Odallus: The Dark Call

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in the Oniken: Unstoppable Edition & Odallus: The Dark Call bundle along with Oniken: Unstoppable Edition.)

Odallus: The Dark Call is an Action-Platformer that is very clearly trying to mimic elements of classic games like Castlevania, from the gameplay to the enemies, to even the presentation. However, while this game was clearly inspired by Castlevania and similar old-school games, it has been designed to incorporate more modern elements as well.

Players get an idea of this game’s old-school sensibilities right from the start, as they are introduced to the game’s protagonist Haggis via a Ninja Gaiden-esque cutscene, and the visuals of this game give characters the limited color palette of classic NES games. Players are even given the option to change the skin of the game’s protagonist to better resemble a “vampire hunter”, “loyal knight”, or “red gargoyle”. I thoroughly enjoyed the old-school presentation here, though i could have done without the forced “scan lines”.

The gameplay itself is solid action-platformer fare, and a bit more forgiving than those old games – continues are limitless, progress is kept after dying, and I don’t recall seeing a single bottomless pit. That’s not to say this is a cakewalk, though – enemy fights can be challenging, particularly when they’re guarding a small ledge or swarming you.

This game also adds in a few more modern elements, such as various skills you can upgrade over the course of the game, and character abilities that you gain as the game progresses, allowing you to revisit past stages to unlock more secrets. I wouldn’t go as far as to call this game a Metroidvania, but there are definitely elements of that genre here.

As for complaints, my main issue with this game is that the gameplay seems a bit stiff. Simply turning around and attacking an enemy behind me is far more work than it should be, especially if I miss with the first strike and need to wait through the character animation. Also, some of the game’s levels can feel a bit repetitive.

While it’s not without its flaws, Odallus: The Dark Call does a good job replicating the fun of old-school NES Action-Platformers and modernizing them for modern gamers. For fans of the genre this is definitely worth a look.

tl;dr – Odallus: The Dark Call is an Action-Platformer that copies elements of old-school NES games in the genre, especially Castlevania. While it has some control issues and a bit of repetitive level design, the core gameplay here is still pretty good, and worth a look for fans of the genre.

Grade: B

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