OMORI

OMORI is an RPG in the style of Japanese animation, played from a third person perspective (TPP). Originally it was a single-person project, but now OMOCAT is a small independent studio based in the United States. The game is kept in the convention of psychological horror and contains content that may be difficult to bear for some viewers, such as images of depression, anxiety or suicide. Work on OMORI began in 2014 and the game was officially released in 2020.

Plot

The game begins with a short and mysterious cutscenes. The main character Omori is sitting on the floor and crying. Opposite him kneels his friend, cheering him up while asking him to keep a certain promise: "Promise me that we will always support each other...".

In the next moment, the protagonist wakes up in a white space - the place where he has lived since he can remember. The area contains, among other things, a notebook with disturbing, gloomy images, a laptop with equally depressing content, a pitch-black light bulb, a sleeping cat and a packet of tissues. The boy struggles with the keys for a while, but finally opens a nearby door and enters a colourful world with his friends.

Mechanics

OMORI is a game divided into chapters, in which the main goal of the player is to explore the vast world, talk to characters, solve quests that appear from time to time and play turn-based battles with enemies. The protagonist moves around the locations, analysing individual interactive objects. Some of them can be used or taken with you, so it's worth to carefully search the visited areas. The player cannot move on to the next location without his friends, who join him once he has solved all the quests and held certain conversations.

The game also features a 'currency', the clams. Their number is displayed when the options bar is activated. Thanks to clams, you can buy various delicacies, which will prove helpful in regenerating the character's vitality level. When the options menu is activated, the bar at the top of the screen also displays the hero's inventory, his pocket (where snacks, toys and hints about enemies he encounters are stored), his skills and the mysterious "???". Furthermore, the hero and each accompanying character have a certain level of life (heart symbol) and sorrow (tear symbol), which are important in battle mode and increase with experience.

Just like other RPGs, OMORI allows you to fight against enemies appearing on the way. All characters that accompany the protagonist take part in the battles with the enemies. Clashes are divided into turns, during which the player chooses an action for each of the available characters. In addition to the actual attack, the player can use one of his skills (which takes away a certain number of tear points from the selected character), use a toy or a life-regenerating snack. If one of the heroes is deprived of all life points, he becomes toast and does not take part in further combat. If the player does not want to continue the battle or this was not his intention from the beginning, he also has the option of saving himself by running away.

EMOTIONS also play an important role in the attack mode. At the beginning of the fight all characters have a neutral attitude. However, their combat skills may increase or decrease depending on the emotion they acquire during the fight. One character becomes stronger when they are happy, others increase their skills when they are angry or sad.

Technical aspects

OMORI has an old-school, 2D graphics, in which there are also elements (images, cutscenes and character avatars) maintained in the style of Japanese animation. The locations have a varied colour scheme, adapted to the phases of the game. Some remain black and white, others are subdued, with a predominance of greens and purples, while others are bathed in darkness. The game is enriched by a simple but intriguing soundtrack.