Oninaki

TheSixthAxisReuben Mount

8/10

Once you fall into the groove, Oninaki is greatly enjoyable, even if it initially falls flat because of its repetitive combat. The story heads to dark places surrounding the central theming, occasionally in a ham-fisted way, but still manages to have emotional impact. Ultimately though, Oninaki is a gem of a game if you’re persistent in putting in the work. Tokyo RPG Factory have done it again

Attack of the FanboyDean James

Oninaki proves that Tokyo RPG Factory is not simply built on nostalgia and definitely has the chops to make a captivating modern RPG.

TwinfiniteKeenan McCall

Some games come frustratingly close to being exceptional, only to make some missteps and fall into the same bad habits as other titles from their genre. Oninaki is one such game, though there’s thankfully enough novelty to the experience to make it worth seeing.

Game InformerJoe Juba

7.5/10

In the world of Oninaki, death is inevitable, but the aftermath is different. Spirits who are grieved may become shackled to the living world, so everyone tries to approach death with a practical stoicism. However, when playing Oninaki, maintaining that kind of measured neutrality is impossible. 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.

IGNLeana Hafer

7.4/10

Oninaki is a gorgeous, distinctive, entertaining RPG that isn’t afraid to explore some heavy themes in novel and thought-provoking ways. It never rises above the fact that the combat feels like it’s not quite there. And at times, it can be overly wordy in the fashion that JRPGs often are. But its dark, beautiful world is a place I never tired of exploring, and the in-depth progression and customization systems provided plenty for my inner D&D nut to sink his teeth into.

VG247Nadia Oxford

Oh now feel it, comin' back again.

GameSpewRichard Seagrave

6/10

Overall, Oninaki isn’t a bad game, but it’s not going to wow you in any way. Its story is interesting but presented in a way that fails to truly grab your attention; like the recent Crystar, it stands out by not being cheery like most JRPGs. But what really cements it as a ho-hum action RPG is its combat, which never develops quite as you’d expect it to despite its fairly unique Daemon system. 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.

RPGamerPascal Tekaia

Oninaki is an action RPG from Tokyo RPG Factory with themes about death and reincarnation. Is the game a powerful exploration of heavy topics or does it simply wallow in darkness?

Gamer EscapeGrant Dotter

5/10

The gameplay is great, but the game’s other problems are too substantial to simply overlook. This game is being sold at near-AAA-title prices ($50 on PC and higher on console), but it has too many issues to recommend as a full price title. The gameplay aspects are very solid and you may get a good amount of fun out of this on a Steam sale. But if you’re like me, the hole-riddled story might make you quit before you get far enough to truly appreciate the fun combat system.

Impulse GamerJamie Kirk

Oninaki begins with a haunting illustration of its heavy themes. You are a Watcher, shepherding spirits in to the afterlife. Watchers possess the ability to

GamingTrendDavid Flynn

50/100

Oninaki has one foot in the grave while the other doing a pleasant tap dance. It has an interesting story held back by bland characters and filler, and its gameplay can feel great when you’re not getting pounded in the face and stunned to death. Unless you can find it on sale, I’d skip this one.

Checkpoint GamingEdie W-K

Unscored

Oninaki has a pretty intriguing premise: the people of Szaka believe in the Cycle of Reincarnation, in which the dead move on to ‘the Beyond’ where they are reincarnated into their next life. However, souls who still have regrets about life may remain trapped in the Beyond, turning into monsters that must be destroyed. For this reason, the living are discouraged from mourning the dead, lest their grief prevent them from being reincarnated.