#omori sequel

"But what about a game about Sunny at his new home?"

"But what about game that shows how Aubrey, Kel, and Hero reacted to the truth?"

"But what about a POV shift to another character?"

These are examples of direct sequel ideas that, while not bad, would work infinitely better as a different form of media and not an RPG. (plus the three friends’ reactions were SUPPOSED to be left up to player interpretation)

I get that we're attached to these characters and want to see how they grow and progress, especially after the good ending, but there's no dancing around it. A direct continuation would not work as a full-fledged RPG because there would be no “game” to speak of.

This is why I propose the idea that an OMORI 2 would start fresh with a new story, setting, and cast of characters. This is similar to, for example, what the Final Fantasy series does. Each mainline entry is its own contained world and storyline (with a few exceptions such as X-2 being a direct sequel to X), but still has plenty of aspects in both gameplay and story tropes that unify them as a series.

This isn’t a brand-new concept. To quote the TV Tropes page on Thematic Series:

Unlike a typical series, a Thematic Series does not follow the same characters or story; instead, it follows the same themes. For instance, a series may focus on themes of war, but with each installment centering on completely different people being affected by completely different wars. One might recognize a few nods to past installments here and there. If the installments share any characters at all, they will be side characters or it may be in the form of a cameo by a former main character of a different chapter.

I wouldn’t write this whole text wall without sharing my own ideas, so here they are!

OMORI was originally planned to allow the player to select Sunny/Omori’s gender (M/F), but the idea was scrapped due to the crew having to redraw all the art. I would bring back the gender selection with a NB option to boot.

Also I looked up Hail on babynames.com out of curiosity and I think I can work with this meaning.

Random character concepts:

Gameplay changes 

Headspace foes

Headspace items

Some stuff I wrote down in a .txt file:

While OMORI 2 is not connected to OMORI in terms of story, they do take place in the same world, with some minor connections to the first game (such as the Pet Rocks games getting sequels or Captain Spaceboy becoming a huge multimedia franchise).

While the Headspace in OMORI is more wacky and cartoonish, I want the Headspace in OMORI 2 to have a somewhat different feel to it. Maybe something more akin to a grand adventure rather than silly antics. It could have a little high-fantasy flavor mixed in (emphasis on "little").

I imagine Hail to be very hateful and misanthropic, save for their friends (similar to Omoriboy from that old blog)... But what happened to them that made them this way? Maybe it wasn't a single event, but multiple throughout their life, and Hail has to confront each of them one by one. Maybe the game could be in several acts, with each confrontation increasing in intensity.

Since this game takes place about a decade after OMORI, I could have some Faraway Town NPCs (such as Cris or Mincy) make an appearance... or even be a playable character.

There are some quotes from the OMORI 2014 trailer and the Omoriboy comics that I want to play into: "Anything fun is just a distraction from how much the real world sucks..." "You're not crazy if even one person believes in you..." "Too bad saving the world isn't as easy as these games make it out to be..."

There will probably be a Hikikomori Route or something adjacent to it.

Omori is an in-universe brand of piano, which is why Omori the character from the first game has elements of a piano in his design (his shirt is the top, his striped shorts are the keys, and his socks are the legs). In our world, there is a company called Casio that makes pianos (albeit electric ones), but they also make watches, calculators, and other devices. So, what if Omori the company is basically the equivalent of Casio, and Hail's dream persona was still called Omori? (similar to how almost every Final Fantasy has some incarnation of Cid) That would mean that there's some sort of physical object that holds importance to the story.

Due to the fact that OMORI 2 likely wouldn't revolve around dissociative amnesia like the first game, the lightbulb in the logo will likely have to be replaced.

For the horror bits, I should delve into more of the psych-horror genre for inspiration. Similarly, I should play some Yume Nikki fangames for more inspiration (Yume 2kki, .flow, etc.)

If I'm being completely honest with myself, this game probably wouldn't be as good as OMORI, though that's usually how it is with like 80% of sequels.

In OMORI, all of Sunny's friends were directly affected by Mari's death. How do I connect Hail's friends with the main conflict so that they aren't just there for the sake of existing?

While I should keep similarities to the first game for OMORI 2 to be called a sequel, I also don't want it to just be OMORI again but with a different coat of paint. Similarly, I don't want any of the characters to simply be clones of those from the first game (other than Omori himself, who is somewhat the same, even with a different incarnation). 

I have to be EXTRA CAREFUL to avoid romanticizing, sugarcoating, or truncating heavy themes. However, I also can't be too overboard with it or else it comes off as insensitive. It's a delicate balance.

Will I end up projecting myself and my own issues onto Hail? Probably.

I want to have the real-world sections take place in a big city... but I grew up in a fairly rural area surrounded by farmland and sports fields, meaning that my sources of inspiration are pretty lacking.

An idea that I had was that, since OMORI has themes of forgiving oneself, OMORI 2 could have themes of forgiving others. However, I'd be playing with fire, since I could accidentally deliver a toxic message.

None of this will probably be an actual game, as I'd need composers, artists, funding, people who are skilled with RPG Maker, and probably permission from OMOCAT and crew.

"But what about a game about Sunny at his new home?"

"But what about game that shows how Aubrey, Kel, and Hero reacted to the truth?"

"But what about a POV shift to another character?"

"But what about a prequel that takes place before the incident?"

These are examples of direct sequel ideas that, while not bad, would work infinitely better as a different form of media and not an RPG. (plus the three friends’ reactions were SUPPOSED to be left up to player interpretation)

I get that we're attached to these characters and want to see how they grow and progress, especially after the good ending, but there's no dancing around it. A direct continuation would not work as a full-fledged RPG because there would be no “game” to speak of.

This is why I propose the idea that an OMORI 2 would start fresh with a new story, setting, and cast of characters. This is similar to, for example, what the Final Fantasy series does. Each mainline entry is its own contained world and storyline (with a few exceptions such as X-2 being a direct sequel to X), but still has plenty of aspects in both gameplay and story tropes that unify them as a series.

This isn’t a brand-new concept. To quote the TV Tropes page on Thematic Series:

Unlike a typical series, a Thematic Series does not follow the same characters or story; instead, it follows the same themes. For instance, a series may focus on themes of war, but with each installment centering on completely different people being affected by completely different wars. One might recognize a few nods to past installments here and there. If the installments share any characters at all, they will be side characters or it may be in the form of a cameo by a former main character of a different chapter.

Sunny’s story is over. It’s time for him to pass the torch to a new protagonist.

Meet Hail and their dream persona Omori, the central characters of OMORI 2.

Hail is an adult living alone in an apartment in Nearby City. Because of their traumatic past, they are now bitter and misanthropic, delving into the escapist fantasy world known as Headspace. In their dreams, they exist through the eyes of Omori, where they go on RPG adventures alongside friends to save the day. With the light gone from their eyes, Hail lives through reality on auto-pilot, going through the motions in hopes of getting back to sleep.

However, sometimes, with what tiny mote of light they have left, Hail hopes for a future where things don't have to be like this.

The thing is... their story hasn't begun. They just need to take the first step.

Friends (Headspace):

Ever the scholar, Kya often has her nose in a book and frequently speaks with a sizable vocabulary. She can fix just about any gadget.

A strong-willed martial artist, Rowan has a heart too big for his own good, and often enjoys playing the hero. He looks up to someone very powerful.

Cris is a skilled swimmer and loves being in water. She's sweet and gentle, but somewhat of an airhead, much to Kya's annoyance.

In the real world, things aren't as fun or cheery, especially after the friend group split up.

Gameplay Changes from OMORI:

EASY, NORMAL, and HARD modes that can be adjusted at any time, for those that are RPG veterans and those that just want to kick back and enjoy the story. (This setting does not affect scripted battles.)

The emotion system returns. In addition to HAPPY, SAD, and ANGRY, new emotions such as FLATTERED, DISGUSTED, SLEEPY, and more are added, creating a Pokémon-style web of elemental weaknesses/resistances. Each emotion inflicts a unique buff and debuff.

Two new stats are added: SPECIAL ATTACK and SPECIAL DEFENSE, which function almost identically to MAGIC ATK and MAGIC DEF in other RPGs. For instance, a SKILL like AUBREY'S POWER HIT would use ATK/DEF, while a SKILL like OMORI'S EXPLOIT would use SP.ATK/SP.DEF. These stats can be affected by certain emotions.

Due to the more complex emotion system, the EMOTION CHART is viewable in the middle of battle at the press of a button.

The limit for learnable SKILLS is raised from 4 to 6.

Characters can now equip 2 CHARMS instead of 1. (If both CHARMS provide an emotion, the CHARM in the first slot takes priority unless they stack.)

Foes will consume JUICE when using certain abilities, and won't be able to use them if they're out of JUICE.

Stat buffs/debuffs are visible via little icons on the afflicted friend/foe.

FOLLOW-UPS slightly change effect/animation depending on the current emotion of the attacking character.

The ENERGY METER maxes out at 20 instead of 10.

Character level caps out at 99 instead of 50. Experience gain and stat growth are changed to compensate.

To balance out the changes made in the player's favor, foes are made tougher overall than in the original OMORI.