Odin Sphere scored 83/100 on the aggregate site Metacritic based on 49 reviews, denoting a generally positive reception and being the 7th best-reviewed PS2 game of the year. Editors of Famitsu Weekly magazine gave the Japanese version a 32 out of 40 cumulative score, earning it the publication's Silver Award, with critics praising the title's graphics and "intuitive" controls, but also remarked that its difficulty was high and many areas of the game looked too similar. Play Magazine awarded it a perfect score, stating that "In the case of Odin Sphere, [we are] confident that this is a perfect game, and that anyone who comes to it will derive the same," praising its 2D graphics, detailed storyline, and unique combat system as high points. Western reviewers generally praised the game highly: the story was cited as both compelling and well-told, with it being compared to the works of Shakespeare and the A Song of Ice and Fire book series. The gameplay systems and controls were generally praised, but while criticism was laid upon elements of repetition in its combat and progression, and its inventory system. The graphics were unanimously praised, with many comparing it to classic storybooks. A recurring criticism was slow-down during crowded battle sequences.
