oh my god. got the good ending (might go back and get more) and i feel sick the music during the omori fight was so good and the cutscene that followed made me tear up idek what to say but im gonna try to sum up my thoughts:

tbh the gameplay itself isnt too standout. im not personally a fan of turn based combat anyways so that could be a me thing, but i found myself groaning every time i encountered a fight in the dream world (or whatever its called) and instantly taking the chance to run. i enjoyed exploring in the dream world, the colours were gorgeous and the npcs were cute and made me giggle sometimes. i like how every npc had something to say whether it be an entire life backstory or a little pun, and apart from maybe the reoccurrence of sweetheart in the whale part of the game, all the bosses/ more major characters were engaging. believe it or not though, i actually enjoyed exploring the real world way more even though there was less to do and explore. i really liked just walking around the town and doing little side quests:)

as for the main characters, aubrey is definitely my favourite, probably followed by kel or mari. i really liked all of the characters arcs throughout the game and they all feel realistic and the way they act/ the things they do make sense. idk man i just really liked them, especially in the real world when theyre older.

what stands out most to me is the music though. 'By your side' is probably one of the best pieces of music in a video games soundtrack that i've ever heard (though it definitely hits harder after playing the game fully through). the boss music was really fun and energising, especially the last omori fight in the good ending. overall i think the soundtrack may not seem too standout to people unfarmiliar with omori, but coupled with the game/ story it is unforgettable.

when it comes to the story i definitely agree with some of the reviews saying that it drags for the first half of the game. i found myself kind of wishing for certain cutscenes to just end so i could get on with it (sweetheart.) at around half way through. however, the last half definitely more than makes up for it. when it was revealed that mari had killed herself i really felt the story start to ramp up and a lot of things started to make sense (the time jump, sunny moving away, the group splitting etc.) and was instantly engaged again. many have said this but the last 2 hours when everything starts to piece together is absolutely devastating. the segment where you had to collect pictures of the event leading to maris death was probably the most tense i have ever felt playing a video game. idek what else to say about it im still recovering.

overall this game is amazing. while it definitely has flaws with its gameplay and pacing, the last half of the game literally erases any of those. i'd even argue that Omori is more of an experience than a game, since its story is definitely 90% of what makes it great. after i finished it i just kind of sat there for an hour taking what i just experienced in.

this is my first proper review so idk if any of it really makes sense but honestly i just needed to talk about it.