Onirism

Onirism is a vibrant and imaginative first-person shooter/platformer blending inspirations from classics like Serious Sam, Ratchet & Clank, and A Hat in Time. Players control Carol, a ten-year-old girl on a whimsical yet occasionally dark adventure through a colorful dreamlike world filled with unique enemies, expansive levels, and diverse weapons. The game offers a substantial amount of content, including collectibles, side modes, and character customization, promising 20-50 hours of gameplay. Players praise its creativity, charming protagonist, and engaging gameplay mechanics that mix shooting and platforming.

However, the game suffers from numerous bugs, performance issues, and incomplete features, such as missing endings and lack of online multiplayer. Many reviews highlight frustrating glitches like map deloading, control bugs, and checkpoint scarcity that can hinder progress. Optimization is inconsistent, and some UI and control aspects need refinement. Despite these problems, the developers are actively patching and improving the game, showing passion and dedication. Overall, Onirism is considered a hidden gem with great potential once technical issues are resolved.

Highlights

Players especially appreciate Onirism's creative level design and expansive, colorful environments that evoke nostalgia for classic shooters and platformers. The engaging combat mechanics combine fun shooting with platforming challenges, supported by a wide variety of weapons and gadgets. The protagonist, Carol, is noted for her charm and personality, adding depth to the story. The soundtrack and art style receive frequent praise for complementing the dreamlike atmosphere. Additionally, the game offers a substantial amount of content, including collectibles, side modes, and customization options, promising long playtimes and replayability. The passion of the small development team shines through in the game's unique style and ongoing support.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the game's technical shortcomings, such as frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. Players report issues with controls, broken keybindings, and UI inconsistencies, including problematic controller support. Performance and optimization are uneven, with some players experiencing low frame rates and slow load times. The lack of online multiplayer and missing game ending detract from the overall experience. The checkpoint system and level design can be frustrating, sometimes causing significant progress loss. Some players also find the story underdeveloped and the map navigation confusing. Many recommend waiting for further patches before purchasing at full price.