the reason for the delay.

That is certainly not cool.

For now, we’ll have to wait for a new release date, which it to be decided. Based on the popular Ragnarok Online MMORPG, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace takes more of a third person hack and slash approach to gameplay and questing, with a stronger focus on single-player. Earlier, it was revealed that 60 percent of Odyssey players never played Ragnarok Online thus providing an interesting outlook on games that had MMOs as sequels and vice versa.

Source: Siliconera

Not necessarily. According to director Kazuhiro Irie on GungHo’s developer spotlight, “We’ve actually collected data that shows about 60% of Japanese Ragnarok Odyssey players have never played Ragnarok Online. I think that proves you don’t need to play the original MMORPG to immerse yourself in the world of Ragnarok.”

It indeed does. However, another phenomenon has been observed: Just because gamers like a particular franchise doesn’t mean they’ll hop on board with an MMO game based on it. Final Fantasy XIV immediately comes to mind.

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace, meanwhile, is slated to release in July this year for Japan.

Source: Siliconera

As such, the Odyssey series takes cues from games like Monster Hunter and focuses more on action RPG trappings involving monsters that can be beaten to a pulp. Multiple classes and skill sets are available though we’re unsure if the Dancer made it for this one.

Gematsu recently translated the press release Gungho sent out about Odyssey Ace (along with the snazzy new screenshots above). The game will feature all DLC quests from the original versions, a new epilogue, a random dungeon and the ACE Skill system that will give players new, extra skills.

As of now, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace will be releasing for Japan in July. A Western release date is forthcoming. Stay tuned for more details.