Graphics in Video Games: Odin Sphere

One of the video games that fascinates me was Odin Sphere for the PlayStation 2. It's a 2D fantasy action RPG video game where you play as characters from 5 different opposing clans while you follow their story. The game is great (even though I didn't beat the game yet), but what was interesting was the design of the entire video game itself. The characters, the scenery, the stages, the enemies, everything looks like it was kind of painted; including the animation was great. The thing is, I wonder how long the game designers took to make all these animations what it is now? Who knows. It's a good game though.