Odin Sphere! Yeah, you should wait to write Oswald/Gwendolyn until you've played Oswald's chapter. For me, it changed their dynamic entirely (in a good way; I didn't like Oswald/Gwendolyn until then). Are you playing on Easy mode? I found some battles impossible to win without switching to Easy mode, if only because the lag wasn't quite so awful. Also, learning how to use potions is really important for survival. I figured that out way late in the game.