Every so often, a new indie game comes out that looks to change the industry or, at least, give the internet something to flood with memes, fan art, and heartfelt tears. In the past, this has included creepypasta obsessions such as Five Nights At Freddy’s or quirky, internet sensations like Undertale.
Omocat’s Omori, a horror RPG with beautiful artwork, strong turn-based combat, and some horrifyingly dark themes, looks to join those ranks. If those are enough to tantalize you or if the internet and your friends are starting to push you towards Omori, there are a few things that should be known before starting the game.
Updated March 11, 2022 by Leah Isobel: As with any RPG, getting into Omori is a significant time investment and there are some things that you’re just better off knowing before you get into it. To that end, we’ve added a few more things that would be useful to know before booting up this wonderful game.
15 Strong Depictions Of Anxiety And Self-Harm
This one should be a no-brainer given that Omori starts with a stark content warning highlighting the game’s more triggering elements, but here’s a more thorough warning for those who may underestimate the message’s intentions.
A huge part of Omori’s DNA is its stark depiction of anxiety and trauma, and it doesn’t shy away from showing those elements at their extremes. When the game says that it depicts suicide, it does so in a blunt, sobering succession among other portrayals of depression and anxiety. If this sounds like it could be triggering for you, please take the content warning seriously.
14 There Are Two Worlds
Most of Omori’s advertising - and many of its big gameplay features - revolve around Headspace, the fanciful depiction of the main character Sunny’s inner world. Headspace is where you’ll do the majority of your turn-based battling and questing, featuring such surreal locales as a junkyard on the moon and an underwater casino.
But there’s also a more realistic counterpart called Faraway Town. These sections are closer to an adventure game - you won’t be doing a lot of battling, but you’ll meet Sunny’s real-life friends and acquaintances and help them with their lives. The atmosphere here is much more grounded and serious to contrast with the wistful absurdity of Headspace. If Omori’s apparent quirkiness turns you off, rest assured that it’s not the whole game.
13 There’s No Shame In Consulting A Walkthrough
Like any RPG worth its salt, Omori contains several different endings. Depending on your actions throughout the game, you’ll get one of around five different conclusions to the story; some of these are heartwarming, while some can be pretty distressing.
If you’d like to avoid the triggering endings, it’s a good idea to consult a walkthrough for Omori. While one of the decisions that change the game’s outcome is well-telegraphed, many of the smaller decisions that pop up near the end of the game aren’t as clear. One of Omori’s main messages is that it’s worth looking after your mental health, even when it’s difficult; it’s a good idea to keep this in mind as you plan your run.
12 Opening The Door For Kel Changes The Whole Game
That well-telegraphed decision mentioned above happens early on, during Omori’s “Three Days Left…” chapter. You’ll hear Sunny’s friend Kel knocking on your front door, and the game will give you a choice between opening the door or ignoring him.
Opening the door allows the player to continue the Normal Route; but if you ignore Kel and don’t leave the house, you’ll be locked into the alternate Hikikomori Route, which blocks off most of Faraway Town but adds new content to Headspace. This route also features unique, and uniquely depressing, endings.
11 It’s A Long Game
When Omocat set up the Kickstarter for Omori back in 2014, they promised that the game would feature “really long gameplay.” Boy, did they deliver. A straightforward run of the game, where you only focus on the main plot, will take a little over 20 hours to complete.
But if you engage with the side content - exploring the world, talking to NPCs, playing minigames, and seeking out powerful enemies - you’re looking at a solid 30+ hours of content. And that’s for just one run of the game. If you want to experience all of Omori’s endings and routes, you’re going to spend a lot of time with it.
10 There’s A Lot Of Optional Content
Omori rewards curiosity. Even if you’re just playing through the Normal route, there are several areas that aren’t related to the plot, meaning that you can completely miss them if you’re focusing on seeing the story through. These include the Orange Oasis, which comes with its own set of NPCs, unique boss battles and dungeons, sidequests, and more.
On the Hikikomori Route, there’s even more to see, with the Snowglobe Mountain and Abyss areas added to explore. The Abyss, in particular, adds a great deal to Omori’s lore, introducing new mysteries regarding the nature of Headspace and its denizens.
9 Do Side Quests
Much like other RPGs, Omori is littered with side quests, both in Headspace and in Faraway Town. While doing side quests may seem tedious or appear as if they’re just there for extra content, many of them do offer decent rewards and even opportunities to alter certain outcomes.
While none of them are really required to progress through the game, completing more of them does add a nice touch towards the end that may increase certain players’ appreciation.
8 It Wears Its Influences On Its Sleeve
The whole idea of a “quirky indie RPG inspired by Earthbound” is so familiar that’s a meme now, so you might expect Omori to be self-consciously original. It’s not. Its enemy design, music, and sense of humor are often reminiscent of the Mother series.
But it’s not just Nintendo’s famous franchise that inspired Omori. The game also heavily references Yume Nikki, with visual callbacks and a huge, plot-heavy midgame section that pulls from the indie horror hit. These references are woven so closely into the fabric of the game that they become part of what makes it so compelling - it’s a love letter to weird games and the weirdos who play them.
7 The Emotions Chart Can Make Things Easier… But Isn’t Necessary
Omori’s main, original gameplay mechanic is its Emotion Chart. Rather than have stats tied to natural elements or magic, Omori has the player manipulate and fend off different emotions between Sad, Happy, and Angry (and, in some cases, Afraid).
Knowing how each emotion can buff or debuff a character can help out in certain situations. However, if you’re only interested in playing the Normal Route, much of the game, if not all of it, can be played without having to memorize the chart. The Hikikomori Route and its bosses are another story entirely.
6 The Hangman Game Can’t Be Completed On A Normal Route
While finding Basil is the main, overarching goal of the storyline in the dream world, Omori’s other motivator is its uncanny fetch quest in the Hangman game. Some new players may stress themselves out trying to find every key while others may worry if there’s a consequence for failing the Hangman game.
However, it should be noted that neither of these can be accomplished during a Normal Route as certain keys are only accessible in the Hikikomori Route. At that point, finding them does contribute to exploring more of the game’s hidden secrets.
5 Don’t Hoard Your Clams
RPGs are riddled with players who hoard items and currency way too much and make the epic adventures presented to them all about resource management. Omori is not a game that aims to challenge its players with item scarcity or grinding.
Progressing through the campaign, doing side quests, and beating bosses offer plenty of rewards that make frequenting the game’s shops very easy. And, even then, it can still be pretty easy to finish the game with an excess of cash, so don’t worry too much about having to save items for an upcoming encounter.
4 Have Hero Buy Everything
On the note of buying items, it’s always advisable to have Hero interact with all of the shop clerks, even though the game never actually advises you to do so. Once the player is able to switch out party leaders in Headspace, it’s easy to assume that switching will only be used to solve various puzzles.
However, Hero has an extra use when it comes to being frugal with clams. Frequently called everybody’s favorite customer, Hero as a party leader is able to get discounts at nearly every shop!
3 There Are Unique Interactions For Each Leader
Hero being able to get discounts at different shops is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to playing around with party leaders. Switching between different characters can offer a litany of hilarious and touching character interactions across the game.
This includes talking with the various denizens of the dream world as well as interacting with certain objects, such as Space Boyfriend’s keyboard.
2 Dino’s Dig Is An Unrelenting Gauntlet
While Orange Oasis may be entirely optional, it’s home to a lot of content for you to explore and play with. The centerpiece of which is Dino’s Dig, a seeming party game that has the player explore a pyramid for treasure. Don’t be fooled by the external cuteness, however.
In a game already billed as a horror experience, Dino’s Dig may very well be the most stressful portion of the entire game. This is mostly due to the fact that its deceivingly ordinary enemies are actually the center of some of the hardest fights in the game.
1 Don’t Forget To Water The Plants
One of the easiest things to miss when playing Omori is the succeeding opportunities to water Basil’s plants. The game won’t have the crew go back to Basil’s home in the dream world for a huge chunk of the game.
Despite this, the player still has a chance to return and water Basil’s plants. This bit of sensitivity towards Basil’s hobby doesn’t go unrewarded either. Properly maintaining the garden throughout the game contributes towards a special, secret ending.
NEXT: Weirdest RPGs And Their Most Unusual Features
