Oninaki Reviews
Oninaki manages to pull off some interesting story beats and has some great environment designs. However, the excessive padding and re-use of several gameplay elements leaves a sour taste in the mouth with 20 hours of gameplay stretched into 30 and beyond.
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.
If you want a different RPG story with familiar elements, Oninaki is a fine choice but if you want the next big thing, well, this simply isn’t it.
Oninaki has some good ideas, but they're overshadowed by a weak story and tedious combat.
Oninaki is disappointing. Mostly because the right elements were in place to make it great and it's so thoroughly mediocre. Tokyo RPG Factory have yet to release a truly essential game. As it stands they've released three games with interesting ideas and spotty execution. Perhaps one day they will get it right and release a defining RPG. However, today is not that day, and Oninaki is not that game.
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.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With some additional tweaking, including making its combat a bit more fluid, Oninaki could have been something special. As it is, it’s simply okay.
Oninaki is an enjoyable RPG if you’re looking for a melodramatic hack-and-slash RPG from yesteryear, and if you properly explore its Daemon mechanics. The game may have some missteps, but I think Tokyo RPG Factory could really shine with more time and a bigger budget.
If you like anime style graphic game and a you want to play a light rpg game with loving music and intriguing narrative, you should experience Oninaki. But i can't deny that the combat problems that you may bother you in the game. In fact If you want Very good gameplay and deep combats, you can't achieve in Oninaki.
Review in Persian | Read full review
A decent dark story surrounded by mediocre gameplay and other problems. Square Enix, it's time to give Tokyo RPG Factory enough money, otherwise their games will always be average.
Review in Russian | Read full review
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.
Review in Persian | Read full review
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.
Despite the good story and being full of great concepts and ideas that could have worked out better with more development time, Oninaki ends up being a decent Action RPG that fails in actually capturing the spirit of old JRPGs or delivering a truly compelling experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Oninaki fails to present its story in a meaningful manner, but the combat system has its moments. The overall quality of the game is held back due to its repetitiveness and ideas that fail to materialize properly.
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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It was premature game, it would've been much better had the developer spent more time on it. Despite this, the game is one of the darkest game this year, it made me feel sad due to the continuous sad situations. The developer hit the mark with the OST, and i kept listening even after finishing the game, I recommend this game to JRPG fans only.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Oninaki is a welcomed trip down memory lane to the glory days of Chrono Trigger, fully capturing the nostalgia of the time. However, like Tokyo RPG Factory's previous creations, while there's a lot to enjoy here, the flaws cannot be ignored.
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.
Pacing issues and a lack of variety hold it back from being truly great, but Oninaki is absolutely worth a playthrough, if you're not averse to the solemn subject matter. The stellar combat feels almost like hack-and-slash, and the overall story compels you through the experience. If this is the reincarnation of Tokyo RPG Factory, they've come back less a factory and more an artisan.
Oninaki is three for three as far as sad, but beautiful tales from Tokyo RPG Factory go.