Oninaki - Preview of the new Tokyo RPG Factory title

In conjunction with the latest edition of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo has aired a new Direct, showing some of the upcoming games on its platforms. Among the titles unveiled coming up for Nintendo Switch (but it is ready to land on PlayStation 4 too), we find Oninaki, an action role-playing game produced by Tokyo RPG Factory, scheduled for release this summer. The independent development studio, born within Square Enix, had already made itself known in the past years with other titles of the same genre, I Am Setsuna (in 2016) and Lost Sphear (in 2017).

Oninaki: a change of course?

The past productions, characterized by a very classic system and a not particularly engaging gameplay, did not have great luck, according to many also due to the tight budgets available to the developers. The premises with Oninaki seem to be quite different, starting with the development team, where the name of stands out Takashi Tokita, former director of Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger and lead designer of Final Fantasy IV.

Looking at the announcement trailer, the markedly cartoonish and manga style of the title immediately catches the eye, but from the first gameplay images you can see the turn towards action by Tokyo RPG Factory. The studio appears to have abandoned "traditional" turn-based combat in favor of more immediate action with real-time combat. Since it is a role-playing game, a solid narrative sector cannot be missing: the plot suggested by the trailer seemed original and captivating to us, as well as well blended with the gameplay, to justify some dynamics.

In the balance between two worlds

The story of Oninaki literally takes place between two worlds: the world of the living and the Beyond, the afterlife where the souls of the dead end up. The living, however, are not allowed to pity the dead, as the latter would remain tied to the suffering and pain of their loved ones, transforming into terrible monsters capable of crossing the border of the Beyond. In defense of humanity, however, the Watcher, an order of fighters able to move between the two dimensions and restore peace to corrupt souls. Of course Kagachi, the character we will control, is one of these warriors.

From what we can understand from the video transmitted by Nintendo during the Direct, Kagachi he is also the only character that can be used in the game, which lets us assume that it will not be necessary to create parties of PCs with different abilities to face the enemy, but that it will be necessary to improve the characteristics and equipment of the protagonist. He seems to be able to exploit the souls of the dead that he freed to receive aid in combat. The spirits will be able to actively participate in the fight, for example, by materializing in the form of a mystical weapon in the hands of the protagonist.

Always analyzing the launch video of Oninaki a percentage indicator can be seen in the lower left corner. We can assume that once you reach 100% this icon unlocks some kind of special attack or ability. Such help in combat will always be welcome, because the clashes shown seem to be really frenetic and characterized by numerically superior enemies. The trailer also showed us what could turn out to be boss fights. To proceed in its mission, Kagachi will therefore have to contend with hordes of otherworldly enemies, moving between the two different realities in specific points indicated on the map.

The conditions for this title seem to be really good. Tokyo RPG Factory seems to have packaged a rather original product, but nevertheless intended for an audience already accustomed to similar titles. Anyhow Oninaki it could be a pleasant surprise for lovers of the genre, especially for those who love the manga style that inspired the developers. The launch of the title is scheduled for next 22 August, as well as on Nintendo Switch also on PlayStation 4.