Omori (Video Game)

***Omori*** is a 2020 role-playing video game developed and published by indie developer Fireblaze. In the story, the player controls a boy named Sunny and his dream world alter-ego Omori. They explore both the real world and a surreal dream world to overcome their fears and secrets. How they interact depends on choices made by the player, resulting in one of several endings. The game's turn-based battle system includes unconventional status effects based on the characters' emotions. Prominently featuring concepts such as anxiety, depression and trauma, the game has psychological horror elements.

The game is based on Fireblaze's real life. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the game was delayed numerous times and experienced several development difficulties. It was eventually released for Windows and macOS in December 2020, six years after its initial funding. It would also see a release on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 4 with added content in June 2022. *Omori* was acclaimed by critics, who lauded it for its graphics, narrative elements, soundtrack, and depiction of anxiety and depression. The game was favorably compared to games such as *EarthBound* and *Yume Nikki*, and went on to be nominated for several awards, winning DreamHack's "Daringly Dramatic" category in 2021.

## Gameplay

*Omori'*s gameplay is inspired by traditional Japanese role-playing games. The gameplay is split between two settings, Headspace and Faraway Town. In Headspace, the player controls a party of four characters: Omori, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero. In Faraway, the player begins with only Sunny, and slowly gains party members as he reconnects with his friends. Each party member possesses their own unique skills for use both in battle and in overworld traversal.

The overworld portion is played from a top-down perspective. The game features side quests and puzzles for the player to solve, bestowing them with various rewards and skills upon completion. In Headspace, many beneficial weapons and items can be obtained, with some being purchasable using Headspace's currency, Clams. In Faraway, the currency is dollars, and most found or purchasable items have little practical use outside of progressing the story.

Battles are played out in a turn-based format in which each party member performs a move. After attacking, party members can work together to perform "follow up" attacks. Follow ups use "Energy," a collective resource which starts at 3 at the start of each battle, and is gained when a party member takes damage, up to a maximum of 10. Characters and enemies have Heart, which functions as health points; if damage is taken, it decreases, and if it reaches zero, the character is defeated and turns into toast. The Juice meter is used to perform skills, special abilities which aid in battle. Outside of battle, the party can heal and save by encountering a picnic blanket, associated with Omori's older sister Mari.

Unlike most role-playing games, status effects are based on a three-pointed emotion system. A party member or opponent's emotion can change throughout the course of a battle, usually due to moves by another party member or enemy. Neutral is the baseline and has no effects; Angry increases attack but lowers defense; Sad increases defense but lowers speed, as well as converting a portion of damage to Heart into damage to Juice; and Happy increases luck and speed but lowers accuracy. Emotions are either strong or weak against each other – Happy beats Angry, Angry beats Sad, and Sad beats Happy. Additionally, higher-intensity variants of each emotion also exist.

## Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omori\_(video\_game) + some lies sprinkled in for comedic effect

(this page is a joke therefore you can't sue me)