Search
Platform Selection
Celebrating 3 years in business!
Opoona
Platform: Wii
Worthwhile experience for players who have beaten all the other RPGs.
Review by Sirus
Opoona starts out on a ship flying through space where you and your family are on a vacation. It is unclear where you are headed for said vacation but before you can get anywhere you are shot down. The main character and each of his two siblings are able to get out of the ship on escape pods before the ship crash lands but your parents are not. You find yourself on a small colony on a planet where you are told that to start on the quest to find your parents you must become a ranger and earn your patrol license of rank 4. What starts out as a quest to save your parents turns into a quest to save the world. The twist that happens when you reach rank 4 in your patrol license is unexpected but for the most part the story is interesting without being deep. Thankfully the battle mechanics are so fresh and awesome that you will find yourself playing for the gameplay alone.
To reach patrol license rank 4, you have to take on multiple quests. These quests usually send you into areas where you have to fight enemies. Most of the patrol license quests are tied into the main story so they don’t feel like the typical quests you might get in a game that’s all about jobs. Aside from the patrol license string of quests there are numerous other licenses you can earn by completing odd jobs. One of these quest strings had me working at retail stores. That specific string seems to be required to progress but most of the assignments are fairly easy and quick.
There are a number of people you can befriend on your journey as well. Adding people to your friends list appears to be simply optional at first, however you are required to raise a number of friendships to intimate levels for a story related reason near the end of the game. Thus it is a good idea to talk to everyone while you are in towns so you don’t miss anything. Many of these friendships you need to develop require you taking on a lot of the side licenses’ quests. This may seem like a chore to people who rush through the game and find out near the end that they have to do this while players who do every quest they can out of compulsion will find they are well prepared. The amount of seemingly side stuff you have to complete to access the final dungeon is irritating and a few of the specifically required quest strings seem out of place. A number of the quest requirements are presented vaguely, making it a challenge to figure out exactly what you have to do. Others are very simple and straightforward.
When you get out into areas filled with monsters (called rogues in this game) you encounter enemies randomly. Battles are turn based but active like some of the PS1 FF games so enemies don’t wait for you to choose your attacks. Most battles can be won simply by using your regular attacks, although they are quite different from most other games. The main character (who is named Opoona) has a strange bonbon on his head that he uses to attack enemies. Other party members you get later have their own bonbons as well. Attacks are executed by holding the analog stick in either of four directions until you charge up enough energy and then releasing.
Your energy meter starts at 100 and decreases towards zero until you let go. The closer it gets to zero, the more damage it does when you let go. It makes a difference in which direction you hold the analog stick because it changes the direction the bonbon will curve when you throw it. Some enemies are damaged more by holding the analog stick up or down while others are damaged more by holding it to either side. One interesting thing I noticed is that enemies don’t have health bars but they show visible damage when you damage them so that you know they are getting weaker. For example, mechanical enemies get dented as you damage them while the severity of the dents increases as they get closer to death.
You also have access to items in battle that are nothing unusual. You have healing items for health and a number of damage inflicting items you can use on enemies. Items must be placed in your pockets before you can use them in battle. You don’t have any of the typical equipments like other RPGs. Instead, you have coatings and cores you can equip to your bonbon that add special attributes or otherwise increase attack or defense ratings. You can use skills in battle that deal various types of damage to your enemies or heal you. Skills are gained upon leveling up. All of the three main party members you get in the game learn the healing spells, although the mage type characters learn more powerful healing spells and more damage dealing elemental spells. Damage dealing spells are useful for taking out large numbers of enemies and look impressive as well. Some of the later spells fill the screen with devastating effects.
When you are defeated in battle, you don’t see the typical game over screen. Dying while exploring takes you back to the town you started from with the same experience, money, and items you got while only losing a little money for the service. I enjoy it this way because it encourages exploration and experimentation and makes death a lot less annoying. That isn’t to say the game is easy because I died more in Opoona than I have in a lot of other recent RPGs. The difficulty is nice because, while it is challenging, it doesn’t become frustrating. Combat is fun, fast, and keeps you on your toes. Battles are usually over within 10-30 seconds and are limited to two minutes. If battles last more than two minutes you will run out of energy and die. You have to be fast with your healing too or you will find yourself dying a lot.
The game's music is composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto and sounds great while being totally different than what he usually does. The music includes a lot of techno and jazz pieces that are barely recognizable as Sakimoto stuff. Much of the music you hear while walking around the game’s various areas is relaxing. I found myself leaving the game on multiple times after I was done playing for the day just to hear the music some more. The music is performed by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra and features strings, woodwinds, and acoustic guitar along with synthesized beats. The battle music is up beat and gets you ready to kick some ass. There is no voice acting in the game and it is not missed. Graphics are great and look like DQVIII cell shading. The main characters look unique and cute although the majority of people you meet in towns don’t look so great. The enemies you encounter are completely wacky and refreshing. They are all colorful and have some of the most random designs for enemies outside the Dragon Quest series.
The game doesn’t feature an in-game clock to tell you how many hours you have been playing but I would estimate my final playtime somewhere between 20 and 25 hours. The first eight hours or so spent getting the patrol license can feel slow and many of the side quests you have to do seem similarly slow. The time spent in the game’s numerous dungeons and areas filled with enemies goes faster and is a lot of fun. The game advertises the inclusion of a one handed control scheme using nothing but the nunchuk attachment. This is completely optional and not really recommended because you need the extra speed that comes from using the Wii-mote to select attacks. The classic controller is also supported if anyone wants to use that. Opoona is an interesting blending of RPG and simulation game elements. The simple innovations in the battle system make a huge difference in freshening up the genre. I haven’t had this much fun battling in an RPG in a long time. Gamers who are tired of playing games with over dramatic storylines will find something to love with Opoona. All Wii-owning RPG fans should give Opoona a chance.
Platform: Wii
Worthwhile experience for players who have beaten all the other RPGs.
Review by Sirus
Opoona starts out on a ship flying through space where you and your family are on a vacation. It is unclear where you are headed for said vacation but before you can get anywhere you are shot down. The main character and each of his two siblings are able to get out of the ship on escape pods before the ship crash lands but your parents are not. You find yourself on a small colony on a planet where you are told that to start on the quest to find your parents you must become a ranger and earn your patrol license of rank 4. What starts out as a quest to save your parents turns into a quest to save the world. The twist that happens when you reach rank 4 in your patrol license is unexpected but for the most part the story is interesting without being deep. Thankfully the battle mechanics are so fresh and awesome that you will find yourself playing for the gameplay alone.
To reach patrol license rank 4, you have to take on multiple quests. These quests usually send you into areas where you have to fight enemies. Most of the patrol license quests are tied into the main story so they don’t feel like the typical quests you might get in a game that’s all about jobs. Aside from the patrol license string of quests there are numerous other licenses you can earn by completing odd jobs. One of these quest strings had me working at retail stores. That specific string seems to be required to progress but most of the assignments are fairly easy and quick.
There are a number of people you can befriend on your journey as well. Adding people to your friends list appears to be simply optional at first, however you are required to raise a number of friendships to intimate levels for a story related reason near the end of the game. Thus it is a good idea to talk to everyone while you are in towns so you don’t miss anything. Many of these friendships you need to develop require you taking on a lot of the side licenses’ quests. This may seem like a chore to people who rush through the game and find out near the end that they have to do this while players who do every quest they can out of compulsion will find they are well prepared. The amount of seemingly side stuff you have to complete to access the final dungeon is irritating and a few of the specifically required quest strings seem out of place. A number of the quest requirements are presented vaguely, making it a challenge to figure out exactly what you have to do. Others are very simple and straightforward.
When you get out into areas filled with monsters (called rogues in this game) you encounter enemies randomly. Battles are turn based but active like some of the PS1 FF games so enemies don’t wait for you to choose your attacks. Most battles can be won simply by using your regular attacks, although they are quite different from most other games. The main character (who is named Opoona) has a strange bonbon on his head that he uses to attack enemies. Other party members you get later have their own bonbons as well. Attacks are executed by holding the analog stick in either of four directions until you charge up enough energy and then releasing.
Your energy meter starts at 100 and decreases towards zero until you let go. The closer it gets to zero, the more damage it does when you let go. It makes a difference in which direction you hold the analog stick because it changes the direction the bonbon will curve when you throw it. Some enemies are damaged more by holding the analog stick up or down while others are damaged more by holding it to either side. One interesting thing I noticed is that enemies don’t have health bars but they show visible damage when you damage them so that you know they are getting weaker. For example, mechanical enemies get dented as you damage them while the severity of the dents increases as they get closer to death.
You also have access to items in battle that are nothing unusual. You have healing items for health and a number of damage inflicting items you can use on enemies. Items must be placed in your pockets before you can use them in battle. You don’t have any of the typical equipments like other RPGs. Instead, you have coatings and cores you can equip to your bonbon that add special attributes or otherwise increase attack or defense ratings. You can use skills in battle that deal various types of damage to your enemies or heal you. Skills are gained upon leveling up. All of the three main party members you get in the game learn the healing spells, although the mage type characters learn more powerful healing spells and more damage dealing elemental spells. Damage dealing spells are useful for taking out large numbers of enemies and look impressive as well. Some of the later spells fill the screen with devastating effects.
When you are defeated in battle, you don’t see the typical game over screen. Dying while exploring takes you back to the town you started from with the same experience, money, and items you got while only losing a little money for the service. I enjoy it this way because it encourages exploration and experimentation and makes death a lot less annoying. That isn’t to say the game is easy because I died more in Opoona than I have in a lot of other recent RPGs. The difficulty is nice because, while it is challenging, it doesn’t become frustrating. Combat is fun, fast, and keeps you on your toes. Battles are usually over within 10-30 seconds and are limited to two minutes. If battles last more than two minutes you will run out of energy and die. You have to be fast with your healing too or you will find yourself dying a lot.
The game's music is composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto and sounds great while being totally different than what he usually does. The music includes a lot of techno and jazz pieces that are barely recognizable as Sakimoto stuff. Much of the music you hear while walking around the game’s various areas is relaxing. I found myself leaving the game on multiple times after I was done playing for the day just to hear the music some more. The music is performed by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra and features strings, woodwinds, and acoustic guitar along with synthesized beats. The battle music is up beat and gets you ready to kick some ass. There is no voice acting in the game and it is not missed. Graphics are great and look like DQVIII cell shading. The main characters look unique and cute although the majority of people you meet in towns don’t look so great. The enemies you encounter are completely wacky and refreshing. They are all colorful and have some of the most random designs for enemies outside the Dragon Quest series.
The game doesn’t feature an in-game clock to tell you how many hours you have been playing but I would estimate my final playtime somewhere between 20 and 25 hours. The first eight hours or so spent getting the patrol license can feel slow and many of the side quests you have to do seem similarly slow. The time spent in the game’s numerous dungeons and areas filled with enemies goes faster and is a lot of fun. The game advertises the inclusion of a one handed control scheme using nothing but the nunchuk attachment. This is completely optional and not really recommended because you need the extra speed that comes from using the Wii-mote to select attacks. The classic controller is also supported if anyone wants to use that. Opoona is an interesting blending of RPG and simulation game elements. The simple innovations in the battle system make a huge difference in freshening up the genre. I haven’t had this much fun battling in an RPG in a long time. Gamers who are tired of playing games with over dramatic storylines will find something to love with Opoona. All Wii-owning RPG fans should give Opoona a chance.
| 9/10 - The best RPG battle system in a long time. | ||||||
| 9/10 - Wonderful cell shading with a unique look. | ||||||
| 10/10 - Hitoshi Sakimoto’s best soundtrack to date. | ||||||
| 7/10 - Good story with a surprising twist but nothing fantastic. | ||||||
| 8/10 -20-25 hour main quest with a few uninteresting quests. | ||||||
| 8.6/10 (Great) | ||||||
New on Marvel-Ous
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Movie Review
- Mongol - Movie Review
- Wall-E - Movie Review
- Wanted - Movie Review
- The Incredible Hulk - Movie Review
- The Happening - Movie Review
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Movie Review
- The World Ends With You - DS Review
- Speed Racer - Movie Review
Latest News
Affiliates
