Oninaki Reviews
Oninaki is one of the best JRPGs I've played this year (so far). It's a heartwarming yet heartbreaking adventure that never, ever fails to keep you wanting more from beginning to end. After two worthy attempts, Tokyo RPG Factory has crafted something truly special that I won't stop thinking about for quite some time.
Although the gratifying combat system overpowers the few features that define Kagachi's journey, what Oninaki promises is a thoughtful, expertly-crafted and gorgeously-animated story that will have you seeing it through to the end and into the Beyond.
If you’re a fan of Tokyo RPG Factory’s games or JRPGs, go ahead and check Oninaki out. It’s an interesting take on the genre, and on some tricky topics that are rarely tackled in games. Otherwise—and especially if you’re likely to find such content difficult—give it a miss.
WORTH CONSIDERING - Fans of Tokyo RPG Factory’s previous games will no doubt pick this one up, but what they play will probably not be what they were expecting. Too much needless grinding and pacing keep Oninaki from reaching the greatness it could have been, despite its wonderful art direction and touching story.
Oninaki gives us, as a watcher we can travel between the world of mortals and souls. Although the story of the game is nice and cool but unfortunately the fighting mechanics are not very useful.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Oninaki is more proof that the team at Tokyo RPG Factory are more than capable of putting together an enjoyable RPG, though the transition to a more action-focused battle system has seen it falter a little when compared to their more traditional (and better) previous releases. That’s not to say that Oninaki is a bad game when compared to I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear though; in fact, I had a good time battling with the use of various Daemons, whilst the deep upgrade system and the twists and turns of the narrative kept me engaged throughout. With an excessive use of padding throughout the final third of the experience and some underwhelming gameplay mechanics though, Oninaki can be a little guilty of outstaying its welcome as you reach its drawn-out conclusion.
I’m very torn with Oninaki. For a studio selling itself as an RPG machine, they did a real poor job with the story aspects of the game. Then we have a super fun and engaging combat system, tempered by a questionably designed interface, but we still have a beautiful audiovisual experience.
I think the most irritating thing about Oninaki is that its flaws don’t feel like they come from laziness or apathy, but a lack of time and budget.
"Gray line between life and death."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
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.
Oninaki is a fun RPG with interesting combat mechanics that ultimately fails to reach greatness.
A decent yet dispassionate game that takes its creators' name (Square Enix's Tokyo RPG Factory) a little too far --it really looks like a game assembled in a factory.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Oninaki is a game that excels at exploring the hefty themes of life and death without compromising its status as a fun and simple action RPG.
Oninaki does impress with its cute visual presentation and very well done soundtrack. The core gameplay is a fun but repetitive combat system. The sory can keep you going through it, but its unbalanced pace can discourage many players. Oninaki, with its obvious flaws, is definitely not for everyone, but it surely can find its audience.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Oninaki could have been extraordinary. Artistic beauty, ingenious ideas, solid voice acting, and a story foundation open to endless potential, is utterly diminished by flat storytelling, zero character development, overall lack of narrative depth, gameplay design missteps, and lazy 3-D aesthetics. Perhaps a more generous reviewer would have scored Oninaki higher, but I cannot simply overlook the game’s compounding faults. It’s truly unfortunate, as there are glimmers of pure magic within and a little more would have made a remarkable impact. To experience all Oninaki has to offer and to find all of those moments of brilliance, be prepared to spend 30 hours or more to do so. It will take patience, as grind and fatigue will undoubtedly appear. Nonetheless, I personally found the experience worthwhile. Yet, if a more robust effort were made, Oninaki could have been a masterpiece; refined gameplay that matches its creativeness and a story that should have conveyed perceptions, ideas, and questions that challenge how one perceives life itself. So much potential untapped, I wanted to love this game so much more.
With a shorter run time and a bit more tweaking with its action RPG mechanics, the game could have been more than just a “Factory”-made title.
I hoped to get lost in Oninaki, but I instead found some half-hearted action combat and an emotionally raw and sometimes wacky tale.
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.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Oninaki is a solid action RPG with striking visuals and a compelling story if you're willing to dig into it.
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.