Mark Ezekiel Dalusong

I went into Omori expecting a deep, emotional story, but unfortunately, I found the game to be underwhelming in several areas. First, the pacing is all over the place. The game drags significantly, especially in the early sections where it feels like you're just aimlessly wandering. The constant back-and-forth between the dream world and the real world is repetitive and, after a while, it loses its impact. Instead of building suspense or emotional connection, it felt tedious and overstretched. Speaking of emotional connection, while the story is meant to be heart-wrenching, I found it difficult to care about the characters. They lack depth, and their development is slow, leaving me detached for most of the game. The emotional moments fell flat because the game failed to build a strong foundation of attachment to the characters, particularly for those not already familiar with its themes. The combat system, while unique at first glance, quickly becomes stale. It relies too heavily on status effects and gimmicks, which can make battles feel like a chore rather than a challenge. There’s little strategy beyond spamming the same abilities or following predictable patterns, and this lack of variation made the fights feel more like padding than meaningful gameplay. Finally, the game’s art style, though creative, often felt inconsistent. The transitions between pixel art and hand-drawn scenes were jarring, and sometimes the clash between whimsical visuals and dark themes didn't mesh well. It created an odd dissonance that took me out of the experience instead of enhancing it. Overall, Omori may have moments of brilliance, but it's bogged down by pacing issues, a shallow combat system, and a story that didn’t quite deliver the emotional depth I had hoped for. If you're looking for a truly captivating RPG, you might want to look elsewhere.