Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean
A Saturn RPG ported from the Super NES with orchestrated music.
Sunsoft’s *Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean* is a role-playing game for the Sega Saturn. It was completely redeveloped from scratch for the Saturn, not ported from the Super NES. The game hit shelves in Japan in August 1996, and Working Designs brought it to North America in July 1997. This is the first *Albert Odyssey* game to get an English release, and it marks a shift for the series: instead of tactical, strategy-based combat, it uses traditional turn-based RPG mechanics. It’s a “gaiden,” or side story, meaning its plot, characters, and backstory stand apart from earlier entries. Reviews for the North American version were mixed.
**Gameplay** The game plays like a classic RPG, with an overhead view and menu-driven combat where you pick actions for your characters.
**Story** You follow Pike, a teenager whose family was killed by monsters when he was a baby. He was raised by harpies—winged humanoids. Twenty years later, an evil mage turns his adoptive sister to stone. Pike teams up with Cirrus, a talking sword that contains the spirit of one of the legendary Eldean siblings. Together, they search for a cure and uncover a plot by evil magicians to turn the world’s races against each other and revive the ancient god Vlag. Pike must stop them with the help of friends he meets along the way.
**Characters** - **Pike** – A human raised by harpies after his parents’ town was destroyed. He wields his father’s enchanted sword, Cirrus. - **Eka** – A singer Pike meets in Gigarl and falls for. She lost her parents young and keeps to herself, but Pike’s courage and kindness help her open up. She uses throwing weapons and strong spells. - **Leos** – The daughter of the high priest Koras. A monk skilled in martial arts and healing, she joins Pike on his first adventure. - **Gryzz** – An older dragonman and the party’s strongest physical fighter. He’s devoted to his sister and fights with two katanas, plus breath weapons. Called Eruda in Japan. - **Amon** – A flashy, vain birdman whose pride makes his own people dislike him. Eventually he sets his ego aside and brings his halberd skills to the group. - **Kia** – An apprentice magician who replaces Leos for the second adventure. She’s the granddaughter of a famous sorceress and knows powerful attack spells, but her scatterbrained nature gets her into trouble.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean
- Developer
- Sunsoft
- Publisher
- JP · Sunsoft · NA · Working Designs
- Producer
- Kiharu Yoshida
- Designer
- Yoshiaki Iwata
- Programmer
- Akihiro Asada / Hiroaki Atsumi / Hiroya Matsugami
- Artist
- Akari Funato / Toshiyuki Kubooka
- Writer
- Tsuyoshi Matsumoto
- Composer
- Naoki Kodaka
- Series
- Albert Odyssey
- Platforms
- Sega Saturn
- Released
- JP · 9 August 1996 · NA · 23 July 1997
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game follows the adventure of Pike, a teenage boy whose family was murdered by monsters while he was an infant, and who is raised by winged humanoids called Harpies. Twenty years later, his adoptive sister is turned to stone by an evil mage. Together with Cirrus, a talking sword housing the spirit of one of the legendary Eldean siblings, Pike travels the world to search for a cure and discovers a plot by evil magicians to turn the world's races against each other and revive the ancient god Vlag. With the help of friends he meets along his journey, Pike must prevent the evil's resurrection. The party includes Eka, a singer with throwing weapons and spells; Leos, a monk with martial arts and healing; Gryzz, a dragonman with katana and breath weapons; Amon, a vain birdman with a halberd; and Kia, an apprentice magician with powerful attack spells.
Reader's Guide
Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean holds significance as the first English release in the Albert Odyssey series and as a transitional title for Working Designs, which localized it for North America. The game sold well enough in Japan to qualify for Sega's 'Saturn Collection' and was re-released at a budget price. Reception was mixed: Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised its story and dialogue, awarding it an Editor's Choice Silver Award, while GameSpot commended the script and gameplay improvements but found the design unimaginative. Game Players liked the town and dungeon graphics but criticized the overworld and spell effects. GamePro and Game Informer cited slow pacing and monotonous battles, recommending it only as a rental. Next Generation and IGN compared it unfavorably to later Working Designs titles like Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, calling it a mild appetizer. The game's legacy is as a modestly received RPG that showcased Working Designs' localization efforts and featured an orchestrated soundtrack added during the Saturn port.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally developed for the Super NES but ported to the Saturn when Super NES plans fell through.
- The North American version was localized by Working Designs and released in July 1997.
- The music was composed by Naoki Kodaka, who also wrote the score for the two previous Albert Odyssey titles.
- The game sold enough copies in Japan to be re-released under Sega's 'Saturn Collection' budget line.
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