Orangeblood

Orangeblood is a great throwback to 16-bit JRPGs but sets itself apart with some unique twists on the standard gameplay loop and simple plot. This title also excels graphically in creating a wide array of environments within the confines of such a small world.

Orangeblood offers a unique spin on the offbeat RPG formula that was popularized by EarthBound. This is very much a quirky turn-based game, but its foul language, hip hop music, '90s-inspired tone, and adult themes make it a weird, enjoyable curveball. Performance is stunted slightly compared to the PC version, but the game is still a good time.

Come on into New Koza, a man-made island off the coast of Okinawa, in Orangeblood. A stylish hip-hop-inspired JRPG marred by clunky battles and dreadful dialogue. Gorgeous to look at and overall has a good vibe, but it's just not enough to save it.

Orangeblood is by no means a must-play JRPG but it does have some redeeming qualities. The look and sound of it are the best parts and while the combat system didn’t impress me it worked well enough for me to see it through. It’s really too bad that the story and dialog weren’t better otherwise I could more highly recommend this one.

It’s too edgy and incomprehensible to be a good story, too blurry and noisy to look nice despite all the clear effort, and the combat system ultimately adds up to grinding and making your basic numbers go up. It’s a style over substance kind of situation, but without the style to actually pull that off.

Orangeblood is your simple, run-of-the-mill JRPG that gives you that nostalgic feeling for the games we played growing up.

I enjoyed my time with ORANGEBLOOD. It is very rough around the edges and while the story is not a very optimistic one, the style and flavor that the world of hardened criminals and punk city aesthetic has going for it, is something I had a lot of fun with. I would like to see what the developers can come up with again though, maybe with a more cohesive story, a more likeable protagonist, or strictly speaking, more resources to make a bigger game in this style. I got plenty of hours out of ORANGEBLOOD. It took me about 12-15 hours to finish and 20 to complete those pesky chests and extra items to search for. With an asking price of $19.99 you will get your money’s worth in my opinion. This game was so close to being something really special, I urge you to give it a try if you’re intrigued by the setting or need an RPG with a different style going for it.

Orangeblood feels like a great game mired by small technical issues and has a short road to being an easy recommendation. With the developers still working on and releasing updates for the game regularly, Orangeblood could be a great pick-up for the turn-based JRPG gamer that’s looking for something off the beaten path.

Ultimately I would have to call Orangeblood rather lacking as a package deal. There are tons of concepts there that could really rule, but just get pummelled and that ain’t cool. A game with a focus on music and hip-hop, should have some rhymes that just don’t stop. Instead what we get is some sub-par translations, I swear I’ve seen better in MTL stations. While combat and gameplay provides something unique, it just isn’t quite enough to get a winning streak. So while Orangeblood is definitely worth trekking, it certainly needs some quality checking. So while a somewhat subpar score I’m contriving, I really do hope these devs keep on striving. Peace out homes.

It tries to do a lot of things, and definitely has a distinct personality from anything else I remember playing. Layering everything with needless profanity is not the magic bullet to become amazing though, and using the game’s real bullets is often more complicated than it should be.