I am halfway the first chapter, and i really don't know whether to continue.

I am a sucker for a good story, xeno/vagrant, but the game has to entertain me and the side-scrolling fighting system is not really my cup of tea i guess.

Should i continue, and why, or can i put the game right back on ebay?

I know it has gotten some good reviews, but i am just dying for another epic rpg and i don't think this is the one.

nobody played this game?

You'll find that certain vgChartz posters love to hype mediocre games like Zack & Wiki, Tales of Symphonia, and more.  There are also people who don't care what you want at all and will recommend the same games no matter what (or recommend you keep playing even though it never actually gets better).  You can actually see this happening in another thread where someone asked for a jRPG recommendation, said he didn't like Kingdom Hearts... and is still having people recommend Kingdom Hearts.

I say if you're not having fun then do something else.  It makes no sense to continue playing a game you don't enjoy.

Well i think i know this community and also how their comments should be interpreted. Actually, games can be enjoyable when you're more than just a few hours in. That's what i was wandering. Maybe someone can tell me i'll be missing out on a Xenogears if i put this thing back on ebay...

Odin Sphere disappointing? Blasphemy! You'll burn for that!

Oh well, if you don't like the battle system then I see no point in continuing. There's a lot of fighting in this game and to be able to finish of the bigger bosses (some are damn evil) you'll probably have to grind a bit and plant fruits and vegetables to use in the rabbit world (don't remember the exact name) to gain xp and hp bonuses.
I find the story of Odin Sphere to be very good but you have to enjoy the fighting to enjoy the game.

almost ordered it from my sis (I have a us ps2) last year but was 40.... looks like it's not to everyone's liking so I guess it's good for me.