This game is as charming as it is challenging | Early Access Review - Ogu and the Secret Forest

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Ogu and the Secret Forest is an action-adventure game with charming 2d graphics and art style. It has been recently released for PC and mobile platforms.

🟩Pros

+Charming and cute characters

+Unique and familiar challenging puzzles to solve

+Controller Support

🟥Cons

-Rudimentary combat system

📝Notable points:

Still in Early Access

Ogu and the Secret Forest is an early access title that looks like a top-down classic RPG game, but in reality it is more like an action-adventure game with an emphasis on puzzle elements. In this game you control baby Ogu, who was magically transported into another world without much explanation except that there is a war that is in dire need of a hero. What we know is that Ogu is a highly adventurous daydreamer and one that is not going to back down with the challenge of being a hero.

Charming and cute

The graphics of Ogu and the Secret Forest are very charming, it features hand-drawn characters and environments and the general feel of the visuals transports me to the early 2000s’ boom of 2D flash games. However, gameplay wise, Ogu and the Secret Forest looks much more like a retro top down JRPG game made for kids, but looks are deceiving as it is actually an action-adventure game.

As said earlier, The game's hand-drawn characters and various types of puzzles provide a cute and immersive atmosphere. The game features different areas to explore, each with its own unique atmosphere and population characters, and players must solve puzzles and find hints to reveal the game's secrets and mysteries.

Still in Early Access

The game is currently available as an Early Access title for now in both the Steam and Android versions. Currently, three main areas are available to be played in game while the current road map plans to add new areas called Harbor Town and Snow Town for the first half of 2023, with two more to be added in the second half of 2023.

The combat is very simple, with only one main move to use – which is attack with Ogu’s trusty butterfly net. Ogu can sprint, so the combat is mostly trying to hit enemies one or two times then swiftly running away to avoid their attacks. There’s not much to it except for the various skills that you may unlock (there’s four slots).

There’s not much to it when it comes to character customization and itemization, but Ogu can collect and equip different types of hats and masks and some of them might grant Ogu special abilities. Across the land, you will meet new people that can be called to help you in puzzle-solving and some will even offer side-quests to complete.

I feel that the puzzles are the main source of challenge for the game.

The puzzles are fairly challenging, but if you’re thinking this game is for kids because of the cartoony and cute character designs and the simplistic combat, the gameplay itself is far from being kid-friendly. The puzzles will give you some challenge, many are pretty straightforward and familiar, but many of them can leave you scratching your heads before you can solve it.

There are two main difficulties, and the easier one basically makes the Ogu invulnerable. Perfect for those looking for a casual experience, or those looking for the narrative or puzzler elements only.

Controller Support

The game also features proper physical controller support, as I’ve tested it with the Razer Kishi, featuring UI navigation but without button prompts. It also doesn’t switch layouts to closely resemble its PC counterpart – at least not yet.

The inclusion of various gameplay features, such as collecting hats and masks with special skills attached; and meeting, helping, and getting helped by friends, adds a fun and engaging aspect to the Ogu and the Secret Forest. The cliche isekai story of the game works for the most part and it adds an intriguing factor. It is currently in Early Access, so expect more changes and additions this coming year.

Conclusion:

All in all, Ogu and the Secret Forest is a solid action-adventure game with cute 2D visuals and a lighthearted tone overall. For now, It's not very deep for the entirety of the experience, but not all games need to be. If you’re looking for another retro style action-adventure game with cute visuals, then this is a promising Early Access title to watch for and probably support.