I'm checking out more PS Plus Extra games today with this one. BACKGROUND:
I watched a friend of mine play this when they had a free sub to PC Game Pass, and it looked like a chill time. We ended up forgetting the name of the game after a while, and it took me digging through PS Plus Extra's catalog to remember what it was. PLOT: You follow an unnamed pilgrim as they make their journey through a beautiful world to follow in the footsteps of their people. As you go around collecting the game's glyphs, you learn of the story of the people of this world, who followed a mystical light and left the world in search of a better one. These people were led by the staffbearers, who were able to channel the world's light (which can be found in many objects and organisms in the world) and harness their power for all sorts of things. It is never explained where exactly they ended up after embarking on their great journey, but that's what our character is here to find out. Our protagonist is truly determined to reach this promised land their people have seemingly found, braving the elements to get to their goal. Their journey is a lonely one (save for an animal friend who tags along with them), but there otherwise aren't really any physical threats to contend with as they travel across the world. What elevates this story above the standard "great journey" story for me is the fact that the protagonist makes a major realization about their journey midway through it. As they make their way through the world, they find themselves admiring everything there is to see, and that admiration eventually becomes a bittersweet feeling as they realize that they'll be leaving all this wonder behind once they cross over into the light. By the end, they find themselves questioning if this light is really all that when the world they're already in has so much to offer. The overall theme of stopping to smell the roses, appreciating where you're at in the present, and not getting too lost in some big goal is one that resonated with me, and I could connect with the feeling the protagonist had as they gradually made this realization. I found myself thinking how this "light" they're going to must really be something if they're willing to leave this wonderful world behind, and I was glad they found something to appreciate and cherish within said world despite the fact that they're pretty much alone in it. Granted, a lot of this story is told through the optional glyph collectibles in the game, and you really only get to the interesting bit very close to the end. That may not be worth it to some, but with how the game is structured, you're likely going to pick these collectibles up anyway. None of them are particularly hard to find, and the game doesn't overwhelm you by splitting up the collectibles somewhat evenly across each area. The game doesn't really go too deep on the lore of the staffbearers and the nature of the light they harness, but that actually works to the story's advantage since the whole journey is about realizing that what every other person in this world sought doesn't necessarily need to be your character's endgame. Yes, I found myself wondering about all this light stuff, but by the end, I found that appreciating what I had seen up until that point was just as, if not more fulfilling than the possibility of finding the answers the protagonist was also looking for. PRESENTATION: This game is quite beautiful despite the simplicity of its 3D models, environments, and textures. The wide variety of landscapes are brought to life with vibrant colors (made more so with a cel-shaded style), the abundance of nature (from lush flora to adorable or majestic-looking creatures), and the scant but nonetheless ethereal architecture left behind by the civilization that came before. I took the time to take in the sights and was treated to snowcapped mountains, lively forests, beautiful skies, and colossal (yet friendly) creatures. The fact that every location in the game was a memorably picturesque sight worked perfectly in tandem with the story, which was all about appreciating what it had to offer. The music helped bring an atmosphere of wonder to the already breathtaking world, as the score was as beautiful as the visuals. I already found myself captivated by all the locations you visit in the game, but they go the extra mile with tracks that made the simple act of looking at these places somehow feel like a moving, emotional experience. GAMEPLAY: Omno is a 3D plaftormer where the goal is simply to explore each of the game's areas and find at least three of the orb collectibles to unlock that area's puzzle. Once you solve the puzzle, you move onto the next area, and you repeat the process until you get to the end. Exploration is as chill as it gets, with zero combat to deal with and mostly easy puzzles. The most challenge you may deal with is the occasional tricky platforming (mostly in cycle-based sections) or the danger of falling into the abyss, but since the game has checkpoints and lets you play at your own pace, even these elements barely registered as stressors. I will say that platforming itself isn't perfect, as the occasionally strange geometry of some platforms can lead to you falling off. Each area feels vast at first glance, but they're all actually not that large. Still, it's a delight to wander around and take in the sights, and there is room for optional areas and collectibles in most areas. I wouldn't go as far as to say that anything's deviously hidden, but you still have to be fairly attentive if you want to collect everything. While the bare minimum to proceed is three of the collectible orbs, each area can be 100% by finding all the other collectibles. These include the bonus orbs (which also give you options on what to go for if you're just trying to beat the game quickly), the glyphs (which tell the pilgrim's story, so they're worth getting), and interacting with the game's many creatures (which rewards you with something akin to a Pokedex entry for them). There's also a meditation spot that reveals the location of all the orbs if you use it, which (along with the readily available completion percentage tracker) will help with completion. There's a mechanic where you draw light energy from interacting with creatures and objects in the world, but it's only used to activate obelisks (which, in turn, give you one easy orb). I kind of wish this mechanic saw more use, because it made accumulating energy pointless after activating the obelisk. If it's any consolation, one way to get energy was to interact with the creatures of the game (which let you see their adorable behaviors), but apart from that, I wish energy had some other purpose. The game's puzzles make use of mechanics like switches that activate things like moving platforms, blocks you can push so you have something to bridge gaps, devices that involve matching patterns, rings/gates you have to travel to in order to activate some other thing, and light orbs you can move between terminals to toggle all sorts of devices. Again, none of it is complicated, but it was nice to have these puzzles to keep things interesting after you've explored an area. Your character also gains a few traversal abilities that you use in some of the more platforming-based challenges of the game. These include a forward dash, a float that lets you descend slowly, the ability to surf down slopes, and the ability to teleport to special warp points in the world. They all serve their purpose, though I will note that the teleport and the float are used in interesting ways. The surf is also fun, but I wish it weren't restricted to downhill movement. VERDICT: Admittedly, Omno isn't a game that's new in my eyes. I've definitely played more than a few atmospheric, chill 3D platformers with beautiful visuals, a mostly esoteric story, and an emotional hook (I've talked about some of them here, too). While I found that games like that leave me wanting more in one or more of the departments, Omno appears to be the first instance I can recall where everything they set out to do here mostly lands for me. Exploring the world is a delight while not being a chore, the game doesn't give you too many execution-heavy platforming sections, the puzzles are neat (if a bit basic), and the story resonated with me more than I expected it to at first. I personally would have loved if the gameplay had more meat to it, but apart from that, I enjoyed this casual experience. Considering this is the third game of this kind I've encountered so far (at least in terms of what I've talked about on here and what I can remember), it might be a safe bet that "chill 3D platformer with pretty visuals" is its own subgenre at this point. If such a subgenre is your cup of tea, Omno is the one game I feel most comfortable recommending above the others I've played at this point. Anybody can pick up this game with no trouble at all, and while the story takes a while to get going, I think it's one most people can connect with. It is, however, a short game, so if you're a stickler for the whole money vs. playtime ratio, you might want to wait for a sale. Omno is available on Steam: Omno on Steam (steampowered.com) - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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