Common Sense Media Review
By Angelica Guarino
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tale says choices matter, but fails to explore consequences.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
The Last Oricru
Parent and Kid Reviews
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
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate