#oniken
#oniken
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Odallus is definitely the more ambitious of Joymasher’s two retro style games. In contrast to Oniken’s discrete levels and eclectic sci-fi aesthetic, Odallus brings a sprawling map, RPG elements, and a grotesque gothic art direction. The map branches into different paths, and each stage has several passages to take and items that open up new ones. The heavy atmosphere is delightful, but the sprawling approach overreaches and creates an uneven game.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
With so many retro-inspired titles out there, terms like “8-bit” or “NES style” have become muddled. Few of them attempt to match the limitations of the era’s hardware, more often using it as a shorthand for games with pixel art or bad CRT filters. Oniken definitely still has that bad CRT filter, but makes a serious effort to recapture the era’s spirit, in both art direction and combat flow. At the same time its enthusiasm for the hardcore philosophy now associated with the era blinds it to problems that undercut the overall experience.
