Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 45
  2. Negative: 2 out of 45
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Aug 21, 2019
    90
    Oninaki tackles the theme of death brilliantly thanks to some poignant scenes and a willingness to go where most games won’t. That thorough exploration of death ties into every aspect of the game from its hack and slash gameplay to the ending choice that will leave players reflecting upon the journey they just went on. It isn’t often that a game truly succeeds as art, but every part of Oninaki goes back into its core motif and that’s why it is an essential action RPG.
  2. Aug 21, 2019
    90
    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.
  3. 85
    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.
  4. Aug 21, 2019
    85
    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.
  5. Sep 15, 2019
    80
    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.
  6. Aug 22, 2019
    80
    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.
  7. Aug 21, 2019
    80
    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.
  8. 80
    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.
  9. Oct 15, 2019
    75
    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.
  10. Sep 6, 2019
    75
    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.
  11. Sep 4, 2019
    75
    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.
  12. Sep 2, 2019
    75
    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'.
  13. Aug 23, 2019
    75
    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.
  14. Aug 23, 2019
    75
    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.
  15. Aug 21, 2019
    75
    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.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.
  1. Aug 22, 2019
    An interesting battle mechanic can't mask Oninaki's storytelling and design faults.
  2. Aug 23, 2019
    Oninaki is a depressingly written game with a creepy story, but the actual gameplay is quite compelling, even if it won't be for everyone...Talking to ghosts, picking up dead souls and using them as weapons, riding on the back of a wolf spirit, there's a lot of fun to be had, even if the protagonist is having no fun whatsoever.
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 49
  2. Negative: 18 out of 49
  1. Aug 22, 2019
    10
    So yes this game isn’t perfect, they have to fix a few things like dodge mechanics and the combat feels a little sluggish. I must say that ISo yes this game isn’t perfect, they have to fix a few things like dodge mechanics and the combat feels a little sluggish. I must say that I love the premise and look of the game. I would give the game a 8/10 but im giving it a 10 because of the biased reviews that don’t make sense. Full Review »
  2. Aug 23, 2019
    9
    I believe this game is an introduction to a new format of RPG that keeps the classic and nostalgic tones of the RPGs from the 80~90 whileI believe this game is an introduction to a new format of RPG that keeps the classic and nostalgic tones of the RPGs from the 80~90 while introducing new features to couple with the new generation games. The story have a good core and I can really see me playing this for a while. The fighting mechanics perhaps is a bit slow (if you want to compare it to RPGs that were doing it that way for a while), but personally I still think is an interesting approach. A lot of people may say that I am Setsuna was better, but I suggest not to compare it and you will be able to enjoy it very much. Full Review »
  3. Aug 22, 2019
    5
    I put 4 hours in this game, and i will not go any further.

    If the story seems nice so far and the dark atmosphere works pretty fine, i
    I put 4 hours in this game, and i will not go any further.

    If the story seems nice so far and the dark atmosphere works pretty fine, i found the combat system horrible. Have you ever played a PlatinumGames game like Nier Automata? Well, Oninaki's gameplay is at the extreme opposite. Heavy, boring (when you kill a bunch of enemies, more enemies appear!), and with a dodging mechanic that simply doesn't work! It takes literally 2 seconds to your character to actually dodge after you've pressed the god damn button, why??

    I really enjoyed Lost Sphear and I Am Setsuna with their turn-based combat system, but i just hate what they've done with Oninaki. It just feels like a slow hack n' slash with very few rewards, it is not fun to play at all. Graphics are one step ahead of previous titles, which is a good point. Otherwise once again, the price is a way too high, a $25 game sold $50. So even if you really enjoyed the demo, you should probably better wait for a sale...
    Full Review »