I had heard about this PC game from a convention and didn't really think much of it. All I had heard about is that there was some guy called "the Batter" and a cat that followed him around. It wasn't until recently that I actually downloaded the game and fell in love with it.
OFF was created by French game designer, Mortis Ghost. Both the game play and animation is simple which contrasts with its elaborate story line and characters. It focuses around the Batter, a black and white seemingly faceless puppet who is controlled by you, who has made it his duty to go around purifying the land with his righteous bat. The Batter is guided by the Judge and supplied by a masked merchant named Zacharie. The Batter must go through Zones 0 through 3 fighting off various types of spectres, helping the helpless Elsen (inhabitants of the Zones), solving puzzles, and - of course - purifying each Zone.
OFF is unlike any game I've ever played before. This is because of the clever story line and the immersive atmosphere.
In the beginning of the game, the Batter's objective seems pretty straight forward. It seems that he wants to purify the Zones and get rid of the spectres and evil bosses to help the Elsen but as the game progresses, his intentions seem to become more and more radical. This makes for some very interesting game play as the player begins to sense that something is wrong yet can do nothing but progress through with the Batter's twisted intentions.
OFF is one of those games in which you have to wear headphones while playing it. You absolutely have to or you won't be able to get the full experience. The music is fantastic and the ambiance will completely transport you into the game.
While the animation and graphics are not as advanced as some of the more popular games today, the art work is amazing. As a self-proclaimed artist myself, I envy the creativity and complexity of some of the spectres and characters the Batter comes across. Here's some concept art so you can have a look for yourself:
Well, I think that's all I have to say about OFF - or at least all I can say without spoiling too much. OFF was such a fun game and I think I might actually play it again soon.
If you'd like to play OFF yourself the download link is here - it's free by the way.
Here's a picture of Zacharie because he's my favorite and I just wanted to slip him in here:
So I guess this was my last blog post? Yeah. Who knows? Maybe I'll post more about my cosplay stuff in the future but I guess it's good bye for now!
-René
It's been like three days since I posted my last cosplay line-up and guess what? It's already expanded! I did say it was subject to change so you really should have expected this.
Anyways! In addition to Kotetsu and Atsushi, I have added two definite cosplays and a tentative third one. I have also decided to wear Kotetsu's cosplay for next Anime Boston but I am still unsure of when i'll wear Atsushi's cosplay. I don't know, I'll have to work it out with my cosplay buddy.
Kaworu Nagisa from Evangelion
Yep. I'm totally getting the angel wings for his costume too - if only to make people cry hehe. I'm really excited to cosplay Kaworu. I mean, he's basically gay space Jesus (don't question it) and his personality is so much fun. He reminds me a lot of Clear from DMMD and I had a lot of fun as Clear. Kaworu's cosplay should be fairly easy and I don't think that it will cost much at all. The only thing that would cost a lot would be colored contacts for his red eyes but I am still uncertain about getting colored contacts as I have heard MANY horror stories about them. I am hoping to cosplay Kaworu at next year's Queen City Kamikaze with my cosplay buddy going as Kaworu's boyfriend, Shinji.
Makoto Tachibana from Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
I've always loved Mako so I figured that his cosplay would make my list sooner or later. Mako's the mom friend (aka Mamakoto) of his group and I can totally relate to him. He's super caring and super sweet but can get really intense and competitive during races. His cosplay shouldn't be too hard to do as the only expensive things I need to buy would be the Iwatobi Swim Club jacket (the one he's wearing in the gif) and his wig. I'm not sure when I'll cosplay this kid but I'm hoping for the Friday of next Anime Boston.
En Yufuin from Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! (Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouie Bu Love, or BKCBL)
Okay, so here's the tentative third cosplay I mentioned earlier. I haven't finished BKCBL but I plan to over the Summer. En is my absolute favorite character so far and he seems really interesting to cosplay. I love his costume (the white and blue one) and his personality is unlike any character I've cosplayed before. He's not outgoing or cute or shy. He's blunt and quiet - and I love it. The problem is that 1. my cosplay body isn't interested in BKCBL, and 2. his costume is super elaborate and will probably be super expensive. Gah, I really want to cosplay him though! I haven't really seen anyone cosplay from BKCBL and I know BKCBL has a large following so I know his cosplay would go over super well. Sigh.
Ah, I have a lot of stuff to do - and a lot more thinking and planning to do. I am really excited about all of these cosplays and I really hope that they all turn out well. As always - expect updates and changes in the future!
-René
