Black Sea Odyssey is a ridiculous space exploration game, that thrusts the player into a terrifying bullet hell world. This game might give the player a tutorial but that is the only hand holding the player is going to get. Bullet Hell games are known for their quick gameplay and a need to aim precisely at times. This game turns that idea up to eleven with the number of enemies it throws at the player.
This game might just seem like a simple shooter but that is far from the case. The player will be accosted by tons of enemies that will fly at the player and lay waste to them in no time. The player not only has to dodge them but also work to slay them. These enemies are quick and deadly and in the first level, they already have the power of poison to damage the player at every moment. It isn’t necessarily fair to thrust the player into this kind of gameplay right out the gate but it’s supposed to be difficult.
This game is also different because the players are given a grapple. This powerful weapon not only does serious damage to the foes it hits but has another important effect. This weapon can literally tear enemies apart and in the depths of space, this is the most important thing. But, when the player is forced to aim at speeding enemies this gets harder. The enemies have certain parts that can be torn off and it can be impossible to get a clear shot. It’s always best to separate the enemies from their clusters as that is the only way to make it work.
Ripping monsters apart nets the player keys, which can be used to open chests. Within chests are items that can cause serious damage to the enemy. Without these chests, the game becomes that much harder because the spear won’t necessarily cause a great deal of damage. The player will also collect coins from defeated enemies, which can be used to even the playing field even more with the store.
The store is the only place to spend credits the player earns in battle. Use these coins to buy weapons and attachments for the player. A grand upgrade is the one that makes the player throw four spears, instead of one, a good deal of the time. The player needs to make a good loadout and that is one way to make the game a little easier. It is terrible though that this game is so difficult as the credits only stick around if the player defeats a boss.
There are four main characters, and sadly none of them are women. There is the vicious Old Man, a reference to the Old Man and the sea. The gunslinger Rade “Crazy Eyes” Lawson, The wicked beast Xezemoth, and the disco dancing Emerald Jones. All of these characters play the same but have different flavor text. The Old Man is actually the main character and that is cool. The characters talk on the side of the screen as the player chooses the level. They don’t seem to get along but with treasure out there; they will work together.
The bosses are ridiculously hard and will obliterate the player if his underlings haven’t done so already. The monsters are huge and get progressively harder as the game goes on. Though to be honest, the first area is filled with poison and getting to the end of it is hard. Personally, it would be better, if the game didn’t just throw the player into it, but that just can’t be the case.
This game is built to be brutal and it is by far one of the most brutal games I’ve played. This game doesn’t forgive at all and will not hand hold. It pushes the player to play through nine rounds straight through, with every round getting harder and harder. The game can even throw the player into an even harder level right off the bat making this game even harder.
Black Sea Odyssey is a game that takes a lot of skill and patience. It’s a game that the player will need to work to get better at. Defeating enemies takes a lot of effort and skill, and the player will die a good amount of times. It doesn’t help that every level can take an indefinite amount of time, as the player scours space. This game is one that I can expect people to play here and there because honestly, it can be overwhelming.
Blacksea Odyssey is a game that will test the player more than most. This game is not for the faint of heart and shouldn’t be taken lightly. There is a lot of game here that seems rather infinite and for fans of this genre, they are sure to find a home in this chaos. The spatial sea is calling and the Old Man and his cronies are in need of a friend to aid them, is that friend you?
Disclaimer: Code Provided for Review Purposes