Orogenesis

About

In "Orogenesis," players assume the role of DUDE, on a quest with friends Pipe and Tea to gather four Genesis Orbs and uncover the mountain's secrets. The game features a massive tiled overworld reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, with turn-based combat and retro-style art. Explore dungeons, complete side-quests, and confront hidden evils in this game of discovery and adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 64 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features unique and appealing graphics, with a distinct art style that captures a retro feel reminiscent of classic games.
The story, while simple, includes interesting characters and multiple endings, providing some depth and replayability.
The music is well-composed and adds to the overall atmosphere of the game, enhancing the player's experience.

The combat system is overly simplistic and can become tedious, often reducing battles to spamming the attack button without much strategy involved.
There are significant bugs and softlock issues that have not been addressed, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The narrative feels linear and lacks motivation for exploration, with many characters having minimal dialogue and development.

story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The story in these games is generally viewed as simplistic and somewhat bland, often relying on standard fantasy tropes with sparse dialogue. While some players appreciate the unique characters and worldbuilding, many feel that the narrative lacks originality and depth compared to the visuals. Overall, the story is entertaining but linear, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Short, fun game focused primarily on story, making it an entertaining RPG since there isn't a lot of grinding.”
- “The first half of the story is about a wholesome adventure about the boys going to get some orbs and meeting some friendly faces along the way, but as it progresses, it gets more serious and drops lots of deep lore.”
- “The story was enjoyable, filled with unique and fun characters that were fun to explore, with the addition of recurring characters from Samu's previous projects, and it's a nice little detail for real fans.”
- “The story is simplistic and bland.”
- “This was well below what Samu can do with a plot and overall design.”
- “Story's standard fantasy fare and dialogue is sparse.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The graphics of the game are praised for their nostalgic, retro feel reminiscent of Game Boy titles, particularly evoking the aesthetic of classic Zelda games. While the artwork is described as unique and visually pleasing, some reviewers note a lack of creativity in NPC designs and story elements. Overall, the game's visuals are considered gorgeous and complemented by good music, creating an engaging aesthetic experience.
- “The aesthetics of the game are very much pleasing to the eyes and ears.”
- “I love the game's art style, which follows a classic old-school retro feel that nicely captures the essence of Game Boy consoles with the limited color palette.”
- “+ gorgeous graphics and beautiful surreal style.”
- “Graphics are very reminiscent of a Zelda Game Boy game with the usual weird NPC designs from Samu, although they're somewhat less creative this time.”
- “Generally, these sorts of games offer an interesting story that's different from more established developers, but it seems like they used up all their creativity with the visuals.”
- “The artwork is unique and varied, but the story turns out to be a bit more unoriginal than you'd expect it to be, but it's still neat.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
21%
7%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and enjoyment, with many reviewers highlighting it as a standout feature alongside the art. While some tracks are noted as not particularly memorable, the overall soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience, making it more enjoyable despite other shortcomings.
- “The music was very good, which is something else his works are known for.”
- “Furthermore, the game's music is boppin'.”
- “Lacks a little bit of story but the art and soundtrack make this game more than enjoyable.”
- “The music does its job fairly well, none of the tracks are bad but also not very memorable to me, excluding the theme that plays for the witch who brews mana-increasing potions in the first town.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game minimizes grinding, focusing instead on story and strategic resource management, as players earn money rather than experience from battles. While some find the combat tedious and somewhat pointless, the overall design allows for a more engaging experience without the typical grind associated with RPGs.
- “Grinding and mostly pointless combat.”
- “This game manages to become more tedious than average, even with zero grinding involved.”
- “Samu's games do not rely on grinding in order to defeat tough enemies; there are a limited number of enemies you can face and you get no experience from fights, only money, which means spending your funds wisely is a major part of the game.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is generally considered satisfactory for an RPG Maker title, though it doesn't innovate or redefine the genre. Players are primarily drawn to the compelling story and worldbuilding, with the visuals and audio enhancing the overall experience. While it may not appeal to everyone, those who appreciate its aesthetic and narrative may find it worthwhile.
- “Despite the rumors about the developer, if you can separate the art from the artist, they're great games with distinct visual designs, great worldbuilding, and the gameplay is at least okay for an RPG Maker game. It's not breaking any barriers or redefining RPG Maker combat, but it works. Ultimately, you play for the story and the world with games like this, and they're both pretty compelling. It's not for everyone, but you can use your eyes; if you think from a glance you'd like this, then you might. If you think you might not, then you probably wouldn't.”
- “Gameplay aside, the aesthetics of the game are very pleasing to the eyes and ears.”
- “Here are some of my opinions about the game's gameplay -”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is perceived as overly forced and attempts to blend edgy comedy with traditional humor, often resulting in an exhausting experience. Some jokes, such as the inclusion of stereotypes, are seen as inappropriate and detract from the overall comedic value.
- “Pretty epic funny haha”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game has received criticism for featuring a racially insensitive character design that feels out of place in its fantasy setting. While the overworld is noted for its distinct thematic colors and a blend of cute and morbid aesthetics, the character design detracts from the overall experience.
- “I'm also really not down with a character design that makes no sense in a fantasy world like this.”
- “Each part of the overworld has a distinct color that gives it a theme and identity while the world and character design is cute and morbid.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report encountering minor bugs and glitches, but none are considered severe, indicating a generally stable experience.
- “You might encounter various minor bugs and glitches, but none of them are as severe.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game starts with a lighthearted and wholesome adventure, focusing on camaraderie and exploration, but transitions into a more serious tone as it delves into deeper lore, evoking a range of emotions throughout the narrative.
- “The first half of the story is about a wholesome adventure with friends going to collect orbs and meeting friendly faces along the way, but as it progresses, it becomes more serious and reveals deep lore.”