OMORI is one of the most emotionally overwhelming and utterly compelling things I have ever experienced. I suspect that had there not been a 7 year wait for it, there really wouldn't be any controversy to speak of.

I actually only found out about this game a mere day after it's actual release, and was initially totally oblivious to the development hell this game went through, but honestly, I think it's better for it, the long time it spent simmering away lead to a game that is polished to an almost disturbing degree, not since Undertale have I played a game so simple, and yet so packed with heart. This game proudly radiates the fact that the people making it really, really gave a shit about it.

I'd also like to state that I am not a fan of either of the genres OMORI encompasses, I don't generally like RPGs, especially not ones with standard turn-based combat, and while I do like scary stuff, I have never been into horror games at all. OMORI is both of these things, but without spoiling anything, it tackles both of these genres in such a unique and engaging way that I scarcely had a complaint.

To touch on this, the combat system is actually fast paced and fun while still remaining strategic, the game is pretty much void of a lot of things I find obnoxious in RPGs (random encounters, insufferably long game lengths, boring fantasy settings etc), and while it might be too simplistic for people who are really into this genre, it offers enough in the way of unique mechanics and variation via the emotion system and the fast-paced follow-up mechanic to stop itself from ever getting tedious. It's a genuinely fun and even pretty challenging game at points.

But that's only one part of this game, after all this is a psychological horror at heart.

I know this is extremely personal, what is scary to one person is laughable to another, but for me, horror games don't really scare me, they just sort of serve to make me anxious and uncomfortable. Horror games that a lot of people look upon with praise like Silent Hill or Amnesia I find either incredibly boring or incredibly unpleasant without all that much interesting substance. But OMORI actually scared me, like, kept me awake for an extra half hour at night, some of the concepts and the way it tackles them not only hit pretty close to home for me personally and are therefore pretty emotionally resonant, but are genuinely freaky and harrowing in execution, this game is not at all afraid to pull you away from the wacky, silly dream world most of the game takes place in to show you something that'll give you chills, only to push you back in without warning.

I can't stress that enough, this game actually really got to me in a way pretty much no other piece of horror media has, and it did so with very little in the way of gore and only a few bits that could be considered jumpscares.

It's a hard game to talk about without delving into spoiler territory, but I wanted to make my appreciation for this game clear somehow. This is a very, very special game, and even if you aren't normally into this style of gameplay, I would recommend giving it a shot.