Oreshika-Tainted Bloodlines: I'm full, thanks

Somehow, I knew this would happen. I took me so long to figure out OTB's many systems and find my stride that there was indeed a high probability that I would find myself sated before reaching the final boss; and that high probability has now become reality. I still love that game with a passion, but I've also had my fill of it for the time being.

Mind you, I did everything I mentioned in my last post. I roamed dungeons, racked up skills, had fun with breeding, acquired Heirlooms and, last but certainly not least, I cleared my fourth Feast of All Demons; and I had tons of fun doing all that. It was so utterly fulfilling, in fact, that I feel like the game should end right here and now. On top of that, my inner clock tells me that I've been playing for 60 hours at the very least, and that's more than enough for an RPG playthrough. So I'm gonna call it quits for now, and bid adieu to my clan while I'm at it: because let's be honest, when I feel the itch to play OTB again, I'll certainly start anew and roll with a fresh new family. Sayonara, Ebisu Clan: we had great times together, and I regret nothing.

Since I'm done for now, I might as well deliver some final thoughts on OTB. That game's official subtitle might as well have been 'Player vs. Randomness', because that's exactly what the whole thing is about. That game is nothing but a giant random fest: from dungeon layouts to boss hideouts, from stats gains to monster drops, from units' looks to their gene pools, everything is subject to variations — some minute, some wild. Will you, the player, take up the gauntlet and make the most of what you're allotted in any given run? Will you get lucky, or will you have a hard ride? This randomness is actually one of my favourite features in OTB: although it can be taxing to wrap one's head around it at first, it also guarantees that no two runs of the game will ever be the same, which makes for great replay value.

I guess I should also comment on the Nueko situation, i.e. OTB's most controversial feature. Nueko's forced inclusion in my party was nowhere near as vexatious as I had feared from reading online comments on the matter; however, I also sincerely feel that said inclusion adds absolutely nothing to the game. In fact, Nueko as a whole adds absolutely nothing to the game. It was nearly laughable to hear the gods describe her as that irresistible femme fatale who wrapped everybody around her finger, when she was actually behaving like a sullen, boring teenager everytime I got to interact with her. Why was she even there at all, may I ask? Was she supposed to be OTB's official waifu, dragging in the otaku crew in her wake? Or was she supposed to act as a story beacon, reminding the player of the narrative issues at stake? I don't know, and I honestly don't care. All I saw in Nueko was an free extra party member for boss fights; and while I certainly didn't need her to do the deed, I still made the most of her occasional presence. Still, I would have preferred OTB's story to be solely about my clan; because as it was, I couldn't bring myself to follow it, let alone care about it. Why should I give a crap about the family matters of complete strangers, when I have my own family to tend to? What do I care about a god's mommy complex, when my own clan's fast-dying members fight an uphill battle against fate itself? Letting the player be privy to that little family drama between immortals was tacky and tactless at best, and a big fat instance of trolling at worst.

What else? I was planning to write a list of the game's good and bad points, but I'll shelve it until my next run — and until I clear the game for good. Not only do I feel too sated to write another full post about OTB right now, but I've fought enough cheated final bosses and witnessed enough lame story resolutions to know that endgames can indeed provide plenty of material for such lists. And so, dear fellow gamers, I'll take my leave of OTB for the time being. It's an fantastic game, and I love it to pieces; and I sure am darn glad I invested in the japanese special edition two years ago. You can bet I'll replay it someday, be it in japanese or in english. Thanks for reading, and drop by anytime!