As a self-confessed JRPG addict who should have quit using half a decade ago, I tend to try just about anything and everything in the genre--thanks to the work of my inner demons. Sometimes this works out in my favor, with games like Persona 3: FES, but more often than not I'm trudging through something like Eternal Sonata with no means of escape. I'm not quite sure where Opoona falls on the cream-to-crap spectrum, but after about three hours, I can at least tell you that it's different.
Allow me to explain:
The Good: That dude on the right is your protagonist, so that should give you a good indication of what you're in for; Opoona isn't your typical Japanese gingerbread version of Tolkien. Instead, it's a quirky little space RPG about a family of aliens stranded on a distant planet. What also separates Opoona from your typical JRPG is the control setup; you only use the Wiimost Nunchuck, which--aside from some problems moving the camera--feels like the optimal configuration for this kind of game. It makes me think of how great the short-lived one-handed PSX controller from Ascii could have been--it wasn't just a suggestive piece of fiction joked about during the release of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Anyhow, the simple, action-y battle system--based entirely around throwing the "bonbon" on Opoona's head--works great with the limited controls available on the Nunchuck.
As a relatively loading-free experience, Opoona gets right what a lot of RPGs get wrong. For a genre known for its fragmented gameplay, there's nothing worse than constant, awkward pauses breaking up what would be an otherwise good game. A flash of black between rooms and battles is all you'll notice in Opoona--if you do notice it.
The game also has a surprising soundtrack by hotshot composer Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, Odin Sphere) that does have its moments of bombast, but manages to play around with the Opoona's lighthearted theme in a way that feels very different than his usual work.
The Bad: For starters, the game looks very low-budget; we're talking low-level PS2/mid-level Dreamcast, here. There's a sense that the developer could have tried a little harder.
And while Opoona does manage to be quirky and unique, it suffer from a common JRPG problem by starting off the game with quite a few interminable hours' worth of exposition and not-much-happening. Any Final Fantasy worth its salt knows that immediately throwing the player into an action setpiece is a great way to grab a gamer's attention.
Adding to the boredom of Opoona's rocky start is the game's main town (for now), which is really too big and confusingly designed for its own good. Getting anything accomplished requires a lot of walking and walking and walking and walking until you realize you're headed in the completely wrong direction. In some cases, I like when developers cut the bullshit and give us a menu-driven town and map system, as seen in the Persona series. I don't think pointlessly jogging around Opoona's world is really doing anything for me.
Wrap-Up: Opoona has quite a few problems, but its unique atmosphere and addictive mission system has made me decide to stick around for a few more hours. I'll report back in if anything interesting happens.
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