Not so much a role playing game as a role playing experience. For a tone/story/thematic reason you have all the mechanics of an rpg (ATB, magic, hp, mp, leveling up, items, gear, status effects) but it is all so shallow and easy that the game never gets beyond simply spamming your most powerful magic or just turning auto on.
The art and sound is surreal, the writing punchy and tight, and the world suitably strange. I see people compare this to Earthbound, but really there is very little here that screams that. The rpg mechanics are ATB based and the writing clearly draws inspiration from Killer7. The problems with the game extend two fold from this comparison. The actual plot reaches a point of being too abstract whereas Killer7 finds a better balance between the surreal and telling a compelling narrative. The final area, in contrast, seems a little to plain in comparison. It never goes so far as to utterly supplant the early areas of the game, but it does add in a far blander plot element that seems to be an attempt to ground the game world in a completely separate story.
These minor flaws aside Off is beautifully bleak game which feels like a break of fresh air in comparison to more sickly sweet or overly emotionally indie games. It also has the best non-sequiturs in gaming this side of Suda51.
The art and sound is surreal, the writing punchy and tight, and the world suitably strange. I see people compare this to Earthbound, but really there is very little here that screams that. The rpg mechanics are ATB based and the writing clearly draws inspiration from Killer7. The problems with the game extend two fold from this comparison. The actual plot reaches a point of being too abstract whereas Killer7 finds a better balance between the surreal and telling a compelling narrative. The final area, in contrast, seems a little to plain in comparison. It never goes so far as to utterly supplant the early areas of the game, but it does add in a far blander plot element that seems to be an attempt to ground the game world in a completely separate story.
These minor flaws aside Off is beautifully bleak game which feels like a break of fresh air in comparison to more sickly sweet or overly emotionally indie games. It also has the best non-sequiturs in gaming this side of Suda51.