Gaming is diverse to the point that we now have identifiable niches within subgenres. One such example is the “quirky indie” RPG often made in (or maintaining a similar feel to those made in) RPG Maker. These titles are usually unorthodox and much shorter experiences than you’d find in grander RPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. They tend to feel a little more punk and rough around the edges, but contain an undeniable charm. Today’s title within this subcategory is OFF, a remake of a 2008 RPG Maker game and one of the defining RPGs of the burgeoning indie scene of the late 2000’s. Let’s have a look to see if it’s ready to step up or has passed its sell-by date.
Get Ready, Sports Fans
OFF gives you control over a character just known as “The Batter”; they are given the task of “purifying” the several zones in this ambiguous world. Ambiguity is the name of the game when it comes to OFF, where its narrative presents mystery after mystery until the shocking conclusion steps up to the plate.
This is one of the more influential indie RPG experiences, such that you can feel its DNA across many famous/infamous titles such as Undertale, Deltarune, and LISA, amongst many others. It presents such a curious mystery and never quite fully answers the questions definitively. The writing is offbeat and almost edgy at times while it peculiarly tackles serious subject matter.
I have purposefully been vague with the story of OFF in this review. It really is one of those games where the less you know going into it, the better the experience and the more shocking and impactful its revelations are. Just know you’ll question everything and believe nothing until the credits roll, leaving you hankering for another run to piece everything together with hindsight.
Minimal is the New Optimal
OFF is bleak and basic by design. This is evident with the gameplay, which is about as minimal as it comes for an RPG, even in this enhanced release that has seen a bit of balancing and a few changes when it comes to the combat.
Exploration involves top-down four-way movement, NPCs to talk to who will add a little bit of explanation as to what is going on or assist you with a puzzle, chests containing items to find, and the occasional shop. There are plenty of puzzles breaking up the exploration and combat, and they make sure you’ve read everything and have spoken to everyone to solve them. It reminds me of many survival horror experiences, which resulted in me taking notes throughout my playthrough and making liberal use of the screenshot button.
Combat uses an Active Time Battle System (the game uses a time bar to determine when actions can be taken rather than a determined turn sequence) as its standard, but you can change it to a slower-paced Act and Wait system should you so choose. In combat, you can attack, defend, or use items and skills. This may seem a little pedestrian compared to many other RPGs with unique systems, but while OFF doesn’t re-invent random battles, it does offer quite a challenge, and the skills are unusual enough to fit the tone of the game.
A New Addition To The Pitch
In terms of what’s new in this version of OFF, there are several new “boss” fights to challenge returning batters. There’s also some art to cover the sides of the screen and a new “help” mechanic that points you in the direction of your often obscure objective. It’s not a drastic amount of new content, but I feel this package is aimed at people who haven’t really played the game before. It finally gives console players a chance to explore the world of OFF and discover why it’s considered one of the granddaddies of quirky indie RPGs. Personally, the extra content and console release alone justified the budget price tag for me.
May Look Different Close Up
Visually, OFF is a mixture of very minimalist and downright bizarre; the field view is pretty barren and sometimes relies heavily on imagination to understand what you’re actually looking at.
Battle portraits and other images such as flashbacks and posters found across the world are high in detail, and the spectres you fight range from comical Scooby Doo style ghosts to really macabre spirits that would be right at home in any “Souls” game. There’s a bizarre mixture that really works at separating OFF from other games on the market, at least compared to its contemporaries.
The soundtrack in OFF may cause a little bit of contention for returning players; it’s been given a totally new soundtrack due to various reasons. Change is as good as a rest, though, as they say.
I personally enjoyed the chill and sometimes haunting soundtrack, and was quite happy to find out that Undertale/Deltarune mastermind Toby Fox contributed to this game’s soundtrack. It certainly fits the tone of the game well and didn’t grate on the ear when I was stuck on one of the game’s many puzzles or the maze areas, which gets it bonus points.
Verdict
OFF is a quirky cult title, with this version giving non-PC gamers and new PC gamers the chance to play it for the first time. The enhancements might not quite be enough to bring back returning PC players to the new Steam version, but there is stuff here for super fans, and it comes at a modest price point to boot.
This is one of the more conventional “not for everyone” indie RPG legends, but I think it has the capacity to bring in a whole new legion of fans to the niche subgenre. All in all, it was fantastic to re-experience the game again with a different soundtrack and some nifty new bonuses.
OFF IS RECOMMENDED
If you are looking for another indie game , you may enjoy our review of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector.
Many thanks go to Fangamer for a Nintendo Switch review code for OFF.
Pride of utopia & greatest thing ever, I found the One Piece, Collected the Dragon Balls & won the Mortal Kombat Tournament in one night, it was quiet for me that night! Follow me on Twitter @powahdunk
