Odallus: The Dark Call

You could forgive me for thinking that the world itself has travelled back in time to 1989 with releases of films like Robocop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and now there being a host of games designed in 8bit graphics. Thankfully we've not returned to that horrible decade but instead many indie developers are taking on board the concept. Indie game developers are reliving one of the greatest eras of gaming and add in new and dynamic twists with gameplay and mechanics.

From an era where narrative was not a big deal, the same goes here. It’s a standard affair of good vs evil with a hero saving the world from the dark forces at work. This is of course a great homage to the type of storytelling back then, keeping things simple and easy going. Never to have complicated something that doesn't need to be. But what is most striking about Odallus is it’s beautiful 8bit visual representation, that’s holds a high amount of detail in the design of the game world and it’s characters. Bosses and NPCs look particularly awesome and the use and pixilation and colouring brings an intense and rich atmosphere to the world that’s dripping with an 80’s vibe. This is also helped with an energetic and rather a catchy soundtrack.

The mechanics are easy to learn while I found the controls for jumping and manoeuvring while airborne to seem a little clunky. Jumping and moving in either direction does take some mastering and even for hardcore players, it can be an irritating chore. This is not helped when you encounter some of the more traversal set pieces which become somewhat tedious when failure means starting that section over again. I can forgive this in some respect your character can grab ledges and pull himself up and as the game is kind enough not to take away one of your lives when you make a mistake in these set pieces. But to warn you now that the fact of the matter is, many of these set pieces require a lot of activity, such as perfectly timed jumps and quick reflexes. Yet overall they are creative and fun once you get past the difficulty.

Speaking of difficulty, Odallus is surprisingly easy, compared to actual adventure games from the 80’s. Personally, this is a relief to me as games such as Castlevania and Ghouls and Goblins were so difficult and extremely punishing that often enough you’d break the damn controller. Things are fair in Odallus but also have a trial and error format of play. Learning the moves of NPCs and bosses do come in handy and progression must be earned with knowledge and quick wits. But there are elements which do raise the stakes as you progress. Buying items from the merchant will increase prices, so the more you need health or lives to continue, the higher the prices will go. Players will start any level with a full set of lives and full health, but if you want more, players will need to be cautious on what and how much they buy.

Yet the play time is increased with multiple paths throughout the game world. All levels have multiple routes to take, each hiding various items, secrets and breaks any repetition when revisiting a level. New abilities are gained throughout the game and this is a great encouragement for players to return to previous levels to find hidden items they might have missed or couldn't reach before.

Even within the very minor issues (never ruining the actual game),Odallus: The Dark Call is a wondrous and joyous game to play for those who love 8bit or classic adventure games. If you aren't a fan of 8bit classics, I’d advise you might want to go and play My Little Pony Adventure Island. Anyone else who wants to be an awesome hero in an epic adventure game, I highly recommend this great game.