Oninaki

Tokyo RPG Factory's Oninaki is a return to form for the relatively new studio, channeling the best parts of I Am Setsuna with some fresh JRPG form.

No question, ONINAKI has reignited my long extinguished JRPG spark. I’ve actually been looking forward to booting up my PS4 every day to follow Kagachi and Linne’s journey. It’s not a slam dunk game; there is a lot of predictability in the storyline, but even then, I’m compelled to see this through to the very end. There are Daemons I absolutely do not enjoy having in my party but will eventually grind out simply to view all of their lore and max out skill trees. All in pursuit of that feeling of accomplishment for hitting the one hundred percent completion mark, or perhaps in this case, my next Platinum trophy.

Tokyo RPG Factory's Oninaki is the studio's most ambitious project yet with characters and themes that are as fascinating as they are tragic.

Oninaki is not the best Tokyo RPG could do, but it's not a step down either. Many new and exciting ideas are there, but it seems that the developers couldn't execute all of them as they should. Oninaki is a decent title, but could have been even better if the developers managed to reach their full potential.

It’s story and lore have plenty to love about them, and when paired with the depth of the combat system, it makes for an engaging and entertaining experience fans of JRPGs will at least want to take a look at.

Oninaki is a solid-action JRPG that experiments lightly with the foundations of the genre creating a world with personality and appeal. The game does not disappoint by mixing tradition with novelty.

Oninaki takes dark themes and a child-like visual style and combines them with the potent themes of life and death wonderfully. Combat can be a little restrictive and the presentation takes a hit in cutscenes, but its successes make it more than worth your while. The game flows with darkness and hope, and Oninaki shines because of it.

Oninaki is my favorite Tokyo RPG Factory game to date, with its gorgeous art style and melodic music and its more appealing storyline. It may be far from perfect, but it is certainly worth a look if you fancy a slightly different take on a well-established genre.

Oninaki is a beautiful action RPG that offers an extraordinary story and great variety in playstyles. The gameplay does get a little repetitive towards the end.

Oninaki, Tokyo RPG Factory most recent attempt to reinvent the classic JRPG experience falls short. While the story is emotive and the concept of reincarnation is memorable, it’s hack’n’slash formula turns boring in a flash. Nevertheless, Oninaki remains as a beautifully crafted experience designed for those that are fed up with the traditional turns-based systems, and newcomers in the genre.

Interesting concept, lacklustre execution. A good story with a neat soundtrack, brought down a bit by a mediocre script and a frankly rather useless segment called 'The Beyond'.

This is an action/RPG full of highs and lows, with erratic swings between the two extremes that had me loving it one minute and hating it the next.

Oninaki is strange. At first you think you love him, then the feeling changes and in the end you almost can't stand it anymore. The truth is in the middle: it is a good game with some interesting mechanics and others much less well chosen.

As a whole package, ONINAKI is a decent title. While there is somewhat of a lack of additional activities to do, it fits in extremely well with the game’s narrative. Furthermore, the narrative of ONINAKI reeled me in from start to finish. It could be described as intriguing or mysterious, though at times predictable. ONINAKI is by no means the best in the genre but offers a strong foundation for Tokyo RPG Factory to build off of in the future.

Oninaki could have been Tokyo RPG Factory's best work to date, but ends up to be "just" a solid hack'n'slash rpg with a good combat system due to repetitiveness and a lack of depth.

A nice classic action-jrpg, but nothing more. Oninaki provides some hours of fun but offers very little game experience.

Oninaki is a solid action RPG with striking visuals and a compelling story if you're willing to dig into it. Although it has a few less than ideal elements, what's here still adds up to one rewarding and captivating adventure.

Mystical, but sometimes bland and generic action rpg from the makers of I am Setsuna delivering solid entertainment.

A visual treat and fun to play, Oninaki’s only failings are the fault of its retro nature – if that’s what you’re here for, you’ll find few faults. [Issue#167, p.93]

Oninaki has great ideas, and it is overall a really good experience, but it falls short in some aspects like its combat system. We like what Tokyo RPG Factory is doing, and we hope it continues to offer experiences like this.

Oninaki tells an emotional tale about life, death, and the will of humanity. Its action-based combat and flexible Daemon system are enjoyable, but the game’s mundane world and presentation hold it back. Tokyo RPG Factory has done a great job of finding an identity of their own with Oninaki, and though it struggles in some areas, it's worth seeing through to the end.

Oninaki is a flawed but overall an enjoyable experience. Instead of joylessly emulating turn-based RPGs of the old days, Tokyo RPG Factory took a step in the right direction and created a fantastic and refreshing action combat system. Apart from that, the game offers nothing special when compared to many similar RPGs. Still, Oninaki is the best game by Tokyo RPG Factory so far.

I like Oninaki. It has hit me emotionally in some places. The melancholic atmosphere appeals to me. It is mainly due to the sensitive soundtrack that strikes the right notes in the sad scenes. Overall, Oninaki looks more stylish and mature on me than its predecessors and Lost Spear.

Oninaki is a fairly traditional action RPG with intriguing characters. The price is a bit steep, but if you liked the studio's previous works, you won't be disappointed.

Oninaki feels hollow. It’s dark but has no message. It’s complex but has no need for that complexity. It builds an interesting world and never does much with it. It’s a game filled with great ideas that just go nowhere. Unfortunately, that is par for the course for Tokyo RPG Factory games.

Oninaki has an unbalanced battle system and lacks any guidance through its appealing story. Yet the unique setting and world should be interesting enough for most players to want to see it through.

Clunky combat, flat story, repetitious gameplay, lack of enemy and loot variety make Oninaki a monotonous experience that no one should go through. I wanted to like Tokyo RPG Factory's latest game, but with Oninaki the studio is taking a backward step from its previous titles. The game's unique world can't save it from mediocrity. However, despite its shortcomings, Tokyo RPG Factory fans who liked Lost Sphear will probably find some enjoyment, at least to some extent.

Oninaki is an interesting twist on the concept of death, but has a lot of flaws to go with it. The music is great and the variety in gameplay works really well. The gameplay itself isn't great though.

A correct video game with an interesting combat system, which however lacks a remarkable game design. No soul in the last JRPG by Tokyo RPG Factory.

Oninaki is a heartfelt mess. Its unique world and challenging themes are more memorable and moving than anything Tokyo RPG Factory has done before, but it’s hard to fully recommend the game given its humdrum action and strange design choices. Depending on how much frustration you're willing to put up with for a good story, Oninaki may be worth owning, or perhaps better left beyond the veil.

I'm frustrated because I wanted to like Oninaki a lot more than I do. It's absolutely not a bad game; rather, it's yet another "serviceable" outing from Tokyo RPG Factory, who continue to try their hardest.

A brave choice at something different by Tokyo RPG Factory finds a game that’s good but crying out for new ideas.

As it is, it’s simply okay.

Oninaki presents an interesting story with a dark and difficult subject. However, it fails to deliver the basic aspects of a modern action-JRPG.

Oninaki falls short of being a great action RPG, but it's not without its charms. An intriguing world and story keep things afloat, while an addictive character progression system distracts from repetitive dungeon crawling. This definitely isn't Tokyo RPG Factory's best game, but it is an interesting diversion. With a little more depth, a sequel would be a tempting proposition.

Oninaki is an abundance of compelling ideas enveloped in a fog of stammering expression. An extensive progression system, myriad combat options, and a sincere and original premise aren’t enough to overcome the rote execution of its world, characters, and basic combat. Oninaki’s only viable curiosity is what kind of game it may have been with more time, budget, and expertise.

Tokyo RPG Factory appears to have one goal: remind us of the Golden Years of RPGs. Unfortunately, Oninaki captures that era of gaming and does nothing remarkable with it.

I would have liked to have seen this game get a more polished release, lessening the grinding and leveling, improving the world-swapping abilities, and adding more things to participate in overall that aren't just hacking through enemies. It's pretty enough, but perhaps it was mainly meant to inhabit the Beyond.

Oninaki certainly has plenty of ambition, promise and talent, but unfortunately, it didn't substantially deliver on any of them. There are many layered game mechanics and an intriguing story that don't stand a chance against extremely easy and repetitive gameplay. It's quite obvious that the development time and budget were limited, which results in an experience that is mediocre at best, regardless of how great this could have been. The almost-AAA price of $50 makes it a hard sell that should only be considered by determined fans or those who have played and enjoyed the demo.

Despite some obvious qualities, Oninaki loses its strenght because of too many omnipresent flaws. Poor realization, balance issues and failed dungeons sequences, there’s too much to really enjoy what’s left.

While Oninaki had its fair share of ideas that could have potentially made it a gem, it is ultimately undone by weak storytelling that doesn’t do its heavy subject matter justice and combat that is enjoyable at times yet held back by design flaws that hinder the experience. It never quite executes its best ideas in a wholly satisfactory way, resulting in a game that I tried my best to open my heart to, but the game refused to open its own.

Oninaki has some good ideas, but they’re overshadowed by a weak story and tedious combat.

It’s close to being greater than the sum of its parts, yet it falls apart in its execution.