Omensight (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): May 15, 2018
- Release Date (EU): May 15, 2018
- Publisher: Spearhead Games
- Developer: Spearhead Games
- Genres: Action/Adventure
- Also For: PlayStation 4
Game Features:
An Omen
Omensight takes place in the world of Urralia which is fraught with wars between the Pygarian bird tribes and the rodent colonies who call themselves Rodentians. Unbeknownst to the bickering tribes is the imminent destruction of their whole world by the great serpent Voden.
It was foretold that upon the annihilation of the land known as Urralia, a mythical being would be summoned to rewrite its fate. In Omensight, you control that being, known as the Harbinger, who is a silent and skilled warrior woman with a long, blue ponytail. True to the legend, the Harbinger was brought upon the land of Urralia to uncover the mystery behind the murder of Vera, the Godless Priestess, that catapulted the events leading to the land’s destruction and reverse its fated destruction.
Coming to the Harbinger’s aid is the Witch who has the ability to revert back time to the morning before the impending doom. This will allow the Harbinger to investigate several paths to uncover the train of events.
A Sight
Taking cues from Majora’s Mask’s time-travel, Omensight allows you to relieve the same day from different perspectives by following four different key characters:
- Emperor Indrik: Ruthless ruler of Pygaria waging war against Rodentia in the hopes to unify Urralia
- General Draga: Humble leader of the Pygarian forces and standing by what is righteous
- Ludomir: Impulsive and reckless Rodentian freedom fighter turned alcoholic with a strong bond with the deceased Vera
- Ratika: Playful leader of the Rodentian forces and a good friend of Ludomir
What’s interesting is that as you switch between which character to follow during the day, you effectively switch between sides of the war. Characters who were your allies in a previous run of the day are now your enemies and vice versa. At several points, you’ll even have to resort to violence and manslaughter against your past allies to progress! Intense stuff! It was very refreshing to experience the war on both sides and learn more about each of their motives and even get surprised by the numerous twists as the story unfolds by following different paths. Indeed, Omensight is laden with plot twists that had me constantly reconsider who the good and bad guys were, so much so that I expected to see M. Night Shyamalan’s name pop up in the credits.
Gameplaywise, Omensight is a God of War-esque button-mashing hack and slash fest spaced with some minor exploring and platforming sessions. The automatic camera angles were very reminiscent of the original God of War games to me. This choice of automatic camera even plays some tricks with the player by concealing hidden areas that the keen eyed player can spot for bonus items and lore tidbits.
As the Harbinger rampages throughout Urralia, she will collect Amber which you can use to up her stats and unlock new combat abilities with some stylish moves. The fighting sessions are quite satisfying, allowing you to use the different attack types and abilities unlocked. Moreover you can even use your day’s companion to your advantage by requesting for his/her help.
The artstyle is cel-shaded of sorts, taking inspiration from various graphic novels and manga, most notably Blacksad, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. That’s primarily because the game’s art director is also a published graphic novel author/illustrator.
However, despite being aesthetically pleasing, one cannot help but notice that the environments are reused as the Harbinger revisits the same day/location. Even if you choose to investigate a certain character’s activities again up to the “critical point” that the game allows you to, the locations are limited and feel more of the same in the long run. Although new areas open up as you gain the power to unlock Seals, not much feels different.
Additionally, I think that there has been a huge missed opportunity by not including local co-op in the game. This feature would have been very much welcome considering how most of the time the Harbinger adventures with an ally and having a friend partner up would have added loads of fun.
Omensight - Launch trailer
Verdict
- Original plot with oads of surprising twists
- Interesting way to progress by switching sides and following different characters
- Artstyle
- Satisfying combats
- No local co-op
- Repetitive environments
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