Score: 9.5 / 10
Price/Value: FULL
Time: 40 hours
Difficulties played: N/A


OMORI is an RPGMaker title in a colourful world with a deeply charming aesthetic/art style and soundtrack. You play as OMORI along with his friends AUBREY, KEL and HERO in an RPG that mechanically will remind you of both Earthbound/Undertale in all the right ways. Explore the world, complete quests and help out people around town each day between breaks in the narrative to really get the full dose of charm out of OMORI.

Combat is focused around emotions and the status changes that come with them; each character has Heart (health) and Juice (mana) which can be effected by the current emotion as well. Happiness increases your chance to critical, Anger will increase your attack damage while lowering defense, Sadness will decrease attack and some heart damage will be taken out of your juice instead; all while being in a triangle where each emotion has a strength/weakness to another. Snacks will be found in the world to be used as restorative items, while toys can be found to cause damage or inflict emotion changes in the party/enemies. An energy bar sits front and centre which charges every time a party member takes a strike in combat. This can be used to perform 'follow-up' attacks - similar to a dual technique - with another party member, or an ultimate attack with the entire party when maxed out at ten.

The real charm of OMORI is going to be its hand drawn art style, the aesthetic of the world, the soundtrack and the friends you have along the way. Atmosphere oozes from this game in a number of ways quite successfully that will end up leaving your heart both moved and shaken. As a slight note, I appreciated the Neon Genesis Evangelion references/nods that were tucked into the title through the art direction.

I genuinely can't recommend OMORI enough to those who enjoy RPGs or are just looking for something that is outstanding - there is a wonderful world, a moving experience and memorable friends inside.

Score: 9.5 / 10
Price/Value: FULL
Time: 8 Hours (including rune hunting)
Combat Difficulty: Hard
Actual Difficulty: Casual / Easy

To anyone who has struggled with mental illness through their lives; this will be a powerful experience that will leave your heart both moved and shaken. To those that have not, well, this is an eerily accurate insight into mental illness and the thoughts, fears and doubts which plague so many in their day to day lives.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is my contender for Game of the Year. Never before have I had an experience that, as I mentioned above, moved me so. This title is an over the shoulder story driven game with light combat and puzzle elements. Primarily you are along for the story of Senua; a celtic/norse warrior woman plagued with psychosis / mental illness. You are on a mental and spiritual journey to reclaim the soul of your fallen love - Gideon - and overcome the darkness that troubles your mind.

Visually Hellblade is a feast for the eyes. Senua's expressions are wonderous to see in such an expansive range and every moment along the way is entirely believable. The world in which Hellblade inhabits is a treat as well from the warriors and creatures to the gorgeous landscapes. I almost wish this was a film just so I could sit back and take it all in. The audio is where I feeI this game excels. The voice acting is on par with such masterpiece performances such as the cast of SiIent HiII II, III & 'The Darkness' in The Darkness. Headphones are an absolute must to get the full experience of the journey.

Combat is light at best, mainly focusing on fast/heavy attacks and block/counter/dodge. Thankfully combat is short, sweet and never terribly difficult even on higher settings. It punctuates the story well without taking you out of the immersion you have going. The puzzles are designed around Senua being able to see hidden things in the world around her; this takes on the form of runes. In order to proceed you will have to explore a zone for the runes plastered on the door in question before it will open. The other puzzle element is changing your perspective in order to reassemble destroyed portions of the landscape or to cut into a light/dark world - nothing too challenging / cereberal.

The onIy reason I haven't scored this 10 / 10 is due to nitpicking. There are bugs which can make certain puzzIes not function correctIy shouId you activate doors or puzzIe sequences out of order. I aIso found there are two doors with a 'sweet spot' where you need to back away from the door whiIe mashing use before it triggered.

Senua's story is one I won't soon forget and I can onIy hope I hear another taIe with her in it.