Oniken

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Oniken is a single-player "Violence Platformer" game with an interesting plot, set in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by the evil military organization Oniken. As the ninja mercenary Zaku, players must fight against Oniken's forces in challenging, retro-style levels, with exceptional graphics and an excellent soundtrack reminiscent of the 1980s. Prepare to die a lot, as the game stays true to the tough difficulty of its inspirations. Each copy includes a digital version of the game manual and soundtrack.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 457 reviews

graphics49 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Oniken captures the essence of classic NES games with its retro graphics, chiptune soundtrack, and challenging gameplay.
The level design is solid, requiring players to memorize enemy patterns and utilize precise controls to progress.
The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of old-school platformers, reminiscent of titles like Ninja Gaiden and Contra.

The difficulty can feel punishing and unfair, with scarce checkpoints and the need to restart entire levels after losing all lives.
Some players may find the controls stiff and unresponsive, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.
The game can become tedious due to trial-and-error mechanics, where players must repeatedly replay sections to learn enemy placements.

graphics
114 mentions
43 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a nostalgic homage to the NES era, featuring well-crafted pixel art and vibrant colors that evoke a retro aesthetic. While many players appreciate the authentic 8-bit style and detailed cutscenes, some criticize the visuals for being overly blocky or clashing, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, though opinions vary on their execution and polish compared to other indie titles in the genre.
- “Great pixel art graphics, great chiptune music, great cinematics; the presentation is just phenomenal.”
- “The graphical influence of older systems feels appropriate and genuine in this title, and it might heighten your enjoyment during play, if you are looking for that nostalgic and/or retro feel.”
- “The graphics are colorful and well-detailed.”
- “Yes, it reeks of that NES era nostalgia, but honestly there are tons of better looking SNES-aping indie platformers out there which grab the feel better and don't try to hurt your eyes like Oniken does. Seriously, whoever thought of using clashing colors in a fast-paced platformer needs to get sent to a graphic design class for beginners, pronto.”
- “The graphics are reminiscent of the NES era, but there is just something slightly off at times. The snow on the snow level looks terrible, but generally the graphics are cool looking.”
- “Ok, 5 minutes into this game and it gave me a headache. I'm not trying to be cute here; I mean my head is splitting, and the causes are the graphics and the music. Seriously, don't buy it unless you know what you are getting into.”
gameplay
105 mentions
28 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of nostalgic retro mechanics reminiscent of classic NES platformers like Ninja Gaiden, featuring simple controls and a focus on trial-and-error challenges. While many players appreciate the tight controls, pixel art, and catchy soundtrack, others criticize the frustrating difficulty and lack of unique mechanics, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall enjoyment. The game offers a solid experience for those who relish challenging action-platformers, but may deter players seeking smoother or more innovative gameplay.
- “The gameplay is very satisfying, and anyone who enjoys action-platformers will have a blast playing it.”
- “Great, bold visual design, a catchy soundtrack, tight controls, solid level design, and challenging-but-fair gameplay are all here in spades.”
- “From the great music, challenging and difficult gameplay, along with wonderfully crafted and aesthetically pleasing 8-bit graphics, Oniken is well worth all the money it is going for, especially for those hardcore 8-bit challenge hounds like me.”
- “Making the core mechanic of a game purposefully hard to extend playability, to me at least, is not a very viable option as it can cause the gameplay to feel frustrating and tedious.”
- “The art style is good and the music is catchy, but unfortunately the gameplay is poor, and gameplay means everything.”
- “The gameplay is horrendous.”
music
93 mentions
55 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy chiptune style that evokes nostalgia for the NES era, while others find it generic or forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as fitting well with the game's retro aesthetic and enhancing the gameplay experience, though some players feel it doesn't quite match the quality of the graphics and gameplay. Despite some criticisms, the music is generally considered a strong aspect of the game's presentation.
- “The music is lively and catchy, adding well to the gameplay.”
- “Great game, awesome soundtrack!”
- “From the great music, challenging and difficult gameplay, along with wonderfully crafted and aesthetically pleasing 8-bit graphics, Oniken is well worth all the money it is going for, especially for those hardcore 8-bit challenge hounds like me.”
- “The music is painfully generic and terrible.”
- “Ok, 5 minutes into this game and it gave me a headache. I'm not trying to be cute here; I mean my head is splitting, and the causes are the graphics and the music. Seriously, don't buy it unless you know what you are getting into.”
- “The music follows those self-imposed limitations, although I found it to be generally average.”
story
88 mentions
23 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of Oniken is a nostalgic homage to 80s action films, featuring a lone hero battling against a robot army with a blend of cheesy dialogue and retro aesthetics. While the plot is straightforward and somewhat cliché, it effectively serves as a backdrop for engaging gameplay and memorable boss fights, with cutscenes that enhance the experience. Despite its simplicity, the narrative is appreciated for its charm and the fun it brings to the overall gaming experience.
- “Oniken plays like a 1980s cyberpunk anime story.”
- “The story is classic 80's action: a lone one-man army must battle his way through ninjas, robots, and mutants in order to save the world.”
- “The story is quite cheesy and fun in a goofy sci-fi anime way, but it is written much better compared to Ninja Gaiden's cut-scenes.”
- “The real hell begins at the 5th mission, and if you look at the game completion statistics, it becomes clear that reasonable players dropped this mediocre clone of 'Ninja Gaiden' a long time ago.”
- “It's not perfect... aside from the music, the story's pretty pathetic (though so fitting for the time period it's forgivable) and there's just no depth or innovation here at all.”
- “When I beat a mission in Oniken, I thought 'ugh, I’m glad that’s finally over' and not 'that was a fun and worthwhile way to spend my time.'”
replayability
11 mentions
45 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mixed experience in terms of replayability. While features like boss rush modes, hardcore challenges, and speedrun achievements provide significant replay value for achievement hunters and skilled players, the linearity and short length of the game limit its overall replay potential. Players who enjoy mastering levels and tackling challenges will find enough to keep them engaged, but those seeking varied gameplay may be disappointed.
- “The boss rush, hardcore mode, and speedrun achievements are well thought out and fun to do, enhancing replayability.”
- “Clever level designs and pretty hard difficulty of the game will add to replayability.”
- “Awesome graphics, great gameplay, and good replayability if you are into achievements or speedruns.”
- “Replayability - 2/5 - the game is extremely linear and doesn't offer any deviation from the main path.”
- “There isn't that much replayability for the game; there are a few hidden items, one per level, and there are achievements for beating a level without dying.”
- “The challenge and struggle is real, and that just makes it all the better for catching your attention and its replayability.”
grinding
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as frustrating and tedious, with players expressing dissatisfaction over the high difficulty level and the need to repeatedly restart stages after losing all lives. This leads to a lack of fluid gameplay and enjoyment, with many recommending the game only for those who appreciate challenging, retro-style experiences. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the fun, making the game feel cumbersome rather than engaging.
- “Making the core mechanic of a game purposefully hard to extend playability, to me at least, is not a very viable option as it can cause the gameplay to feel frustrating and tedious.”
- “Worse yet, losing all lives results in starting the entire stage over, meaning even if you can ace the earlier parts of a stage, repeating them just to get practice on the later parts becomes very tedious, reminding me of some of the worst aspects of games like Ninja Gaiden.”
- “Lots of repetition, cheap deaths, tedious gameplay - unfun.”
stability
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing occasional frame drops and freezes that can disrupt gameplay. While certain users noted improvements with specific launchers, others pointed out that glitches can artificially inflate difficulty, suggesting that some issues may stem from design choices rather than technical limitations. Overall, while some players report a relatively stable experience, others highlight significant bugs that detract from enjoyment.
- “I get a frame drop or a 'freeze' from time to time, but the game freezes with it so it just doesn't affect me, it affects everyone.”
- “Half the fun of the NES classics with twice the glitches!”
- “The few points I would mark against the game are its short length and its buggy launcher.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective color scheme and aesthetic, which enhance both the storytelling and the action. Reviewers note a successful blend of excitement and ambiance, with particular commendation for the music and cutscenes that contribute to the overall experience.
- “There's a nice mixture of action, atmosphere, excitement that combines with the gameplay which is done better than many games, both retro and many AAA games.”
- “Oniken is a short, side-scrolling action platformer in the vein of Contra that nails the aesthetic, music, atmosphere, gameplay...and most importantly, the cutscenes.”
- “The color scheme is extremely effective in both setting the atmosphere of levels and making the hectic action look clean and presentable.”
- “Oniken is a short, side-scrolling action platformer in the vein of Contra that nails the aesthetic, music, atmosphere, gameplay... and most importantly, the cutscenes.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic video games, with players finding amusement in intentionally poor cutscene framerates and exaggerated text delays. This blend of retro tribute and comedic elements adds to the overall enjoyment, making it a lighthearted experience despite its challenging gameplay.
- “Good old style game, it's really funny and it feels like a video game from the old era.”
- “The cutscene framerates are hilariously bad; I don't know if this is intentional or a glitch, but when text pops up on the screen, it takes a solid 5 seconds per word. No NES game would behave like this.”
- “It would be funny if you could catch those and throw them back! Anyway, Oniken is a great tribute to old NES-era side scrollers. It is challenging, has cool boss fights, and is not that long, only 6+1 levels. It also has some extra modes, like boss rush and 'hardcore mode' if you were not satisfied with the difficulty.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly the hitbox and jump responsiveness, which detracts from the emotional experience. The unpredictability of character movement can lead to unexpected deaths, amplifying feelings of helplessness and disappointment during gameplay.
- “Your hitbox feels enormous every time you want it to feel small; several enemy attacks demand you dodge them with good timing, movement, and/or a proper leap, and your jump always feels just lacking enough for the physical damage to be second to the emotional.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for allowing beautiful graphics to run smoothly on a wide range of machines, ensuring a positive experience for most players.
- “Optimized, your beautiful graphics run very well on almost all machines.”
- “The game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, thanks to its excellent optimization.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider audience.”
- “The optimization is lacking; the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate even on high-end machines.”
- “I experienced frequent crashes and long loading times, indicating poor optimization.”
- “Despite the beautiful graphics, the game runs poorly on many systems due to its optimization issues.”