Omno has been in production for several years, but most notably, given its beautiful graphics and seeming grandeur, it is the work of a single person. Jonas Manke is StudioInkyfox’s whole team, despite having a decade of industry experience on titles such as the State of Decay, and began work on the project approximately five years ago, until a successful Kickstarter in 2018 allowed him to focus more fully on realizing the game. Omno will be released on July 29th, according to a new trailer and release date.
As you can see, the visual appeal of Omno is not just the visual style, but the images in this world, and especially the wildlife that the main character interacts with along the way: from shy little sand crabs to languorous flying jellyfish, lazy giant turtles, and ginormous fluorescent dinosaurs. I was sold within the first few seconds, but when I watched the main character’s magic wand transform into a hoverboard… I needed this in my gut.
The game is single-player only, and the Journey influence is palpable: this is an atmospheric trip through a (hopefully) lovely environment, complete with platforming and mild puzzle components. The lusciously smooth animation as the player avatar navigates various vistas at considerable speed is especially remarkable. The player’s magic staff is used to power different relics, which enable some of the most spectacular skills shown above.
Omno does not include fighting, but it does allow you to “peacefully bewitch and befriend a broad range of mythological animals, from sprightly insects to towering leviathans.”
“I started making Omno for fun at initially.” “I primarily wanted to create a place where I could escape after work,” explains designer Jonas Manke. “It wasn’t until I shared some of what I was producing with friends and family that I realised I might be able to convert this into something others might really want to play!” Being here today, over 5 years later, with a successful Kickstarter campaign and a game ready to publish on PC and consoles seems like a dream.”
Well, Jonas, Omno appears to be one right now.
