Today! In game history!
Seventeen years ago, the freeware RPG OFF was released online. While the original French release found an audience, it was the English fan translation that generated an even bigger cult following. Now, the game’s original creator, Mortis Ghost, and Fangamer have teamed up to release a remastered version on the Nintendo Switch and Steam, hoping to bring this game to a wider audience. As a writer for a Belgian-based site, it is worth mentioning that Mortis Ghost is a Belgian cartoonist and artist, so this title hits close to home.
In OFF, you take control of the Batter. This is a vessel that has set out to purify the zones of the world. You must take out all the spectres in that dystopian space and the bosses that rule them. The adventure takes the form of a classic RPG: you must explore each of the four zones, solving puzzles to make progress. These puzzles are the most fleshed-out part of the experience. The most common type of riddle involves finding a code in the environment to unlock a door. Even the most obscure pieces of in-game lore can contain hidden clues to help you find the answers, so keep your eyes and ears open!
However, it wouldn’t be a quest for purification without combat. Battles are turn-based and feature a timer that counts down to your next move, similar to the real-time turn-based combat system popularised by Chrono Trigger.
Everything is presented in a minimalist retro style. It resembles old-school RPGs like Earthbound. However, the character and enemy designs stand out even above some recent games. They feature Mortis Ghost’s unique art style. It mixes the whimsical and the disturbing in a very unique way.
Without giving anything away, that’s all you need to know about OFF. The new remaster simply enhances the core experience. It streamlines the battle system and adds new areas and bosses. All of these are designed in Mortis Ghost’s own art style. If you’re now eager to play the game, I encourage you to stop reading (and come back later, of course) and experience this Belgian national treasure for yourself. The main story takes about five to six hours to complete, so you won’t be disappointed. However, if you don’t mind being spoiled for part of the core experience, read on to find out about the zones that need to be purified!
I’m the Batter?
Now I can delve into the spoiler-filled aspects of the game: the aesthetics and the story. I won’t be discussing the new additions or the ending, but I will talk about the rest of the experience.
Let’s start by discussing the world of OFF. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The zones themselves are simple locations such as a mine, a library and a factory. They all seem normal at first, but become deeply strange the more you explore.
For example, in the first zone of the game, the basic elements that sustain life in this world are created. Plastic, metal and smoke. The metal comes from the cows that the residents farm and slaughter for their minerals. The useless meat is discarded to create the mines underneath, where the smoke is found. This concept is absurd and wouldn’t make sense in our world, but it’s normal in their twisted realm. My favourite zone, however, was the third one: the factory. You immediately realise that something is wrong with the workers, and the whole journey through the zone, including the revelation and the boss fight at the end, is excellent.
The story woven through the zones and your journey with the Batter becomes even stranger than the world in which it is based. After playing through zones 0–3, you unlock the room. This is a central location in the game where the whole story comes together in a satisfying climax. This brings the unique story to a close with two satisfying endings. After finishing the game, I browsed old forums and wikis, looking for hidden meanings behind the characters and final confrontations.
My only criticism of the entire experience would be the flow of combat. Even after the revisions made in this remaster, combat still feels somewhat dated. I completed every fight by repeatedly using my most powerful moves and healing in between. Bosses also felt more like regular enemies with more health. However, I respect the fact that they have stayed close to the core gameplay of the original version, and I can forgive a game from 2008 for being somewhat dated. This is especially true when you consider all the unique enemy designs and the variety of enemies you fight. I didn’t dislike combat. I wanted to see every enemy design that the game had to offer.
Overall, it took me five hours to complete the game. And I had fun the whole time. Isn’t that what matters?
Conclusion
OFF is a remaster that finally brings this true cult classic to modern consoles. This release on Steam and Nintendo Switch adds new combat, bosses and areas to an already great gameplay experience. While the combat system may feel somewhat dated, the story and atmosphere will carry you through this five- to six-hour game in no time. If there were a recommended gaming list for Belgian players, OFF would certainly be among the top titles on it, given the legacy it has built up.
