end roll purified my water supply, revived my crops, cured my depression, and brought a genuine spark of joy into my life. that is probably the most misleading statement to make in relation to the mood and story of this game, but i mean it completely unironically. it gave me meaning. i just found this site. i registered because of end roll
i played it a few months ago via a recommendation to omori fans (an amazing game which i'd also recently gotten into) and BOY could i have never seen the sheer mental impact of this game coming. end roll is the definition of 'hurts so good' imo. it weighs on your heart, makes you wish things were better and would become better despite knowing that it won't, and yet there's a distance to it that can actually distract from one's own pain in favor of just... feeling for russell and all the pain in those surrounding him, in my experience at least—it probably varies from person to person, of course. i would die for russell. i would go to hell for him. i would gladly step into the lion's mouth and let myself be eaten for the mere illusion of him. i would also do the same for chris, who is possibly the most lovable and underrated barely present side character i can imagine. i would live for them
amazing art, amazing story, amazing soundtrack, amazing characters, amazing game. it's an entire experience created by a single person, and you can play it entirely for free
i played it a few months ago via a recommendation to omori fans (an amazing game which i'd also recently gotten into) and BOY could i have never seen the sheer mental impact of this game coming. end roll is the definition of 'hurts so good' imo. it weighs on your heart, makes you wish things were better and would become better despite knowing that it won't, and yet there's a distance to it that can actually distract from one's own pain in favor of just... feeling for russell and all the pain in those surrounding him, in my experience at least—it probably varies from person to person, of course. i would die for russell. i would go to hell for him. i would gladly step into the lion's mouth and let myself be eaten for the mere illusion of him. i would also do the same for chris, who is possibly the most lovable and underrated barely present side character i can imagine. i would live for them
amazing art, amazing story, amazing soundtrack, amazing characters, amazing game. it's an entire experience created by a single person, and you can play it entirely for free
russell did a silly: the game
Rip Russell you would have loved omori
omori wishes it could be end roll. literally one of my favorite rpg horror maker games oat... so painfully underrated. i could play this game 100 times even with the rpg maker 2000 curse. you can also play for free!! here: https://vgperson.com/games/endroll.htm
this game is so good ive played it maybe a hundred times
Such an underrated gem.
Omori for Red Pilled people (real)
Omori if it was good???????
Unironically you can tell that Omori took heavy influence from this game
End Roll was amazing, it's just really good, everything that's amazing about RPG Maker games End Roll has and does brilliantly
I really got attached to the whole cast and Russel's journey being your own in terms of you going out of your way to care and help being the same for the rest of the cast and that having an effect on the experience was wonderful, I felt sad and guilty on Russel's behalf
Russel is a really good silent protag, knowing what he's seen and experienced, it makes sense he doesn't talk much. But since the whole game is based around his experiences, the world is what gives Russel his in depth characterisation as well as the story and characters.
Anyway I think his final crime was justifiable imo, but no one else deserved what happened
Unironically you can tell that Omori took heavy influence from this game
End Roll was amazing, it's just really good, everything that's amazing about RPG Maker games End Roll has and does brilliantly
I really got attached to the whole cast and Russel's journey being your own in terms of you going out of your way to care and help being the same for the rest of the cast and that having an effect on the experience was wonderful, I felt sad and guilty on Russel's behalf
Russel is a really good silent protag, knowing what he's seen and experienced, it makes sense he doesn't talk much. But since the whole game is based around his experiences, the world is what gives Russel his in depth characterisation as well as the story and characters.
Anyway I think his final crime was justifiable imo, but no one else deserved what happened
End Roll feels like the epitome of a RPG Maker game. Cute, fairly simple, has a couple of parts that (understandably enough) feel amateurish--but kept in a tailwind by the sense of breeziness to the whole experience. Each area and dungeon is a nice 20 minute diversion, the combat is never terribly demanding, and there's a good deal of side content throughout that held my attention well, even if some of it is fairly superfluous.
Otherwise, there's not really much to say. It doesn't do anything particularly special in any department, but neither does it falter anywhere. The characters and story were interesting, even if I never grew any strong attachment to any of it, which is perfectly fine! I played it over the course of a day, enjoyed it all the way, and probably won't think too much more about it. Sometimes that's all a game needs to be.
Otherwise, there's not really much to say. It doesn't do anything particularly special in any department, but neither does it falter anywhere. The characters and story were interesting, even if I never grew any strong attachment to any of it, which is perfectly fine! I played it over the course of a day, enjoyed it all the way, and probably won't think too much more about it. Sometimes that's all a game needs to be.
OUHJ I AM SO UNNORMAL PLAY THIS GAME
sorry no hate to the creator or anything just wasnt really my thing maybe the english translation combined with the visuals made it less scary im not sure play if you are a fan of omori though 50/50 chance youd like it
Grating music, generic rpg mechanics with grinding, genuinely hilarious attempts at horror, nihilistic and vacuous mental health commentary, boring characters, RPGmaker UI limitations, storytelling marred by what feels like a disconnect between author and translator.
Visually passable, though not remarkable. There is some attention to detail in its environments if you take the time to interact with things. The side content was also nice to find— even if the content itself is often more awkward attempts at delivering backstory, with more standard rpg battling.
Visually passable, though not remarkable. There is some attention to detail in its environments if you take the time to interact with things. The side content was also nice to find— even if the content itself is often more awkward attempts at delivering backstory, with more standard rpg battling.
they made everything either annoying or fucking boring gameplay-wise to deliver a middle-schooler tier story
also the music fucking sucks LOL seriously this might be one of the worst soundtracks ive heard this doesn't sound sad it just sounds like shit
also the music fucking sucks LOL seriously this might be one of the worst soundtracks ive heard this doesn't sound sad it just sounds like shit
Really cool game with a really cool world. Honestly, I like the world more than I like the story or characters. The environments and music really carry this one. As for the story, I think I would need to play it again for a refresher. My one complaint is that the level scaling is kinda wack. Like, The 3rd or 4th boss is just insanely hard for no reason. I remember being stuck on it for ages. Between it and the two enemies it spawns with on the field, they have a combined strength that's capable to wipe out your entire team from full hp before you even get a turn. It kinda sucks, like really bad. But otherwise a very good game with a great world I recommend to a lot of people.
Will always be pretty special to me. I guess it is depressing, but I wouldn't call it heart-wrenching. It is a little silly in its concept, but the guilt quests and the connections you make are fun. I think it's always somber when you remember beneath all the fun is just a made-up scenario without much merit beyond what's happening to Russell. It is really grind-y which is annoying. It's an RPGMaker game so if you enjoy those you'll probably like End Roll and I think for all the content and love put into it, it's often overlooked as far as these kinds of games go.
If Memory Girl has a million fans, I'm one of them.
If Memory Girl has 5 fans, I'm one of them.
If Memory Girl has 1 fan, that one is me.
If Memory Girl has no fans, I'm no longer on this planet
If the entire world is against Memory Girl, I am against the entire world
If Memory Girl has 5 fans, I'm one of them.
If Memory Girl has 1 fan, that one is me.
If Memory Girl has no fans, I'm no longer on this planet
If the entire world is against Memory Girl, I am against the entire world
I will never forget the atmosphere in the hospital
É o meu jogo de RPG Maker favorito. Recomendo para qualquer pessoa que goste também dar uma chance para End Roll.
Endroll is an amazing horror inspired RPG maker 2000 game. By all means it should be played and I believe this is my favourite RPG maker game, even more so than Omori. You play as Russell, a serial killer who has been sentenced to death and takes part in a medical trial where he's given a drug named "Happy Dream", whose purpose is to make him develop guilt and regret his crimes. The whole story takes place inside his dream, where a nameless village with very kind inhabitants is created. You will very quickly uncover the truth about the inhabitants and every day focuses on one of them.
This game doesn't beat around the bush and you could compare it to Omori's creepiest parts. Take that and make it creepier, and then make an entire game out of it. While I thought it looked fairly standard at the beginning, the game hooked me very quickly with its pacing and how on point it was. Almost the entire game has a creepy unsettling atmosphere and it only gets worse as you progress, but it is just translating the game's themes. At its roots it's still a Mother/Earthbound-like game, though, and there's also a lot of comedy.
One of the most interesting things about the narration is that half if not more of the game's content is optional. If you only do the main plot, I estimate you'd beat the game in about five hours, but the game has a lot of side stories or requests from the villagers which make it last longer. Every in-game day, you can talk to them to learn rumours or get a request, and you can revisit previous places to see if any change has happened. Oftentimes you'll stumble upon an entirely new dungeon by revisiting a previous location, or realise that every NPC has new dialogue and an event is on-going and unlock new locations too. After every main quest, you will also advance the day to night time, and the world is very different (and dangerous) at night, some events being exclusive to it. The side content is honestly amazing and it feels like you keep discovering darker secrets continuously. A lot of them will develop the characterisation of the villagers and the creepier story elements.
I think one of the game's most original aspect for me was that unlike Omori, the main character is perfectly aware of his past and it is the virtual characters of his world which are confronted and shocked by the truth. The main character simply develop his guilt by watching their reaction, trauma and protecting them. Often, the quests will actually reveal the story of these characters rather than the protagonist, whether they are stories imagined by him or things he knew, and represent those characters overcoming THEIR obstacles and not Russell. Essentially, the game has several arcs which focus on one character but you can further explore them by revisiting locations related to their story. If I had to give a main theme to this game, it would definitively be the feeling of guilt. I found it very easy to sympathise with what the protagonist would be feeling during the events of the game.
The game also has a very interesting combat gameplay. While it may seem pretty standard at first, it actually has a good focus on buff/debuff and elemental weaknesses. There are also multiple status that enemies can affect and which you have to deal with. One of the more interesting aspects of combat is that you can go to a great extent to customise characters. For example, you can buy spell books to teach a specific ability to a character and turn them into a healer or magician, and there are stat increasing seeds all to increase a specific trait. There are even two seeds which will increase either physical or magical abilities to a very great extent, but they will decrease the opposite one by a great amount too. And the most fascinating is that every character has at least two weapon types, a more magic-focused weapon and a physical-focused one, with different skills being available depending on the weapon type you are using which makes every character very versatile. Did I mention that you can almost freely customise a party of four with NINE characters? They all have fairly unique skills too, even though they can serve almost any roll. The game also doesn't lack challenge and the optional zones will offer great combat value, with the last ones being fairly difficult albeit I never needed to grind.
If it has any flaw, it would be that it seems primitive, considering it's RPG Maker 2000 and there are obvious limitations such as only being able to change maps when you're walking on a road or the hitboxes of buildings, but it didn't bother me once I realise how much depth this game had and once you get there, you have a really wonderful game and in my opinion it is just as great as Omori.
You can get the game for free and in English at: https://vgperson.com/games/endroll.htm
This game doesn't beat around the bush and you could compare it to Omori's creepiest parts. Take that and make it creepier, and then make an entire game out of it. While I thought it looked fairly standard at the beginning, the game hooked me very quickly with its pacing and how on point it was. Almost the entire game has a creepy unsettling atmosphere and it only gets worse as you progress, but it is just translating the game's themes. At its roots it's still a Mother/Earthbound-like game, though, and there's also a lot of comedy.
One of the most interesting things about the narration is that half if not more of the game's content is optional. If you only do the main plot, I estimate you'd beat the game in about five hours, but the game has a lot of side stories or requests from the villagers which make it last longer. Every in-game day, you can talk to them to learn rumours or get a request, and you can revisit previous places to see if any change has happened. Oftentimes you'll stumble upon an entirely new dungeon by revisiting a previous location, or realise that every NPC has new dialogue and an event is on-going and unlock new locations too. After every main quest, you will also advance the day to night time, and the world is very different (and dangerous) at night, some events being exclusive to it. The side content is honestly amazing and it feels like you keep discovering darker secrets continuously. A lot of them will develop the characterisation of the villagers and the creepier story elements.
I think one of the game's most original aspect for me was that unlike Omori, the main character is perfectly aware of his past and it is the virtual characters of his world which are confronted and shocked by the truth. The main character simply develop his guilt by watching their reaction, trauma and protecting them. Often, the quests will actually reveal the story of these characters rather than the protagonist, whether they are stories imagined by him or things he knew, and represent those characters overcoming THEIR obstacles and not Russell. Essentially, the game has several arcs which focus on one character but you can further explore them by revisiting locations related to their story. If I had to give a main theme to this game, it would definitively be the feeling of guilt. I found it very easy to sympathise with what the protagonist would be feeling during the events of the game.
The game also has a very interesting combat gameplay. While it may seem pretty standard at first, it actually has a good focus on buff/debuff and elemental weaknesses. There are also multiple status that enemies can affect and which you have to deal with. One of the more interesting aspects of combat is that you can go to a great extent to customise characters. For example, you can buy spell books to teach a specific ability to a character and turn them into a healer or magician, and there are stat increasing seeds all to increase a specific trait. There are even two seeds which will increase either physical or magical abilities to a very great extent, but they will decrease the opposite one by a great amount too. And the most fascinating is that every character has at least two weapon types, a more magic-focused weapon and a physical-focused one, with different skills being available depending on the weapon type you are using which makes every character very versatile. Did I mention that you can almost freely customise a party of four with NINE characters? They all have fairly unique skills too, even though they can serve almost any roll. The game also doesn't lack challenge and the optional zones will offer great combat value, with the last ones being fairly difficult albeit I never needed to grind.
If it has any flaw, it would be that it seems primitive, considering it's RPG Maker 2000 and there are obvious limitations such as only being able to change maps when you're walking on a road or the hitboxes of buildings, but it didn't bother me once I realise how much depth this game had and once you get there, you have a really wonderful game and in my opinion it is just as great as Omori.
You can get the game for free and in English at: https://vgperson.com/games/endroll.htm
This game is the most horrifying, disturbing, and frankly, fucked up piece of media I've ever had to experience, and I don't think I would want it any other way.
I came in with zero expectations (mainly just expecting a depressing RPG Maker game), and came out absolutely stunned.
I came in with zero expectations (mainly just expecting a depressing RPG Maker game), and came out absolutely stunned.
The dev mentioned in their notes to the player that anyone streaming this or reviewing this should remain respectful so I will try my best to stay that way (and I am going to fail). For the value I got out of it, it was a neat little experience and quite detailed for something made in RPG Maker 2000. I also kinda personally enjoyed just how unapologetically brash the story is in its violent theming. It could very easily be written off as being over-the-top on purpose but I'm not within that mindset.
The way the story is presented, sadly, is about as blunt as a bat Russell probably used to bash someone's head in at some point in his life. You basically know exactly what happened to make a freaky event go on. As I've mentioned in my Imaginary Friends review, that's one of the key pitfalls of amateur storytelling. Not that it can't be done right; I think OMORI does a good job of doing it by spacing out harsh answers with periods of intrigue as you try and piece together the twisting plot. I know for sure not everyone will agree with me on that opinion, though.
Gameplay also suffers a lot. It's about as default RPG Maker as it gets. The customizable party members bit is neat, though not novel enough for it to jump out to me. In addition, enemy battles sometimes seem trivial with me mashing the auto button while the boss fights kick my teeth in with how quickly they wipe out my party. I assume when Nintendotubers talk about saying they hate turn-based JRPGs, they assume they're like that.
I was able to make it to about Day 4 before I gave up. Maybe the game gets way better after where I'm at but for now I'll put this off. When I'm a better RPG player I'll try and come back to this one. And I suspect I'll love it more then!
I will say, this game definitely deseves to be given the remaster treatment. It'd be nice to have this with various QoL improvements, widescreen, and Steam achievements considering how jam-packed with side content there is, almost overwhelmingly so.
All in all, this game has a ton of potential and I am for it but it was ultimately not for me.
The way the story is presented, sadly, is about as blunt as a bat Russell probably used to bash someone's head in at some point in his life. You basically know exactly what happened to make a freaky event go on. As I've mentioned in my Imaginary Friends review, that's one of the key pitfalls of amateur storytelling. Not that it can't be done right; I think OMORI does a good job of doing it by spacing out harsh answers with periods of intrigue as you try and piece together the twisting plot. I know for sure not everyone will agree with me on that opinion, though.
Gameplay also suffers a lot. It's about as default RPG Maker as it gets. The customizable party members bit is neat, though not novel enough for it to jump out to me. In addition, enemy battles sometimes seem trivial with me mashing the auto button while the boss fights kick my teeth in with how quickly they wipe out my party. I assume when Nintendotubers talk about saying they hate turn-based JRPGs, they assume they're like that.
I was able to make it to about Day 4 before I gave up. Maybe the game gets way better after where I'm at but for now I'll put this off. When I'm a better RPG player I'll try and come back to this one. And I suspect I'll love it more then!
I will say, this game definitely deseves to be given the remaster treatment. It'd be nice to have this with various QoL improvements, widescreen, and Steam achievements considering how jam-packed with side content there is, almost overwhelmingly so.
All in all, this game has a ton of potential and I am for it but it was ultimately not for me.
Top-tier RPGmaker experience. Loved the characters, they were very charming.
This review contains spoilers
One of the most impactful video games i've ever played. Getting to know each character and the never-ending regret running through Russel's mind as i made sure to get every event and get the "best" ending left me in total awe as someone who would otherwise be completely and utterly unredeemable is given humanity and the ability to sympathize towards.
Unfortunately, there is no "good" ending. Russel's story was already over before the game even started, the events in the game prolonging the inevitable. The people he'd killed were already dead, and even in the experiment's success... his life was still done. There's no coming back from such things, and he didn't have a life to come back to either; his parents were dead, and his extended family despised him.
So, despite all of this being obvious throughout the game, I was still deeply affected by the ending. Even knowing everything that had happened, and the impossibility of any amount of redemption for the "deranged maniac", part of me was hoping (and honestly partially dreading) that the game would end on a cheery note: he succeeds in the experiment, is freed and starts a new life.
Unfortunately this is not the case. In either of the three endings, Russel's fate is the same. Whether it be from him not gaining any remorse from his actions, finding the prospect of leaving his ideal "Happy Dream" world too troubling and choosing to stay in the delusion until his mind caved in or accepting what he did and atoning it by taking his life in the name of bringing peace to the souls he'd destroyed, Russel ends up dead; once by his own doing, twice from his failure at the experiment.
In a more idealist game, made perhaps with a less jaded perspective and a perhaps too optimistic angle, the game could've had that "good note" ending. Whether it be that it was somehow a dream, that the experiments could change the fate of those who died and thus bringing them back to life in some weird faux-science plot device that definitely would've ruined the story, or Russel being let off the hook like nothing ever happened.
But this isn't that; this game serves the uncomfortable truth on a silver platter: not everyone can be saved, some crimes are unforgivable, some minds unrepairable, some fates unchangeable. It's a cruel but necessary fact of life that, even if we could take a liking or sympathize with someone who's caused such pain, even if we, as outsiders, could look past that and see someone who (perhaps) deserved better, that doesn't dismiss what they did.
Russel is a character that becomes someone that you grow to care about, root for (that is, if you play the game as to send him on the path of redemption), as the games progresses... but that doesn't matter. Even as much as how we see him, a troubled child who was never given the space to grow a conscience until it was too late, it doesn't erase what he did, and doesn't absolve him of it either. It makes the true ending all the more heartbreaking, because you wish as much as Russel himself does that there were a way to take it all back, so get to know the people he killed and undo all the hurt he caused.
End Roll is a game about grief, guilt, redemption, repentance, tragedy and a cautionary tale of how circumstances can lead to creating a monster out of a caring soul. It shows that even the most cruel of people have a story, their own demons, their own humanity, and that (many times) their cruelty is something they are taught. It's easier to stray from a good path into a dark one that one can think; from one moment to another, your innocence, your sense of morality can be taken from you and in rarer cases, you gain it back after it's too late.
End Roll is the epilogue to a tragedy; you're not participating in the development of a story, simply the aftermath of it. It was all over before you pressed the start button.
10/10
Unfortunately, there is no "good" ending. Russel's story was already over before the game even started, the events in the game prolonging the inevitable. The people he'd killed were already dead, and even in the experiment's success... his life was still done. There's no coming back from such things, and he didn't have a life to come back to either; his parents were dead, and his extended family despised him.
So, despite all of this being obvious throughout the game, I was still deeply affected by the ending. Even knowing everything that had happened, and the impossibility of any amount of redemption for the "deranged maniac", part of me was hoping (and honestly partially dreading) that the game would end on a cheery note: he succeeds in the experiment, is freed and starts a new life.
Unfortunately this is not the case. In either of the three endings, Russel's fate is the same. Whether it be from him not gaining any remorse from his actions, finding the prospect of leaving his ideal "Happy Dream" world too troubling and choosing to stay in the delusion until his mind caved in or accepting what he did and atoning it by taking his life in the name of bringing peace to the souls he'd destroyed, Russel ends up dead; once by his own doing, twice from his failure at the experiment.
In a more idealist game, made perhaps with a less jaded perspective and a perhaps too optimistic angle, the game could've had that "good note" ending. Whether it be that it was somehow a dream, that the experiments could change the fate of those who died and thus bringing them back to life in some weird faux-science plot device that definitely would've ruined the story, or Russel being let off the hook like nothing ever happened.
But this isn't that; this game serves the uncomfortable truth on a silver platter: not everyone can be saved, some crimes are unforgivable, some minds unrepairable, some fates unchangeable. It's a cruel but necessary fact of life that, even if we could take a liking or sympathize with someone who's caused such pain, even if we, as outsiders, could look past that and see someone who (perhaps) deserved better, that doesn't dismiss what they did.
Russel is a character that becomes someone that you grow to care about, root for (that is, if you play the game as to send him on the path of redemption), as the games progresses... but that doesn't matter. Even as much as how we see him, a troubled child who was never given the space to grow a conscience until it was too late, it doesn't erase what he did, and doesn't absolve him of it either. It makes the true ending all the more heartbreaking, because you wish as much as Russel himself does that there were a way to take it all back, so get to know the people he killed and undo all the hurt he caused.
End Roll is a game about grief, guilt, redemption, repentance, tragedy and a cautionary tale of how circumstances can lead to creating a monster out of a caring soul. It shows that even the most cruel of people have a story, their own demons, their own humanity, and that (many times) their cruelty is something they are taught. It's easier to stray from a good path into a dark one that one can think; from one moment to another, your innocence, your sense of morality can be taken from you and in rarer cases, you gain it back after it's too late.
End Roll is the epilogue to a tragedy; you're not participating in the development of a story, simply the aftermath of it. It was all over before you pressed the start button.
10/10
; - ;
empty...
The og omori. One of my favorite rpgs
Very influential RPG Maker classic, but does it hold up, especially with games that straight up copied ideas from it such as OMORI?
Not really, much of the writing comes off as corny and edgy, with the stock RPG Maker combat being tedious (while party members spice things up, it gets boring quickly anyways)
Great art and the premise is still interesting enough to keep you hooked though.
Not really, much of the writing comes off as corny and edgy, with the stock RPG Maker combat being tedious (while party members spice things up, it gets boring quickly anyways)
Great art and the premise is still interesting enough to keep you hooked though.
literally why would you pay money for omori when you can download and play end roll for free and have a much better experience with it. full rpg combat system on top of a really good story that leans into the horror aspects the further you go. lot of trigger warnings but if you can stomach them this game is sooo fucking good
To jogando
I don't know honestly... I liked the game itself but the story is just so utterly, completely hopeless... Like we don't have to consider just the game here, what about the message? What are you telling your players with that ending exactly?