Reviews VideoGame / Onigiri

Full review on Onigiri

The game's mechanics are pretty easy to learn, and are simple to use. There aren't any classes in the traditional sense, but what you choose does affect your base stats, i.e. choosing to be a Power type will start you off with a higher attack and health than choosing to be a Daring type, which focuses on critical chances.

With that being said, players can use any weapon they come across, (provided they're the right level) each with their own set of skills, despite their class type, and can use up to four weapons simultaneously. However, those whose affinity with a certain weapon type, such as staffs and wands, is low aren't going to be as good with them as someone who chose one of the two classes which specialize in them.

Combat is free-style, unlike many other online games. You don't stand around and push buttons to attack or use your skills, you actually get to attack as you see fit and use skills on the fly. This makes combat not feel so boring and tedious. It's a refreshing change to see, and definitely Onigiri's high point.

The game starts off easy enough, and can be fair with its leveling system. However, the game can be nastily difficult too, with steep level jumps from dungeon to dungeon, and area to area. It is all too common for players to find themselves in an area where the dungeons are 20-30 levels higher than they are, and it becomes merciless.

Enemies can also be unfair, especially if you're surrounded by them. To offset this, players are encouraged to start parties with other players, and help each other through the game. However, many players simply want you to baby them and carry them through dungeons, rather than do any work for themselves.

The game is very linear, and you don't have much freedom to go anywhere, and certain places are cut off from you completely until you complete the quest chain to get to that area. The game itself is story driven, and the partners you get along the way all have their own personalities, though they're just pretty much stereotypes of what you see in Anime.

Character customization is limited to some body types, pre-made hairstyles, eye designs, and clothing, which is separated into four parts: Head, torso, arms, and legs, though you can mix and match the clothing you get. There's also four voices you can choose from. There is little in the way of customization.

The game leans HEAVILY on Pay-To-Win, and many updates are just done to the Cash Shop, with many requests and suggestions from the players ignored. There is a certain enemy within the game that actually will cause the game to crash, due to an error the developers made when changing its name and colour after the alpha testing was over, and these enemies are located in the first two fields of the game, so if your computer's graphics card isn't new or updated, you won't be able to progress any further.

Onigiri has potential, but its many flaws drag it down and prevent it from being great.