The pacing is bad if all you want is for the devs to answer your questions about what is going on in the plot and fuck off. But if you actually enjoy the world and combat, then it's great. The journey is itself enjoyable.
It's getting pretty spoilery now. Also big CW about depression and self-harm in general for OMORI.
spoiler
I just disliked having these whimsical adventures with my friends where we meet goofy, cartoons characters and having fights with cute bunnies for hours, only to be thrown back into white space with a fucking knife where the only out is to stab myself. It was a jarring and surprising contrast after the first act, but then kept repeating that same beat, but without the tension.
I was waiting for any subversion or twist that could resolve the dissonance, but it just came way too late. But you're right, I thought the combat was shallow and did not hook me at all, so I kept hoping for story beats that were just too spread out for my taste.
The pacing is bad if all you want is for the devs to answer your questions about what is going on in the plot and fuck off. But if you actually enjoy the world and combat, then it's great. The journey is itself enjoyable.
It's getting pretty spoilery now. Also big CW about depression and self-harm in general for OMORI.
spoiler
I just disliked having these whimsical adventures with my friends where we meet goofy, cartoons characters and having fights with cute bunnies for hours, only to be thrown back into white space with a fucking knife where the only out is to stab myself. It was a jarring and surprising contrast after the first act, but then kept repeating that same beat, but without the tension.
I was waiting for any subversion or twist that could resolve the dissonance, but it just came way too late. But you're right, I thought the combat was shallow and did not hook me at all, so I kept hoping for story beats that were just too spread out for my taste.
Pacing aside, that contrast is critical to the messaging and narrative premise of the game.