[Review] Omega Labyrinth Life – Nintendo Switch

Omega Labyrinth Life

Developed By: Matrix Software
Published By: D3 PUBLISHER Inc.
Category: Dungeon Crawler / RPG
Release Date: 08.01.2019

Omega Labyrinth Life is a top-down roguelike dungeon crawler mixed with visual novel roots all while taking a lot from the Mystery Dungeon format to gameplay. Meshing that with a unique planting and gardening system and you have one of the most unique titles I have played through in quite some time. Fan service is abound with this one, and it is definitely one that you don’t want your kids to play, and should be avoided while in public as you will more than likely get some odd looks. Lots of tropes and things you would expect in this title, especially based on the controversy surrounding its launch, but you also have a decent dungeon crawler and a relaxing garden simulator mixed into all the bouncing, booby physics.

You play as several students at the illustrious Belles Fleurs Academy through this journey. As you initially arrive at the academy you are met by a large student body and an impressive garden that is filled to the brim with beautiful flowers. The school itself isn’t something to scoff at either with top notch architecture. After starting off in the initial dungeons of the game you find that the Holy Blossom that keeps the garden blooming has gone missing, which results in the garden becoming a giant dirt patch. This is obviously a major issue for a school named after this flower garden, and thus it is up to you to dive back into the dungeons to gather seeds, equipment, and to try to get the Holy Blossom back.

Dungeons are randomly generated and are definitely the bright spot of the title. Don’t get me wrong, this portion of the game isn’t spectacular, but definitely is the shining star for a player who doesn’t get into the abundant sexuality that gets a tad out of hand in games like these. You have a grid pattern that you move through the dungeon with, and the enemies are fairly easy to best as you progress as long as you keep up with upgrades and item gathering. Food is the meter for how long you can stay in the dungeon and as your hunger degrades you will have to leave the dungeon to get a meal in you. You gather crystals and other things that are used in upgrading items and stats as well. If you die in the dungeon you are booted back to the academy in classic roguelike fashion losing your gear.

Equipment is done through bras and panties, and as you collect this lingerie you can attach it to your various characters for stat boosts, increased armor, and other upgrades. Beyond that you have food that you can bring into the dungeons to allow you to stay longer, as well as the basics of healing and stat boost one time use items.

The major point of the game is an off one for sure. As you progress through these dungeons you increase the size of your characters bust with each enemy defeated. This causes you to deal more damage, and overall just increases your skills. At the end of each dungeon your bust returns to normal. As is commonplace in games like this there isn’t a good explanation for why this is a thing, but yeah, apparently it is a thing. You also take those crystals you gather and use them in the greenhouse, and let me warn you ahead of time, the greenhouse can get awkward with its innuendos and actions you will take part in. Let me give you a hint, the touch screen can only be used in certain parts of the game where you upgrade or level up, and they take place in areas like the spa…

The only plus side for people who find these portions of the game unnecessary is the ability to skip these interactions. I would guess the majority of people who will purchase this game (especially at it’s full $60 asking price) will know exactly what they are walking into and are looking for those portions of the game specifically, but for anyone who ends up with this game not fully grasping what a large portion of the game consists of does have the option to not take part. Kudos to the devs for that!

Boob physics are going to be a regular part of this experience as well, as the characters literally shake and shutter with every little bit of dialogue. Any movement as well will result in this happening, and again, fan service aplenty. The dialogue and interactions are where you get the majority of your visual novel vibes, as the format is reused here. Very anime in all ways, and boisterous in its tropes from that genre. The fact that it is an all girls academy also adds in the high school girls vibes into these interactions making for an even more Japanese experience in every way. Writing is decent, and you can probably add another point to this category if you are looking for that style specifically.

The relaxing portion of this sex-fest and monster killing sim is getting to settle down and plant some pretty, pretty flowers. As you gather up the seeds in the dungeons you can plant them and care for them. This portion can be monotonous, but I truly enjoyed hanging back and planning out my gardening and grinding in the dungeons for the seeds. It isn’t as built out as I would have hoped, but this isn’t Stardew Valley, and you are here for entirely different reasons.

Chibi graphics is the name of the game here, and it is an aesthetic choice that you will not be able to escape outside of the anime-comic book dialogue portions. The graphics are low poly in just about very sense, but with the game going for the cutesy, bubbly feel it makes sense. I loved the bright colors and way they utilized a relatively small surface area to make it feel like you were moving through something truly large and spectacular.

Omega Labyrinth Life is an interesting addition to the fan service genre. It uses a lot of mechanics and melds some genres that you don’t see mixed in these games very often, which I appreciated. The most thought out portion of this game is in it’s roguelike dungeon crawls, but for those searching for it the fan service is all over this one too. I was bummed out that the gardening portion wasn’t deeper, and overall this game doesn’t really excel at any of the things it takes on. It is an entirely serviceable Mystery Dungeon clone, with lots of anime boobies, and that’s about it. Take that for what you will.