Originally released back in 2008, Mortis Ghost’sOFFreturns in a remastered edition for the PC and Nintendo Switch. Despite being ported toUnityand having a few differences and additional content, the new edition mostly retains the feeling of its classic RPG Maker style.
A Journey for Purification
Over the years, many creative developers have worked with theRPG Makersoftware to make unique games. Some of them are subversive in the way they explore gameplay staples and/or offer artistic takes on narratives with nuanced ambiguity.
Among the big classics that made use of this, there’sOFF, a French RPG that tells the story of a man in baseball clothes. Called “The Batter,” he goes on a journey to purify abstract worlds called zones to put an end to the specters that have started appearing there.
This journey is ambiguous and metaphorical in its nature, leaving it up to the player to truly dig into the events and catch on to what happened. The story as a whole is filled with violence and things feel off from the get-go, but there’s a level of interpretation to the reasoning behind everything, especially the final events.
This journey is ambiguous and metaphorical in its nature, leaving it up to the player to truly dig into the events and catch on to what happened.
This element may not be so easy to parse for some players, but even taking it in from a shallow perspective,OFF’s subversion of the hero’s journey is still striking. It’s the kind of story that can stick with the player for a long time as they continue thinking about all the details and trying to learn more.
Hitting the Enemies and Hoping for a Home Run
As the player accompanies Batter on his exploration of the world’s zones, they’ll find unique worlds composed of black-and-white beings in colorful environments. To proceed through the areas, it’ll be necessary to deal with various puzzles, which often have to do with understanding how to use number sequences.
Moving through the zones means interacting with multiple NPCs and fighting against various phantasmagoric creatures. These battles are shown as turn-based combat with an “active turn” system that only stops time when the player has to pick their actions on the menu.
At first, there’s only the Batter in the party, but he’ll get help from “add-ons” along the way. Instead of being extra people to fight by his side, these helpers seem to be pretty much inanimate except for their presence in battle. During battle, it’s possible to use all the characters to attack, defend, use items (Objects) or skills (Competences).
Each party member has specific abilities and tendencies, with the Batter having a wide variety of offensive and healing skills. One of the few unique features the remaster offers is the fact players can anticipate criticals, as the line to the next turn becomes a fluctuating wave and gets faster. This is, however, only a minor change, and while the interface is now more unique than the original release, the combat experience is generally average, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Visually, battles feature horrifying imagery with distorted monsters in black-and-white. Just like the somber moans of the human-like figures we talk to during the game, it helps drive home the absurd, bizarre nature of the journey itself. As we explore further, things get ever more bizarre than the simple ghosts of the first part.
The New Bells and Whistles
When it comes to the remaster, the game opts to keep the visuals as a pixel perfect representation of the original aspect ratio, which was 4:3. Thanks to this, there are vertical and horizontal borders which can be covered with pillarbox art pieces the player unlocks by opening new chests. These represent the various moments of the story, and they can either be changed dynamically or picked by the player.
When it comes to the remaster, the game opts to keep the visuals as a pixel perfect representation of the original aspect ratio,
For battles, however, the resolution is entirely changed to cover the entire screen, giving it the entire focus. Players can opt to have it inside the same frame if they want, but as it was made for the 16:9 resolution instead, it adds black borders to fit it, making it even smaller than ideal. It’s also possible to change the font so that dialogs are shown in SansSerif or OpenDyslexic, but those options don’t apply to the rest of the menus, making it feel half-baked.
Something that changed from the original release to the new one is the soundtrack. The new versions still manage to go from “cathartic upbeat bops” to “dismal, dreary ambiance of regret” and hit the right tunes for each area to convey the eerily dissonant and complicated experience it should.
Finally, the biggest addition are actually the new bosses. While the main experience is mostly intact, with a small change to how one puzzle solution is revealed, there are many additional enemies that the player can fight against. All of them are optional, but each of them has an associated achievement, and they can offer some of the hardest battles in the game with unique movesets that can make them tricky.
Closing Comments:
OFFis an interesting RPG that exemplifies the unique, creative side of many experiences conceived over the years on RPG Maker. Its style isn’t something that will please everyone, and it feels like the gameplay is relatively uninspired even with the facelift. Nonetheless, it’s still the kind of experience worth checking out, especially for those looking for a thought-provoking, weird new RPG.
Version Reviewed: PC
Allow me to confess that I find you quite tangible for a phantasmagorical being.I must say, this is really quite strange. You are the first living being I have ever met in this place. Nevertheless, I will introduce myself. I am the Judge.The Batter has a sacred mission to fulfill.He seeks to purify the world. You, then, the controller, the soul that he harbors, must aid him in this laudable task. Alongside my sportive companion you will find it necessary to solve puzzles, rain blows upon certain hostile individuals of our wild zones, and oversee the headways and logistics of a network of swan boats and interurban locomotives.I, too, travel widely among the zones of this world.Open your wings and fly toward the zones ahead without hesitation! All of them are filled with strange and enchanting beings as well as every modern convenience. All of them appear, it must be said, to require the beneficient application of our friend the Batter’s muscular wrist. Do not worry, my dear phantasm—I, the Judge, will be with you (in spirit and body) at all the most crucial moments of your quest.I’m going to cut that insufferable smile right out of your faceHow dare you talk to me? Why have you decided to be such a pain in my ass? The Queen chose me to protect Zone 1, and I’ve dedicated my whole life to it.Listen. Get out of here, and take those ghosts with you, or I am going to kill you. I hope that’s clear enough.
