Paracosms: The Escapism of Omori

Something that makes Omori so unique to play is the applicability that it can have to our own lives. Gaming is commonly used to escape the world that we are living in, using the worlds that others have created as tactics for escapism. This makes the protagonist of the game, Sunny, so relatable to us. The game specifically targets the emotions of those who may be going through similar experiences as Sunny, such as losing loved ones or having to deal with issues with friendships and family. 

Sunny specifically uses his paracosm to escape from the reality that he lives in. Paracosms, or ‘dream worlds’, usually form due to intense trauma, loss or maladaptive conditions. For Sunny, he uses this dream world to cope with his sister’s death, and his friendship group falling apart. His dream world depicts his friends as children for this exact reason, to go back to the time where they were all friends. However, the dream world also features ‘SOMETHING’ as a symbol of Sunny’s inability to properly escape into this world, constantly being tortured by the memories of his sister that he is trying so hard to escape. It also highlights his growing confusion between the reality of his worlds, as people who use paracosms as escape methods often get confused between what is real, and what is not. 

So, what makes Omori’s paracosm so special? I’d argue that the reason is the absolutely amazing way that Omocat portrays the different worlds that Sunny is living in. The kaleidoscopic atmosphere of Sunny’s dream world is unreal, with everything being overly colourful to contrast his bleak reality. The entire design of the dream world is supposed to be childish, highlighted by the appearances of the other characters. The other world doesn’t portray the other characters as the ages that they are in the real world, instead choosing to show them as children in pyjamas. This shows the innocence of the character of the time, directly opposing the designs of the real world characters. The only exception to this is the Omori character himself, as he is presented in entirely black and white. Omocat specifically contrasts Omori to the rest of the cast to highlight the fact that he is an outsider, an overall negative force that interrupts his peaceful dream world. This is further shown by SOMETHING’s design, having the same monochromatic design as Omori. 

Another reason why Omori’s paracosm is so interesting is the ending. Specifically, the bad ending. Sunny meeting Omori for the first time is such a beautiful representation of Sunny’s confusion between the worlds. The realistic image of arms and a twisted face (presumably Mari’s) shows the further insertion of Omori into reality. It also implies how Sunny is being, very literally, tortured by his own made up version of himself. The decision you can make to give up is also so impactful, as it shows the ease of stopping fighting, and letting this fake version of you completely take over. While the game depicts this as the obvious bad ending, it’s the ending that a lot of people who have these paracosms end up choosing. The hug they share is especially haunting, as you can physically see the life draining out of Omori while his violin drops to the ground. The violin is an amazing symbol of Sunny’s reality throughout the game, and as it drops it signifies to the viewer that Sunny has died.

 Before going back to his current reality, he goes through the white door once more to meet his friends. This direct parallel to the beginning of the game is meant to convey this new beginning as Omori, just as you experienced it at the beginning of the game. It is, very literally, a fresh start for Sunny. When he goes through the door, your only choice is to walk to the top of the hospital, and jump off. The dream world versions of Aubrey, Kel and Hero are also there as a physical display of the world changing. He jumps, and the world changes entirely. We can see the world around him change to reflect the atmosphere of his dream world, and he chooses to stay in the world in his mind forever. This ending is so impactful as it shows the unfortunate reality for a lot of people in Sunny’s position, where so many people are forced to watch, similar to how we cannot stop or help Sunny as he makes the final jump.