[h1]Sights & Sounds[/h1]
[h3]Low texture, high color[/h3]
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[*] At this point, simplified polygons and textures are a bit old-hat when it comes to 3D artstyles for games. Although the style is now mostly found in indie games, the title that jumps to the front of my mind is [i]Wind Waker[/i]. Like that game, [i]Omensight[/i] features similar (kinda) plastic modeled, (sorta) cel-shaded environments and characters
[*] It also features a robust color palette like [i]Wind Waker[/i]. Oftentimes with indies that employ this artstyle, you're greeted with 1 of 2 flavors palette-wise: high contrast or pastel. Props to [i]Omensight[/i] for choosing a great set of muted reds, oranges, greens, and blues instead
[*] The environmental visuals are great as well. While much of the action takes place from an isometric perspective (forcing you to look at the ground, mostly), the camera will sometimes lower to an almost over-the-shoulder perspective to provide you with a greater sense of dimension. Those were my favorite parts; you get to see more of the nicely designed architecture and natural scenery
[*] It's not all roses, unfortunately; that fun camera trick can lead to gameplay frustration at times. Some rooms have quite a bit of depth from the viewer's perspective, and the action sometimes leads you to the back of them. It can get really hard to tell what you're doing as your character model gets smaller and smaller
[*] No qualms with the soundtrack, though. It's largely excellent. Most of what you'll be hearing is classic guitar, piano, and voice fronting some pretty nice orchestral compositions
[*] The voice acting is quite good, with competent performances all around. I honestly wasn't expecting any voice work in this game, so the final product not only having it in such high quality was a nice surprise
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[h1]Story & Vibes[/h1]
[h3]'Round she goes[/h3]
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[*] Well, unfortunately, I was unaware that [i]Omensight[/i] was a spiritual successor to another title until actually sitting down to write this review. The most embarrassing part is that I actually already own [i]Stories: The Path of Destinies[/i] and haven't tried it yet. So if there exists any connection between the two games beyond the world they take place in, I won't be able to speak to them
[*] But overlooking that error, [i]Omensight[/i] takes place in the world of Urralia, a magical, high fantasy place inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. Seems like a nice place, but unfortunately, the world's just ended
[*] That kinda sucks because you, the player, assume the role of Urralia's Harbinger, a mythical entity whose sole job is supposed to be preventing this sort of thing. Luckily, you're pulled out of the apocalypse into a magical dimension by a witch who can manipulate time
[*] With this twist, it's your job to connect with the key movers in the catastrophe. You'll enter mystical portals that transport you near one of four major characters the morning of the apocalypse. It's up to you to figure out what role you can play during that day in each characters lives in order to thwart the inevitable
[*] Your actions in one character's day can have impacts on the others, so you'll have to figure out the right order to visit each character. Don't worry; the witch who helps you time travel can provide some very unambiguous hints, so the chances of you wasting a run aren't all that high
[*] All told, the narrative itself isn't all that unique. There are plenty of games out there that have this Groundhog Day mechanic. However, I did find the ability to relive the day with different characters and influence their stories to be a satisfying modification. Otherwise, it's just your run-of-the-mill "cancel the apocalypse" plot
[*] As you'd probably expect, vibes get pretty dicey when the world is ending. Tempers flare and desperation makes people do dumb, rash things when they think everyone is going to die. Fortunately, there's an occasional joke or two crack the tension
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[h1]Playability & Replayability[/h1]
[h3]Hack-and-slash the day away[/h3]
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[*] The gameplay is largely button-mashy, hack-and-slash ARPG faire. You've got your light and heavy attack that you can mix up for a few combos, some specials to whip out against tanks/bosses/crowds, and, of course, a slightly overpowered dash that can get you out of basically any situation
[*] I think the dash being toned down just a touch (some combination of fewer iframes, shorter distance, or longer delay) would vastly improve the balance of combat. As it stands, it's just too easy to avoid damage. This is especially true once you figure out that you can dodge cancel almost any animation
[*] In fact, I've forgotten what the healing mechanic is in this game. I needed it so rarely that didn't have a chance to sink in
[*] The other mechanic chipping away at the difficulty balance is that you actually have competent CPU companions throughout most of the game. As I mentioned in the story portion of the review, each run starts with you choosing one of the for major characters' portals and working with them. What I didn't mention is that they accompany you to help you cut your way through the enemy hordes
[*] I know, I know. It's a weird complaint to have. Most CPU companions in games are worthless. Here, though, they're so good at drawing aggro that you can mostly just kite enemies toward them then circle around to backstab
[*] As far as replaying the game goes, I don't see that happening anytime soon. The introduction of the time travel mechanics was the big hook, and you can really only experience that once. The combat, while satisfying, isn't challenging enough to draw me back in. Upping the difficulty and replaying isn't appealing either due to how easy it is to dodge.
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[h1]Overall Impressions & Performance[/h1]
[h3]New plot devices, please[/h3]
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[*] Every now and then, I get to this section of the review, reread what I've written, and realize that I maybe came off as a little more negative than I intended. [i]Omensight[/i] is quite a competent game. Its great audiovisuals are quite the draw, and the relatively low difficulty of the combat makes it more accessible to wider range of players
[*] Still, though, the combat does get stale and the story is a bit hackneyed. Why does it always have to be the apocalypse in time loop games? Why can't it be something else? Why not going back in time to prevent a murder? Or to stop a war? Maybe time loop in order to make something good happen? There's so much more to the world than its end. I'd rather play a game with a unique narrative hook than one that thinks that dramatic tension can only arise from the apocalypse
[*] But hey, it's a great play on the Steam Deck, goes on sale often, and won't waste your time with its 6-10 hour length. If you just want to see some nice colors and mash buttons, [i]Omensight[/i] is practically guaranteed to satisfy
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[h1]Final Verdict[/h1]
[b]6.5[/b]/10. [i]Omensight[/i] is worth your time and dime if you go in knowing what you're getting: a pretty game with simple combat and some occasionally nifty time travel mechanics. Just don't expect too much mechanically or narratively
