Odallus is an interesting game. Its evocative of Castlevania with its dark, atmospheric stages but manages to have its own unique identity in terms of gameplay. The protagonist Haggis for instance, plays much smoother and doesn’t feel clunky at all. There is a variety of enemies and unique gameplay hooks that mange to not only make Odallus stand on its own, but surpass its inspirations.
Th game is an interesting mix of genres, having elements of both Classicvania and Metroidvania . While there are nine main stages, you do not experience them in a linear way. Not only does each area have multiple branches you can explore, but there is a need to go back to earlier levels to experience everything.
Sometimes this is because of a new powerup that allows you to experience a difference path to the bosses. This is a neat twist on the format and I like what they did to give backtracking a different feel. The finding of new subweapons or finding a secret can also lead to a new area and while there are nine levels, there are many more ways to complete the levels than nine. It is a metroidvania dressed as a classicvania for lack of a better word.
It is not all good news though. While the game plays much smoother than its inspiration, there are still a few glitches visually and in terms of levels having bizarre collision detection. By far the biggest issue however, is the flashing lights. While I am not epileptic, I do have some degree of photosensitivity and had to stop playing and take after a while. This became a frequent occurrence and I began having headaches. I may love the game’s new ideas, but I just couldn’t enjoy it overall, due to the sheer amount of issues it caused me. I can recommend it to those who do not have photosensitivity, but be warned, the flashing will cause issues in many people. If you are at all photosensitive, then stay away for your own health.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided