JoyMasher released Oniken on Steam last year in February, and it was well received. But the developer was already at work on a new game. Odallus is the fruit of that labor, and it's a great example of a game that borrows elements from classic games, all while still maintaining it's own identity.

Odallus is a game about a man named Haggis, who is currently pondering his place in life, when he discovers that the nearby village has been set aflame. Rushing to the town, he learns that an evil force is responsible, and that his son has been captured. Now he's on a quest to rescue him and put an end to the invasion. Haggis also has to seek pieces of an object called the Odallus to get through a barrier in the final level, so a lot of exploration will be necessary. The game plays out like a low fidelity platformer that would blend in with many games from the late 80's and 90's of the NES heyday. Although, the game borrows elements from games in the 16-bit era as well. 

There is a real dark atmosphere reminiscent of games like Demon's Crest and Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Traces of Cadash and Ninja Gaiden are present in both the gameplay flow and challenge. Levels all have secret exits that lead to alternate levels, and eventually you will need to go to them, once you find the relics that grant you access. So there's even a bit of Metroidvania thrown in. While the game drops many references like the level selection screen, cut-scene presentation, and atmosphere, it still manages to present a level of uniqueness to set itself apart from it's inspirations. Getting through a level might be easy, but the secret levels and bosses will provide a challenge. In fact, expect to die on the final boss fight, as it's one of those multi-part fights that force you do start over should you fall at any point. A checkpoint there might have been nice. Or health restoring items. Thankfully, perseverance and learning the patterns will see victory, as you get unlimited continues to counter-balance your limited pool of lives. 

The only shortcomings aside from the minor gripes I just mentioned, would be the style of synth used in the game's score. It's actually improved since Oniken, but it still sounds a bit too similar to that game's score. The synth also doesn't make much use of the potential that's seen in the other games that inspired Odallus. The other issue would have to be possibly a lack of difficulty select to make the game easier for those having trouble with the default challenge level. Those wanting a harder challenge will have to wait for an update, so maybe an easy mode could be done the same way. Although as a package, Odallus is a great way to spend 15 bucks on Steam for anyone wanting to tackle a classic action game.

The bottom line: It's a game much in line with classics like Castlevania and Demon's Crest, all while being able to be different enough from them. 

Acquisition Method: This game's review copy was a digital code provided by JoyMasher.