4. Nov, 2025
Written by: Asmir Kovacevic, Alt/Char
Onirism is a game that can turn an innocent kid’s adventure into a fast-paced, wildly charming shooter full of heart, humour, and surprising depth in a matter of seconds, and if for nothing else, that alone can be a recommendation enough.
What You Need to Know
- What is it? A colourful third-person platformer shooter
- Reviewed on: PC (Ryzen 9 5900x, RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB RAM)
- Developer: Crimson Tales
- Publisher: Shoreline Games
- Release date: October 23, 2025
- Available on: PC
- Playtime: 8-10 hours (main campaign)
- Price: $19.99 / £16.99
- Review key provided by the publisher.
I’ve played so many games in my life that I’m scared to admit it, and that’s not only due to the nature of the job being directly related to it, no. I love playing video games, period, but I must say I’m pretty picky when it comes to selecting the games I enjoy.
The video game category I avoid like the plague, though, is the games for kids. Well, obviously, I’m a grown-ass man in my forties already, and why the heck would I enjoy the games tailored for kids, right?
As in many other cases, I was forced to eat my words spectacularly when I was given a chance to play Astro Bot after almost a year since its release – an amazing game, really, and fully deserving the GOTY title for 2024. This is exactly why I approached Onirism open-minded, and I’m very happy I did. Even though this game is for kids, it could be well worth your time.
Story – Carol in a Modern Wanderland
Carol is a little girl who wakes up one morning without her beloved plushy bunny, Bunbun (a convenient name, sure), by her side. Once she comes to it, a mysterious figure disappears in a shady-looking portal, and she, being the badass she actually is, decides to follow, entering a totally new world just to save her beloved toy.
Still not convinced about the plot? Fear not, neither was I for the entire game. The premise is as generic as they come – a kid on a rescue mission, meeting foes and friends alike. However, the way it’s told is so charming and occasionally hilarious that I couldn’t stop until I saw the credits.
Carol herself makes the journey worthwhile. She’s genuinely likeable. One moment she’s a cute little girl with an almost annoyingly innocent voice. Then someone crosses her, and she instantly transforms into Schwarzenegger from Commando, wielding absurd firepower and attitude to match.
This shift in behaviour makes Carol a character worthy of some great gaming blockbusters, and I said it without even blinking because she is that well-written. Everything from her appearance, voice, and attitude will burrow into your brain, and you’ll love every moment spent with her in this game.
Everything else about the story is quite forgettable and won’t stick with you for a long time, except for several hilarious moments, an occasional joke that is simply too cute to not mention, and interesting characters in an even more interesting world in which the game takes place.
Gameplay – Fast-Paced Shooting That Doesn’t Hold Back
In its core, Onirism is a third-person shooter with high-octane shootouts that will make your blood boil and will make you shout a swear or two occasionally, but hey, it’s all allowed in games, right?
I say again, as innocent as it might look, Onirism tends to deceive with its looks, because underneath a cute-looking surface lies a game that can be challenging and funny as hell; even the controllers can fly, provided the game is controller-friendly, which, unfortunately, it isn’t.
This is actually my biggest beef with Onirism. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing games using a mouse and keyboard, especially shooters, but lately, due to playing a lot of games on consoles, I have become too lazy and like to lie down on the couch and play with a controller.
Onirism is designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard only. You can play it with a controller too, but it isn’t ideal, to put it mildly. As with most of the games I’ve played on PC lately, I instinctively took a controller to play this game with as well, and everything except the hints showing the keyboard commands on the screen was okay.
I was picking up the weapons left and right, using the ammo I was given, spending ammo and switching the current weapon with another one, and I thought this was simply an in-game mechanic. After I was unable to pick the next weapon, and I used all the ammo for the current one, I thought I ran into some bug, only to discover that the controller is missing a command for switching weapons, and once I used the mouse wheel, I discovered that I had actually already packed eight fully loaded weapons.
This happened somewhere mid-game. Imagine my frustration when I discovered this and how I struggled trying to survive through some very tough encounters with such limited resources.
But enough of that; as I said, Onirism is a third-person shooter with fast-paced, high-octane gunplay where you shoot everything that moves in front of you in a true Doom-like style. The weapons are very interesting and creative, like a hairdryer, a soup dispenser, many shotguns, machine guns, rocket launchers, and many more.
Apart from ranged weapons, Carol wields her umbrella as a melee weapon you’ll use to quickly dispose of the enemies and, of course, in some platforming sections.
Movement feels strange throughout. Carol’s steps feel floaty and disconnected, like her animation doesn’t quite match her actual position. Later in the game, you’ll gain the ability to climb different surfaces like ladders (yes, as strange as it might sound, you’ll need a special ability to climb ladders), and those traversal mechanics are just badly implemented, making me frustratingly lose my footing on more occasions than I care to admit.
The world design is semi-open with mostly linear levels. There’s no quest icon, forcing you to rely on the in-game map more than you probably would otherwise. I’m not a fan of overcrowded Ubisoft-style UIs, but a single objective marker wouldn’t hurt here – this is that kind of game.
Apart from that, the level design is okay, but no more than that. There are no collectables scattered throughout levels, which feels like a missed opportunity. A few hidden items to encourage exploration would have added replay value.
What the game actually has, and is quite commendable, is an abundance of different outfits, hats, weapons, and many more cosmetics you can buy from the in-game vendors (I sense microtransactions here, but in this stage of the game, the multiplayer isn’t supported).
Speaking of multiplayer, at the very first screen, you’ll see my point about the microtransactions here. The game can be played solo and online (currently unavailable with the current build), and everything can be played in co-op as well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make my daughter put down Roblox for just a couple of hours to try it out with me, but I guess she isn’t paid to do this job after all, so I completely understand her.
Graphics, Sounds and Performance – PS2 Graphics on Modern-Day Machines
Onirism is a cute-looking game. The world is just stunning: colourful vistas, dream-like meadows and hills filled with flowers, towering trees and all that, and unfortunately, rendered in PS2-like graphics.
Yes, the game looks so dated that it simply cannot be pinned to some charming art style or anything of the sort. Technically speaking, something very wrong is happening here. The textures are so blunt and of bad quality, modern graphical effects are non-existent, and generally everything looks like the game was made 20 years ago, if not for higher resolutions.
In general, the design is good, but the implementation of it is seriously bad, and that’s probably the most honest assessment about the visual side of this game.
Sounds are equally mediocre to be honest. The biggest issue with sounds for me must be the soundtrack choice. This is a cute game for kids; however, once the combat starts, it quickly transforms into a heavy metal concert, and that would be acceptable if the game didn’t repeat one melody constantly throughout every encounter.
Also, every level has its dedicated soundtrack, and as you explore that particular level, the same soundtrack is drilling holes in your brain constantly, which can get extremely annoying. It got so annoying that I decided to turn off the music for good.
Performance is more than good, but let’s be honest, for the graphics of such “quality”, a potato rig is just enough to run it with zero issues. At least the game isn’t demanding, and that can be mentioned as a positive side.
Final Verdict
Onirism is one of those rare titles that surprises you when you least expect it. What seems like a harmless children’s adventure quickly turns into a quirky, energetic, and strangely addictive third-person shooter with tonnes of personality. Beneath its cartoonish look lies a game that can be surprisingly challenging, making Onirism far more than just another “game for kids”.
Unfortunately, the game’s technical hiccups hold it back from being a decent game, at least. Outdated visuals, a repetitive soundtrack, awkward platforming, and poor controller support constantly remind you of its rough edges. Still, despite these flaws, Onirism manages to shine where it matters most: in its heart, energy, and ability to make you smile. For those willing to look past its imperfections, Onirism offers a charming, chaotic adventure that proves even “kids’ games” can pack a serious punch.
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