Back in 2015, JoyMasher took it upon itself to create a Metroidvania that hearkened back to the glory days of 8-Bit gaming. The result was Odallus: The Dark Call, and it did not disappoint. Now that the game has made its way to the Nintendo Switch, does it hold up to the standards set by the likes of Hollow Knight and The Messenger? The answer is a resounding yes.
In Odallus: the Dark Call, you take the roll of Haggis, a lone wolf who’s son has been taken from him after his town is left in ruin. Fueled by revenge, you dredge slowly across the land in search of weapons, items, and keys all while smashing the face of every monster that crosses your path. Gameplay wise, it has a lot more in common with the original Castlevania: Haggis jumps with weight and he moves very methodically. Simply put it feels just like Castlevania. This does wonders for all of us who grew up with these games and find our muscle memory still alive and kicking. And even though mechanics as frustrating as knock-back don’t seem to be going away anytime soon with these types of games (sigh) JoyMasher does make quality of life improvements to bring the retro genre into the modern age.
Controls are primarily mapped to two buttons – your attack and jump – just like the good ole days of the NES. The layout also makes use a third button which is assigned to your secondary weapon. It may seem like a simple addition, but it really is a necessary one. As a gamer who likes to play classic games, the lack of that third magical button can easily makes games like this feel a but clunky.
A Stage Select feature is another quality of life change to the formula that makes the inevitable back-tracking feel like less of a slog. Revisiting the same areas and exploring each dark corner to collect upgrades feels a lot less frustrating when you don’t have to traverse the entire map to get there. The game does encourage you to explore, though, as what you come across is essential to your success. Upgrading your weapons and armor are key if you expect to best any of the games boss battles.
For the most part, the boss battles are fun and challenging. While a handful can be borderline frustrating, pattern recognition paired with the right weapon/armor set will make them an absolute breeze. While I am usually the worst at this particular genre (I guess Castlevania cut me a bit too deep) I found Odallus to be somewhat easier than what I expected. That isn’t to say that there is no real challenge here – cause there most certainly is – but I could see my younger self playing this game with relative ease. I also would have appreciated the awesome pixel art with the same awe and wonder.
Outside of its engaging action, Odallus completely enveloped me with its stunning sprite work: the 8-Bit cut-scenes are absolutely gorgeous and the background and character pixels pop with vibrant color. It’s as if the folks over at JoyMasher had been working with the NES hardware for decades and knew exactly how to get everything out of this sprite work. The chip tunes are also something that could have been ripped from an NES cart as Odallus is as much an audio pleasure as it is a visual one. They also throw this CRT filter over things to tickle that nostalgia bone to the max.
Odallus: The Dark Call for Nintendo Switch is a must have for fans of Metroidvania titles and retro-style gameplay. While the game is admittedly shorter than I would have liked, the overall experience is excellent. From the masterclass sprite work on display and the memorable soundtrack, to the precision controls, Odallus: The Dark Call is a fresh take on the retro formula.
A review key was provided by Digerati for the Nintendo Switch.
