Thoughts on OMORI

I have never written a video game review before, this will be my first time. That's how much I have to say about OMOCAT'S first and--at the moment--only game, OMORI. On Steam it is tagged as "psychological horror"--which seemed strange to me, as the screencaps previewed on Steam seem very innocuous--adorable, even!

But trust me, calling this game "psychological horror" is an understatement. I'm a fan of horror myself, psychological horror being my favorite subgenre. And I am not exaggerating one bit when I say: OMORI was the first piece of psychological horror media I've consumed, that actually made me feel physically sick to my stomach, just from atmosphere alone. I legitimately thought I was going to throw up from how uncomfortable I was.

Don't, however, gain the impression that OMORI is a bad game. It's actually extremely poignant and beautiful, it has no shortage of suspense, and it goes to great lengths to make you love the characters--which is why it's so devastating when they suffer. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions: Dread, sorrow, relief, anxiety, amusement, anger--pretty much every emotion possible, I felt it. And it was rough. I told my friend after finishing the game: "That was an amazing game, but I never want to play it again."

It's hard to summarize the game without divulging too many spoilers. So the most I can really say about it is: It's a game about a shut-in named Sunny who is using his alter ego, Omori, to keep a terrible secret from coming to light. I know that synopsis is very short, but it's all I can say without ruining the game. But it's more than just a character study of an emotionally disturbed individual. It's a journey of friendship, overcoming fear, forgiveness, and loss.

The game takes you to many different realms. We go inside Sunny's dreams, where he's masquerading as Omori, and traveling through a fantasy land with his best friends. These make up some of the more lighthearted parts of the story, though they can be seen as allegories to the tragedy in Sunny's waking life. We have the real world, which is where Sunny lives as himself, and is practically mute and socially anxious. We have "White Space" which is where Omori exists alone. And then we have Black Space...which is where the truth of Sunny's life starts to bubble up into surreal nightmare fuel and the tone becomes significantly darker.

What secret is Sunny trying to hide? I'm a writer, so I had a lot of ideas and theories bubbled up in my head of what it could be. But even so, nothing prepared me for the truth, and I don't think anyone else will be prepared for it either. Even if you do, by chance, figure out what the secret is, the way it unravels and reveals itself is still frightening and painful.

It isn't just the secret that makes this game a tough play, it also makes you do some awful things to advance. For example, (and this isn't spoiling anything) in White Space, the only way you can escape is to stab yourself. The only way you can calm one of Sunny's friends down, is to hurt him--something I didn't want to do, because said friend is precious. You even kill this friend in a dream sequence.

Even though this game was emotionally draining, and made me cry more times than I care to admit, it still has a soft, bittersweet undertone that makes up for all the horrors it puts you through. Sunny's group of friends love him, even if he doesn't believe they ever could. Even if they can't go back to the playful and innocent days they once had together, they still have the memories keeping their bonds together. Had Sunny's friends just stood around him in a circle, clapping, and saying "Congratulations!" while piano music played, it would have been almost identical to the famous scene from Neon Genesis Evangelion. (Of which, Sunny reminds me a lot of the series' protagonist, Shinji Ikari, but that's a different essay for a different day.)

As far as technical aspects go, the art is extremely creative and knows how to evoke terror into you. Similarly, the soundtrack is one of the coolest original soundtracks I've heard in a game. The music takes on all sorts of moods: Lighthearted, wistful, heartbreaking, terrifying--and they all make sure you FEEL what you're supposed to feel. The tunes are catchy and fun too. I'm even considering purchasing the soundtrack, which I don't usually do for games. That's how good it is!

This is a beautiful, poignant game that will draw out all kinds of emotions. It's addicting and suspenseful. The characters are well written and lovable. The horror aspects of the game will definitely spike your adrenaline, while the more tragic parts of the game will get even the toughest of gamers crying. Even though (in my opinion) this game is way too emotionally raw for more than one playthrough, I still highly recommend it and it is definitely worth your money.

My two biggest points of advice though, if you want to play it:

1) Go into it blind. Trust me. Don't look up walkthroughs, don't look up spoilers. The true horror of the game is the visceral emotional reactions it will elicit, and you can't experience that if you spoil it for yourself.

2) If you have a tendency to dissociate, are suicidal, or have extreme anxiety, I would dissuade you from playing this game. I'm serious. Although I do think it's a wonderful game, your mental health is way more important than some game. And there is a lot of stuff in this game that could trigger an episode, or make you question your reality. There is a trigger warning at the beginning of the game, but just in case, I want to double down on it. This trigger warning is absolutely serious. DO NOT play this game if you experience those things.

If you still want to proceed, I say go for it. It's mentally and emotionally draining, but if you pick the right path, your payoff will be rewarding.