OMORI

Let me start off by saying I'm not usually a fan of RPG Maker games and when I see one I don't typically expect much. Even when I first saw Omori I wasn't initially impressed, but oh how wrong was I. After putting almost 30 hours into the game, exploring the world and doing as much side content as possible before reaching the good ending, I would gladly say Omori has become one of my all time favorite games. I've played hundreds of games and I really can't say I've ever played anything else quite like Omori, but I love absolutely everything about the game and it's a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover.

Story: You go on a fun and wacky RPG adventure with your friends to various colorful worlds in search of you other lost friend!

Oh. If only that's all it was.

It's hard to even talk about this without spoiling so I'll keep it brief, but all I can say is this game understands human emotion better than any other game I've ever played, there are just so many subtle details that all tie together in the end and the way it depicts depression, anger and anxiety among other things is in such a natural and realistic way that it honestly chilled me to the bone at times. Speaking as someone who struggles with many of these emotions it hit me in ways I didn't think possible and felt very relatable. I cried many times while playing. I honestly tear up just thinking about it. Easily one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had with a game.

Characters: I love them all. The game really does an amazing job of endearing the cast of characters to you and making you attached to them, one of the first items you get is a photo album of all these happy memories that the characters shared together and it just instantly makes you feel close to everyone.

I was pretty amazed at how the entire cast of main characters have such realistic and relatable personalities. Kel the loveable simple-minded kid who doesn't know when to shut his mouth, Aubrey the passionate and fiery girl with a quick temper, Hero the older brother of Kel and charming, optimist who loves to cook for his friends, Mari the oldest and most mature of the group, the sweet and caring older sister of Omori who loves having picnics with her friends, Basil, Omori's best friend, a shy boy who loves raising plants and taking photos of his friends and even Omori despite being a silent protagonist was perhaps the most realistic and relatable of all.

Gameplay: Yet another aspect of the game that really surprised me because most RPG Maker games have very simplistic gameplay, but there's some real depth to Omori's mostly due to the emotion system. Enemies in most RPGs have weaknesses, but in Omori its all emotion based which ties heavily into the themes of the game. Enemies don't inherently have weakness, it's only when they feel emotion are they weak to a different emotion. Angry beats sad, sad beats happy and happy beats angry and each emotion has different stat buffs and debuffs. It's a really cool and unique battle system that has a ton of detail and you can tell a lot of thought was put into it. I never found battling to be a chore and always enjoyed it due to this system.

That's not even to mention how much fun exploring the overworld was because of all the little secrets you could find by utilizing the tag system (switching characters) due to each character having their own unique ability they can use on the overworld.

Art: One of the biggest reasons I was on the fence about Omori originally was because the art design was too cutesy and childish, but I grew to love it a lot. It's really unique, beautifully hand-drawn with a lot of detail to the character designs, it's extremely creative and colorful (Especially the enemy design) and it's a great juxtaposition to the themes of the game.

Music: The OST is just incredible beyond words, it's a rollercoaster of emotions much like the game itself. You have everything from happy and carefree themes for when you're hanging out with your friends, to atmospheric and unsettling music during the more psychological parts, to very fast paced and chaotic classical/electronic pieces during boss battles to hype you up, to emotional piano pieces. I also love how a lot of motifs and themes are remixed in certain parts of the game and how the music even ties into the story at times.

After explaining the various individual strengths of Omori, what's even left to say? Omori is a work of art and a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word. It's a truly one-of-a-kind, unique experience that legitimately taught me some important life lessons and touched my heart and soul in ways I never knew a video game could and I can't recommend it enough to those who want to experience an unforgettable emotional journey with realistic and relatable characters, beautiful hand drawn art, a masterfully composed soundtrack and a battle system unlike anything else out there.

I love this game but I can't say it's anywhere near the top tier just due to the major issues with the gameplay. The combat in the game is so tedious and the way it's balanced makes the game comically easy plus doesn't emphasize the unique emotions aspect. Now tbf, I have only done a Sunny route game so I can't say if this holds true for all the content just what I have experienced in my first playthrough. There are wayyyy too many achievements that are 100% luck based like seriously stuff like the movies in the castle is ridiculous.
Here are some comparisons to illustrate my criticisms
Compare the way Persona 5 & Persona 4 handles its persona system to how this game handles Emotions also the real world in both of these also shows how flat the Omori real world is gameplay-wise but I'm not too fussed about that considering how short the mandatory part of those segments are (at least in the sunny route)

This spoiler is just for specific combat mechanics and move names and effects

Now talking about balancing here we have moves that are pretty much 100% better than other one's stuff like "Shun" and "Stare" from Omori which considering how powerful debuffing is in an RPG with low health amounts makes it crazy good. Then we have stuff like "Stab" and "Power Hit" which ignore a monster's defense stat which is crazy when that's the main thing keeping most enemies alive.
(new tag for location name)

Then we have the ability to access some of the highest EXP dropping enemies in the game really early in "Orange Oasis" which pretty much allows you to outscale all the enemies in the upcoming areas.
Plus you can get an item here that makes Kel crazy good tbf on this one though you have to beat an enemy with a ridiculous speed that runs away but this isn't hard if you know what you are doing (similar to catching an Abra in Pokémon [ポケットモンスター])



Now that I'm done with the things I dislike here is what is amazing

A very detailed and intricate story with actually consequential choices both in gameplay and in effects on the narrative

Rich character and aesthetics, every character in the game feels alive even some of the minor ones have something interesting

Amazing and versatile soundtrack

Amazing use of mood and ambiance in the story to further the intensity of cinematic-style scenes

near pefect story-telling but the game design is a bit lacking. still is an outstandigly magical experience. definitely go play it, it's worth it.

I found out about Omori while watching a video about games to play after finishing Undertale. At the time, I just thought of it as "another RPG Maker horror game". It wasn't until "Indie World Showcase 12.15.2021" that it actually caught my interest. After it was released on Nintendo Switch, I decided to buy it on the E-shop and play through it and I was brought on an adventure I never experienced before.

I immediately fell in love with the art style, music, gameplay, and story. I ended up finishing both routes and still going back for the extra features. If anyone is interested in playing the game, I feel like the console versions are the definitive version due to the extra features.

I played this when I was 16. Never will a game change my life, and affect me like this. Never will any other media change me as a person like this game did. I was severely anxious, to the point where I couldn't go outside, because I was so enthralled in constant derealisation. I'm not better. And I'll never be better. But. Potential spoilers ahead.

Do not read this if you haven't played the game. Everything is a spoiler. I had no idea what this game was before playing, and it was worth it. Really worth it.

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While I've outgrown the main character - Sunny - and begin to see myself not like him in any way possible, I was similar at some point. I was terrified, stressed, and my art dramatically changed to emptiness. I'm not identical to Sunny, and this game came at the right time, and the right place.

The dialogue is incredibly well written. I've seen complaints, but this game handles it's subject matter well. It's all to easy to say that it's actually not that hard to avoid being edgy. Trust me, I walk that line so often, it's hard to convey weight without edge. The characters all have distinct personalities, and even now, I remember the characters vividly. Basil - shy, but unavoidably friendly. Hero - the father figure of the group. Kel - the dumb kid. Aubery - basically just a younger Mari. And Omori - the nobody walking through past dreams. The game is additionally deliberate in so many ways that are hard to notice. Omori and Basil are purposely very similar, even when you look at their portraits at the very start of the game. While you may not notice it at first, they're both distinctly different from the main cast, as Basil is going through the same struggle as you are. The atmosphere in the dream world is so well done, it's childish, but distinctly dark.

The soundtrack doesn't get enough praise. It's my favourite ambient game soundtrack, easily. The drones of the main overworld when I first entered were weird, and I was confused. The trees are all tiled so basically, and that's all intentional! It's simple, and the beginning dream sections even kind of remind me of that amateur RPG Maker aesthetic. As I went through the game I started to understand the nuances, began to want to escape to the fun dream world, where I got to go through memorable boss encounters, especially the last round. I missed the dream world when it was all over. It's inevitable - just like how I'll never escape. It's me now. I have to learn to live in a world where I don't exist, and it's terrifying, but it makes me who I am.

Mari's death is unforgettable, and it's the main part that most people remember. The build up, wondering what happened to Mari, seeing all the clues. Finding out that the creatures which you fought are all related, it's so well done. The game is quite long, and it uses that only to it's benefit. But, I think about the times in between. Seeing Aubrey become violent, and seeing the end to a cycle that has gone on for 4 years, is so depressing.

The gameplay is simple, but it works well with the character dynamics. Once you get the hang of it, it does become simple, and nothing like it has really been done before (from my limited knowledge lol). I only had to grind at the end, but that shouldn't be too surprising. It is still an RPG game.

It's so dumb, but I started a diary because of this game. I'm a better person now, mainly thanks to it. It took this game to make me think about who I am, and I'm now a lot more certain on who and what I am. I was a mess. And I don't trust anybody to truly understand it. I have not seen a single person who truly understands what I go through. It's not disassociation. The world is physically not real to me. I don't see myself when I look at myself. Mirrors are even terrifying.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I will never be the same. It came to me at the right time. This game is not for most people. I see a lot of hate for it, whether it be semi-mindless, intentional, or actual personal opinion. But for myself. This game will never be surpassed. There will never be a game I can think of that will do it better. I've played Undertale. The other RPG maker games. None of those games are even close. This game is twice as good as my second favourite games.

Never will there ever be another.

It’s curious how people describe Omori. To me it’s about a lonely, broken boy in the middle of a 2000’s small town quaint suburbia, (even if almost as scenery only) that has his home shaken by death and loss. He’s soon moving from the town that he virtually doesn’t live anymore, and reality is knocking at his door. Can he give life another chance? That’s what Omori is about. And if you ask me, every person needs a rite of passage story to call his own, and this one resonated with me.

Its characters, and there’s no way around this, are just kids. The circle affected by Mari's death are still dealing with loss, craving for the way things were, when they were closer, being themselves. The dialogue can be superficial, but it captures how kids deal to uncomfortable situations, — not dealing with it, really — with Kel wanting to resolve everything even if not possible, Hero stumbling to keep the older, responsible brother façade, Aubrey growing rebellious and antisocial, contrasting with her old, bubbly and social child personality, and Basil growing melancholic, acting as a protector of the group memories guarding their old, good moments photo album - Everyone of them is scarred, and every moment between them does not feel right.

But Omori really shines in its portrayals of Sunny’s inside lingering trauma in a raw, adolescent way, unfiltered, confusing, at times with grand cold images of his alter ego at the same time he adventures through the dream world dwindling naivety. Omocat managed to transmit the feeling of feeling the external cracks of reality pouring into innaction, in an unique, intuitive accessible manner. There’s so much to feel! It shines juxtaposing the innocent, pure feeling of familiar love with dark, strong feelings of guilt. The duet scene does this well, being very emotional, after all the tussle he goes through. The real world feels like a constant dream, with its unfamiliarity, and going from raw emotion at times to living nightmares. Sunny almost has no control.

The visual interpretative cutscenes and Yume Nikki style segments dwindles the gamey parts, gamey parts that don't bother me, neither do I find them amazing. Sometimes the Dream World felt like a collection of cool quirky things too much, and seemed dull in retrospect, even if it represented escapism. With its long walkable sections, I saw myself running all the time. The music, scenario and enemies' art saved it.

An ambitious game that paid off. Six years in the making, with viral campaigns of crowdfunding, and a team of millennial artists of the likes of Toby Fox and bo en in it’s soundtrack, I would say that pulling off acclaimed status from a style that has Earthbound and MOTHER 3 as stepping stones is no easy feat, and it only shows how new games are as a media.