ODDMAR first impressions
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Oddmar is a 2019 mobile game developed by MobGE and Senri, available on Android and iOS. A free-to-a-point platformer starring the titular viking, it's been getting a fair bit of attention critically, though the Play Store says it's only passed 100,000 downloads (though that's just milestones, so it may be over 300k for all I know). Now, I know what you're thinking: mobile games suck. And, for the most part, I'd agree. So often are they vampiric husks devoid of fun, content, polish, and respect for the player. Many of them are copycats of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, PUBG, Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.--or ripoffs markedly better console/PC games (Dark Souls, Diablo, Donut Country, and Katamari Damacy in particular have seen their fair share of feckless imitators). But for a time in the early 2010's, we saw a lot of arcadey classics; Doodle Jump, Crossy Road, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Subway Surfers... the kind of titles that you might actually want to spend money on, without being nickel and dimed into doing so out of "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out). Oddmar, then, is like a prodigal son come to bring light back to a dying kingdom. (That's my hyper pretentious way of saying that Oddmar is a really fucking good game.) This first impressions piece is based on my experience so far with the first three levels.
Oddmar boasts some magnificent visuals, with splendid in-game painted art and amazing cutscenes that look as though they came out of a top-tier 2-D animated cartoon; or a fantastic comic book. The animations are top tier, with characters expressing a wide range of emotions in awe-inspiring fashion. Characters are also wonderfully designed, with Oddmar himself being especially adorable. Backgrounds are no less spectacular, and are host to an expansive array of color. You're never like "Where the fuck am I?" as can occur in some games with stunningly rendered backdrops, as Oddmar and the rest of the foreground are visually distinct.
The music is not to be understated either, adding a much-needed dose of whimsy and excitement as you would hope. Sound effects are similarly dope, elevating gameplay. And I can't forget the voice acting, which is far better than you might expect from a mobile game. Hell, I'd go so far as to say the VO work here is miles above some of the AAA games you see.
This is not a game that particularly needs a narrative, as its core gameplay is raucous enough to hold its own in that arcade way. Nevertheless, it is there and it is shockingly well executed. It is by no means innovative, cerebral, or genre-bending, but the absence of those elements does not erase the power of a good adventure yarn. Which is what you get with Oddmar. The narrator is a well written character and the narration serves to elevate the story. Oddmar, because of this, is an even more affable protagonist you want to root for, beyond the fact that you play as him.
Which leads me to the gameplay, the thing I'm sure you're most interested in hearing about. Well, you're in luck, as it's pretty damn fun stuff. You have your battle-tested jump attacks, slashes, wall jumps, ground slams, and so on. None of which, so far, as been used in ways that are noticeably unique, but is enjoyable and responsive. You can definitely sense the Super Meatboy inspirations, but this isn't a carbon copy like some I've seen on mobile. It does its own thing and isn't a poor man's version of anything. The controls could easily be a cause of concern, but they are handled pretty well with my only issue being that they probably take some getting used to. This is not to say necessarily that they aren't intuitive, we just haven't had many platformers on mobile who do their controls in this way (that I've seen, at any rate) so sometimes I found myself dying because I would accidentally press slightly out of the range of response. Monetization is also something you would understandably be weary of--but Oddmar appears to be one of those that doesn't engage in excessive monetization, instead offering a sort of demo. Which is, to my mind, fair.
Oddmar is an impressive release to the hive of scum and villainy that is the Google Play Store. If this is a commercial failure, it'll be a good reason to trot out "Why can't we have nice things?" Seriously, this is a game that'd be great on the Switch, PC, or the big two consoles. I hope it is ported there eventually, so more people can experience its glory. Expect a full review of this at some point. Until then, Oddmar gets a 5/5.
Fantastic
Summary:
A premium level mobile game with unspeakable production values and a fun over wanton, avaricious business practices. Give it a try if it sounds like your speed.
Oddmar is a 2019 mobile game developed by MobGE and Senri, available on Android and iOS. A free-to-a-point platformer starring the titular viking, it's been getting a fair bit of attention critically, though the Play Store says it's only passed 100,000 downloads (though that's just milestones, so it may be over 300k for all I know). Now, I know what you're thinking: mobile games suck. And, for the most part, I'd agree. So often are they vampiric husks devoid of fun, content, polish, and respect for the player. Many of them are copycats of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, PUBG, Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.--or ripoffs markedly better console/PC games (Dark Souls, Diablo, Donut Country, and Katamari Damacy in particular have seen their fair share of feckless imitators). But for a time in the early 2010's, we saw a lot of arcadey classics; Doodle Jump, Crossy Road, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Subway Surfers... the kind of titles that you might actually want to spend money on, without being nickel and dimed into doing so out of "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out). Oddmar, then, is like a prodigal son come to bring light back to a dying kingdom. (That's my hyper pretentious way of saying that Oddmar is a really fucking good game.) This first impressions piece is based on my experience so far with the first three levels.
Oddmar boasts some magnificent visuals, with splendid in-game painted art and amazing cutscenes that look as though they came out of a top-tier 2-D animated cartoon; or a fantastic comic book. The animations are top tier, with characters expressing a wide range of emotions in awe-inspiring fashion. Characters are also wonderfully designed, with Oddmar himself being especially adorable. Backgrounds are no less spectacular, and are host to an expansive array of color. You're never like "Where the fuck am I?" as can occur in some games with stunningly rendered backdrops, as Oddmar and the rest of the foreground are visually distinct.
The music is not to be understated either, adding a much-needed dose of whimsy and excitement as you would hope. Sound effects are similarly dope, elevating gameplay. And I can't forget the voice acting, which is far better than you might expect from a mobile game. Hell, I'd go so far as to say the VO work here is miles above some of the AAA games you see.
This is not a game that particularly needs a narrative, as its core gameplay is raucous enough to hold its own in that arcade way. Nevertheless, it is there and it is shockingly well executed. It is by no means innovative, cerebral, or genre-bending, but the absence of those elements does not erase the power of a good adventure yarn. Which is what you get with Oddmar. The narrator is a well written character and the narration serves to elevate the story. Oddmar, because of this, is an even more affable protagonist you want to root for, beyond the fact that you play as him.
Which leads me to the gameplay, the thing I'm sure you're most interested in hearing about. Well, you're in luck, as it's pretty damn fun stuff. You have your battle-tested jump attacks, slashes, wall jumps, ground slams, and so on. None of which, so far, as been used in ways that are noticeably unique, but is enjoyable and responsive. You can definitely sense the Super Meatboy inspirations, but this isn't a carbon copy like some I've seen on mobile. It does its own thing and isn't a poor man's version of anything. The controls could easily be a cause of concern, but they are handled pretty well with my only issue being that they probably take some getting used to. This is not to say necessarily that they aren't intuitive, we just haven't had many platformers on mobile who do their controls in this way (that I've seen, at any rate) so sometimes I found myself dying because I would accidentally press slightly out of the range of response. Monetization is also something you would understandably be weary of--but Oddmar appears to be one of those that doesn't engage in excessive monetization, instead offering a sort of demo. Which is, to my mind, fair.
Oddmar is an impressive release to the hive of scum and villainy that is the Google Play Store. If this is a commercial failure, it'll be a good reason to trot out "Why can't we have nice things?" Seriously, this is a game that'd be great on the Switch, PC, or the big two consoles. I hope it is ported there eventually, so more people can experience its glory. Expect a full review of this at some point. Until then, Oddmar gets a 5/5.
Fantastic
Summary:
A premium level mobile game with unspeakable production values and a fun over wanton, avaricious business practices. Give it a try if it sounds like your speed.
Comments
Post a Comment