Omno is an enchanting little game where you traverse a series of reasonably large environments, solving enjoyable puzzles along the way. You play as a kind of pilgrim — a staff-bearing being who is tasked with following the light. The light, in this case, is an energy source of sorts, scattered across the aforementioned environments. Manifested as very visible orbs, each level has you collect at least three glowing spheres in order to progress, and getting to each of them usually involves a bit of platforming, or a stint of light puzzle solving.
There's no combat and no real sense of urgency. The storytelling is voiceless and vague, but that's part of the charm. You can blast through Omno in just a few hours (a touch longer if you're going for 100 per cent on each level), but it's worth taking your time in order to better appreciate the game's relaxing atmosphere, eye-catching art style, and soothing soundtrack. Omno's just a very pleasant experience to be a part of.
Omno clearly takes a lot of inspiration from the all-time great that is Journey, and often feels very similar in terms of gameplay pacing and overall tone. Omno never quite reaches the same emotional highs as Journey, but in some ways, it does actually build upon its predecessor's groundwork, offering more opportunities for exploration and player freedom. Even if you're just mulling around an area, interacting with strange creatures and soaking up the vibes, there's a lot to like about this lovingly crafted title.
Comments 19
If anyone's got any questions about the game or the review, let me know and I'll try to answer.
Played it a bit, seems alright. Glad it’s on gamepass otherwise I’d have overlooked it
@ShogunRok does it contain a similar type of passive multiplayer as Journey?
@Jimmer-jammer Nah, it's single-player only.
@ShogunRok thank you kindly! This wasn’t even on my radar but think I’ll pick it up.
I love that one of the pros on this review is 'just a really pleasent game'. That's all we need to know in one succinct sentence.
@Philbop love the obligatory game pass comment !
Also love games like these, thanks for the review!
Looks really nice, how important is interacting with the animals to the gameplay?
Loved this review, I was actually inserting my credit card info on the PS Store but since I already fell for this twice I decided to check my Xbox's Gamepass...and it's there x) So going to play it there. If I really like it maybe I'll buy on the PS for the sweet Plat trophy since achievements *ck *ss
@ThroughTheIris56 It's not vital, but interacting with animals is a good way to get 'energy', and you can use that energy to power a pillar in each level. And powering the pillars gets you an orb of light.
Also, if you want to get 100% on a level, you need to find every animal in it. Not very hard, but you still have to go looking for them.
Just got the plat maybe in 4 hours. Needed a guide on 2 ocations but that's on me. A nice game. It scratches the journey itch. But as mentioned in the review it ia not as monumental. 8 ist about right considering this is made by one developer.
Also it has a race level unfortunately without a leaderboard except for your own best time.
Loved Journey, so I will definitely check out this game at some point.
Call me crazy, but I'm leaning towards playing it on my PS5 even though I also have a Series X and Game Pass. It's my main console between the two and it seems like it's not a hard platinum to get. It's not like it's an expensive game either of course.
@BoldAndBrash Honestly, I prefer the achievement system over the trophies unless you get a platinum. At least you get a cumulative number that builds up, while the trophy system has gotten even more confusing in a sense ever since they "updated" it last year.
In this case though, if getting the platinum is more about just putting the time in rather than having to do ridiculous tasks and excessive grinding, then that is something worth going for.
With all that said, like I already said, the PS5 is my main console of the two, which is more of the reason why I'd play this on there instead of playing it for "free."
@ShogunRok Thanks for the review - Journey was one of my chill out faves on the PS3.
Out of interest, how does it play on the PS4? Any Pro improvements?
Yeah, quite a nice game. It's nothing groundbreaking and doesn't have climaxes like in Journey, Abzu or Rime, but it's still something I'm willing to finish on Game Pass.
@sanderson72 As far as I know, the game's very smooth on Pro — 60fps I believe. Not quite sure about resolution, but it looks nice.
What a great little game.
Now hitting PS Plus Extra Jan 2023
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