The Last Oricru
Tale says choices matter, but fails to explore consequences.
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The Last Oricru
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Last Oricru is an downloadable RPG (role-playing game) for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows. In this action-packed sci-fi adventure, players take on the role of Silver, an immortal human being held by an alien race as a sort of military science experiment. Silver is forced to train for a war he doesn't want to be a part of, and his captors are not willing to explain who he is, where he came from, or why the war started in the first place. Left to uncover the truth for himself, Silver must hack and slash his way through many, many enemies to pass each level and learn new information about the world around him. Players can expect a lot of challenging combat as the basis for most of the gameplay. This title also includes sexual themes, moderate language, and references to alcohol. In addition, though player choices do affect the story, there's no meaningful discussion about the consequences of choosing violence or peace. While adults may not need to have those conversations throughout the game, there's a risk that the absence of in-game consequences may affect a teenage audience negatively.
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What’s It About?
Silver is one of THE LAST ORICRU. This means he is unable to die, no matter how many fatal training exercises the Naboru (an alien race holding Silver hostage) generals put him through. Aside from that, no one on the planet Wardenia is willing to tell Silver anything about who he is, where he came from, and why he has frequent visions of a strange woman in a lake. The one thing the Naboru will tell him is that he's training for a war against the Ratkin. Ratkin are huge rats who have developed a habit of kidnapping and consuming Naboru children -- at least according to the Naboru. Silver is caught in a seemingly endless loop of training, dying, and waking up not remembering what happened. All of this changes when Queen Hadriana of the Naboru, arrives at the mountaintop compound for a surprise inspection. From then on, player choices will affect whose side Silver chooses to be on, where he goes next, and what information he uncovers about Wardenia.
Is It Any Good?
So-so combat system aside, the shortcomings of this game come back to a fatal flaw -- the storytelling. While creating a story-centered game in The Last Oricru with no moral conundrums or clear indications of "good" or "bad" decision-making sounds interesting, the story quickly falls apart once players realize there isn't anyone to root for. Very early on, players are introduced to a relationship mechanic instructing them to choose a side in Wardenia's war. Will Silver be on the side of the Naboru or the Ratkin? Because players aren't really introduced to either of these factions' ideas or cultures, the choice ends up feeling pointless. In games where choices matter, the choices need meaningful consequences -- simply having some sort of impact on the player's experience isn't enough.
This title's less obvious problems do end up depending much more on personal preference. Fans of the Dark Souls franchise may enjoy the egregiously fast speed that enemies respawn at and prefer the navigation challenges that not having a map presents. But players who may prefer the varying difficulty options and open-world freedom are less likely to find The Last Oricru to their liking.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about storytelling in video games. When players are asked to make a choice that could affect the story, what information do they need before making a decision?
What types of challenges do you prefer, and which do you dislike? Why do you think you prefer some challenges and dislike others?
Game Details
- Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($35.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Prime Matter
- Release date: October 13, 2022
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: STEM, Space and Aliens
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Last updated: October 26, 2022
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