Odallus: The Dark Call

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 423 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Odallus: The Dark Call Game Cover
A retro throwback that dredges up both the good and the bad.
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Odallus is a NES inspired exploration game with lots of action. It brings elements of classics such as Ghosts’n Goblins, Demon’s Crest and Castlevania while subverting some modern twists.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 423 reviews
graphics44 positive mentions
grinding11 negative mentions
  • Odallus features a fantastic old-school aesthetic that captures the essence of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games, reminiscent of titles like Castlevania and Demon's Crest.
  • The gameplay is well-balanced, offering a satisfying mix of exploration, combat, and challenging boss fights that reward skill and strategy.
  • The game includes a variety of secrets and upgrades, encouraging players to revisit levels and explore thoroughly, enhancing replayability.
  • The game suffers from several bugs, including issues with freezing and unresponsive controls, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • Some players find the level design and enemy placement frustrating, leading to moments of cheap deaths and a lack of clarity in progression.
  • The final boss battle is considered overly difficult and can feel unbalanced compared to the rest of the game, leading to frustration for some players.
  • graphics100 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic 8-bit and 16-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic titles like Castlevania and Demon’s Crest. Reviewers highlight the crisp visuals, artistic design, and effective use of color, which contribute to a rich, atmospheric experience. While some note minor issues with controls and hitboxes, the overall presentation is considered a strong point, appealing to fans of retro gaming.

    • “The graphics are quite well-drawn and artistic.”
    • “The visuals are crisp and full of character, maintaining a NES/Genesis aesthetic throughout - and faithfully deliver the aforementioned symphonic metal charge.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, the music (while subdued) fits the atmosphere perfectly, and the story is engaging enough to want to see to the end.”
    • “Hideous graphics and terrible, terrible music, bad controls.”
    • “But the graphics could be better, as the previous game from the devs - Oniken - had nicer pixel art.”
    • “The graphics were okay, but the sprite you controlled was rather clunky and the movements were jolted.”
  • gameplay96 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is a blend of nostalgic old-school mechanics and modern refinements, offering tight controls and satisfying exploration typical of metroidvania titles. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and level design, some criticize certain mechanics as inconsistent or frustrating, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it successfully captures the essence of classic platformers while introducing new elements, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

    • “The gameplay is pretty great and well-balanced for the most part, introducing the traditional metroidvania format to a classic Castlevania setting.”
    • “Moment to moment gameplay is tight and combat is extremely well refined.”
    • “The mechanics are very well done, the ways in which the elements of metroidvania apply in the scenarios make exploration even more fun.”
    • “But gameplay is just boring, mainly because of the dull level layout and enemy placement.”
    • “The idea to the game is nice, but the gameplay is garbage.”
    • “Some mechanics were inconsistent, such as dash or slash speed, or hit boxes were weird, which is frustrating when it happens.”
  • music96 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic chiptune style and catchy tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive or irritating. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke a retro feel, fitting the game's dark atmosphere, though a few describe it as mediocre or uninspired. Overall, the music is generally seen as a solid complement to the game's visuals and mechanics, with standout tracks that resonate well with fans of the genre.

    • “The soundtrack is a banger.”
    • “The music is pretty catchy and you don't mind listening to it for hours on end.”
    • “The soundtrack fits the dark and gothic mood of the game with minor chords and effective use of chiptunes.”
    • “On the negative side, most of the music was pretty middling to me (but your mileage may vary).”
    • “I quite literally turned off the dull, droning, repetitive funeral parlor music after an hour and loaded up the Dawn of Sorrow OST behind it instead.”
    • “One main thing that killed it for me is the sound and music.”
  • story77 mentions

    The story of "Odallus: The Dark Call" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its dark, retro-inspired themes reminiscent of classic titles like Castlevania, while others find it confusing and underdeveloped. Many reviews highlight the game's potential for a richer narrative, noting that while the atmosphere and lore are engaging, the storytelling often feels minimal and fragmented. Overall, the game offers an intriguing premise but lacks the depth and clarity that could elevate its narrative experience.

    • “The world and story created for this game are very interesting with cohesive elements of lore and characters, culminating in a super interesting plot in the last stage.”
    • “The story is engaging and does not hold your hand; you gain a lot of the story from the background and secrets.”
    • “It's got a dark story about gods abandoning the world and one man's quest to find his son and reclaim what little joy there is to be had in his life.”
    • “The story was incomprehensible, even after finding all the runestones.”
    • “While the cut-scenes look cool, I beat the game having no clue as to what the story was supposed to be.”
    • “The story is simple but is served in pieces right before or after the boss fight; you learn more of the fate that awaits you.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, effectively blending dark, gothic elements with beautifully crafted pixel art and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some pop-culture references detract from its narrative depth, the well-written lore and engaging dialogue contribute to a melancholic and immersive environment reminiscent of classic titles like Castlevania and Gargoyle's Quest. Overall, players appreciate the cohesive design and the way the atmosphere complements the gameplay, making it a compelling retro platformer.

    • “It's hard to make anything new in the dark gothic fantasy setting, but this game managed this really well. I loved the atmosphere, and the lore tablets and dialogue were well written.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, the music (while subdued) fits the atmosphere perfectly, and the story is engaging enough to want to see to the end.”
    • “Amazing atmosphere and music, with straightforward and familiar gameplay.”
    • “The dark atmosphere helps convey the overall desolation of the story.”
    • “Most people will bring up Castlevania for comparison, but the dark story, the melancholic atmosphere, and the trackback needed to find power-ups and secrets really remind more of Gargoyle's Quest or Demon's Crest.”
    • “The game has a dark, serious atmosphere similar to 'Mystic Defender' and other 8-bit and 16-bit action-adventure games.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while "Odallus" offers engaging gameplay, it suffers from tedious grinding, particularly in the latter half where backtracking and farming for resources can become monotonous. Players noted that the lack of a level map can lead to confusion and unnecessary repetition, although the game’s exploration and upgrade system helps mitigate some of the grind. Overall, while some aspects of grinding are seen as frustrating, the game maintains a balance with enjoyable combat and exploration elements.

    • “Bosses are my favorite kind: 20% dodge, 80% facetank (normal mode). They have clear and fast attacks with no tedious waiting and generous checkpoints.”
    • “However, it gets very tedious after a while, regrettably.”
    • “Ok for the first two hours, Odallus grows very stale upon entering its 'Devil's Peak' level which requires going back to former levels and farming coins, in the game's broken economy, to keep stocked on torch consumables so that you can simply move from area to area by burning down walls.”
    • “It can get tedious during the second half because you have to backtrack a bit and there is no level by level map so it's easy to get lost.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a solid level of replayability due to its multiple difficulty settings, branching paths, and optional achievements. Players can explore various routes and secrets, enhancing the experience with challenges like veteran mode and speedrunning. While not excessively long, the game's design encourages experimentation and revisiting levels, making it worthwhile for those seeking to uncover all its content.

    • “It also has a good amount of replay value, what with the harder difficulty option (which changes the levels too), and the optional achievements.”
    • “With plenty of secrets to find and a veteran mode, there is a good amount of replayability.”
    • “A very difficult game, with branching paths and ways to clear a level make for high replayability.”
    • “It's not a long game by any means, but it has replayable options with hard mode and speedrunning.”
    • “Levels are incredibly well designed and usually work around multiple routes towards the same end, so you can experiment a lot, giving the game a fair amount of replay value in that regard.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly with controls and camera issues. While some players noted that the framerate remains stable and certain glitches are minor, others found the frequency and severity of the bugs to be a deal breaker, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game struggles with stability, reminiscent of NES-era issues, which may frustrate players seeking a smoother experience.

    • “For an 8-bit game to have this many issues running, there's no excuse. If you like this sort of game, do yourself a favor and play 'Slain: Back from Hell' for a much better experience than this buggy mess!”
    • “But there have been a lot of weird glitches throughout, and I just hit one in the minecart area that has finally broken my will to continue.”
    • “But... it has a major flaw and that's unresponsive and buggy controls. Maybe some of it was intentional to recreate the feeling of playing games from the NES era, but it was a deal breaker for me.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, "Odallus" is well-optimized, running smoothly at 60fps across various display modes, including fullscreen and CRT TV options, with minimal noticeable bugs reported by users.

    • “Performance: Odallus runs fine for me; I've personally had no issues at 60fps, with fullscreen, windowed, and CRT TV mode options available.”
    • “Tech: The game runs smoothly and with very few noticeable bugs.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be wholesome and enjoyable, contributing to an overall positive and uplifting experience.

  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is often criticized for feeling out of place, with attempts at funny dialogue clashing with the overall serious tone, leading to a disjointed experience.

  • character development1 mentions

    Players feel that the game lacks sufficient cutscenes and depth in character development, indicating a desire for more narrative exploration and emotional engagement with the characters.

    • “I just wish this game had a few more cutscenes and character development.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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