This review contains spoilers
[review wip, not done with game yet]
I haven't played 'professional' RPG Maker games forever since then, but when i was young RPG Maker was a huge toy to mess around for me. Time had passed, and now that tool is a part of history for me that went dry, but for several years people have got the chance to publish RPG Maker games on digital stores. OMORI is no exception, but it is a game with a particular twist in it.
The story introduces with our titular OMORI hanging out with his friends, only that one day one of his friends, BASIL, suddenly disappears after a mysterious occurrence happens inside the HEADSPACE. This is nothing but the beginning of an intriguing investigation to find out the reason of his disappearance, but OMORI has to get through more than he would seem to get into, also concerning the fate of his friends, gone through the winds of change in FARAWAY TOWN. From there, we discover that someone really important has changed all of us, but to deal with that it is going to be a very long way of really sad events and flashbacks... it turns out that this whole messed up round of events concerns our finest boy, SUNNY, who later reveals to be the true protagonist of this game.
Skipping to the gameplay, the game is made in RPG Maker, so technically the game's overworld navigation is (in my opinion, unfortunately a bit sloppy) grid based. The game full of colorful graphics that are a combination of pixel art and hand drawn sequences, a well scripted UI design to reflect the simpler RPG gameplay rather than the usual JRPG and more story based approach. The combat system ditches off the elemental weaknesses system with the EMOTION system, one of the core aspects of the game where you alter one (including yours)'s status. In my personal opinion, it may seem interesting, but i find it a bit of a chore to use all the time (even because it consumes enough Juice/Energy/Mana/whatever, so it's more suited for complex fights rather than enemy encounters, however, i find it a bit of a useless mechanic due to the game's notable difficulty balance, but then i have to let you know this game is not like Final Fantasy where you make complex strategies so basically this game is a bit easier than most indie JRPGs out there.
Reasonably i'd say that this game has the love it needs, for a really interesting RPG Maker game with a story that ultimately goes over reality with a seemingly cute art style which then descends into absolute fear. The story itself, however, is so easy to spoil if you are not careful searching the game on Google, but well, i did manage to keep myself as many surprises as i could. 8 years for this game took it to a really beautiful result.
I haven't played 'professional' RPG Maker games forever since then, but when i was young RPG Maker was a huge toy to mess around for me. Time had passed, and now that tool is a part of history for me that went dry, but for several years people have got the chance to publish RPG Maker games on digital stores. OMORI is no exception, but it is a game with a particular twist in it.
The story introduces with our titular OMORI hanging out with his friends, only that one day one of his friends, BASIL, suddenly disappears after a mysterious occurrence happens inside the HEADSPACE. This is nothing but the beginning of an intriguing investigation to find out the reason of his disappearance, but OMORI has to get through more than he would seem to get into, also concerning the fate of his friends, gone through the winds of change in FARAWAY TOWN. From there, we discover that someone really important has changed all of us, but to deal with that it is going to be a very long way of really sad events and flashbacks... it turns out that this whole messed up round of events concerns our finest boy, SUNNY, who later reveals to be the true protagonist of this game.
Skipping to the gameplay, the game is made in RPG Maker, so technically the game's overworld navigation is (in my opinion, unfortunately a bit sloppy) grid based. The game full of colorful graphics that are a combination of pixel art and hand drawn sequences, a well scripted UI design to reflect the simpler RPG gameplay rather than the usual JRPG and more story based approach. The combat system ditches off the elemental weaknesses system with the EMOTION system, one of the core aspects of the game where you alter one (including yours)'s status. In my personal opinion, it may seem interesting, but i find it a bit of a chore to use all the time (even because it consumes enough Juice/Energy/Mana/whatever, so it's more suited for complex fights rather than enemy encounters, however, i find it a bit of a useless mechanic due to the game's notable difficulty balance, but then i have to let you know this game is not like Final Fantasy where you make complex strategies so basically this game is a bit easier than most indie JRPGs out there.
Reasonably i'd say that this game has the love it needs, for a really interesting RPG Maker game with a story that ultimately goes over reality with a seemingly cute art style which then descends into absolute fear. The story itself, however, is so easy to spoil if you are not careful searching the game on Google, but well, i did manage to keep myself as many surprises as i could. 8 years for this game took it to a really beautiful result.