Oniken

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 307 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Oniken Game Cover
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Oniken is a single-player, violence fighting game with an intriguing story, excellent gameplay, compelling visuals, and perfect music, inspired by 1980's games and movies. As the lone ninja mercenary Zaku, players join the rebellion against the evil Oniken military organization, oppressing the few remaining post-war survivors. Every copy includes a digital game manual and soundtrack, but expect tough challenges, as death will come frequently.

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

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 307 reviews
graphics34 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The pixel art is beautifully done, capturing the nostalgic feel of classic NES games.
  • Gameplay is challenging yet rewarding, reminiscent of old-school platformers like Ninja Gaiden.
  • The game features a solid soundtrack and engaging cutscenes that enhance the overall experience.
  • The difficulty can feel frustrating and punishing, especially with a poorly implemented checkpoint system.
  • Some enemy placements and attack patterns seem designed to cause cheap deaths, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • Controls can feel stiff and unresponsive at times, detracting from the overall fluidity of the gameplay.
  • graphics83 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their authentic 8-bit aesthetic, successfully capturing the nostalgic feel of classic NES titles while incorporating modern refinements. Many reviewers highlight the vibrant pixel art, well-crafted cutscenes, and overall visual presentation as standout features, although some note occasional inconsistencies in quality. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a strong homage to retro gaming, appealing to fans of the genre.

    • “Great pixel art graphics, great chiptune music, great cinematics; the presentation is just phenomenal.”
    • “The graphics are colorful and well-detailed.”
    • “The artists did an amazing job with the visuals: the graphics aren't stylized to look like 8-bit — they are 8-bit, and great at that.”
    • “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). Generally, the graphics are cool looking.”
    • “The graphics and sounds are not memorable compared to other indie retro games around.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay79 mentions

    The gameplay is a nostalgic homage to classic NES platformers like Ninja Gaiden, featuring solid mechanics and responsive controls, but it is often criticized for its punishing difficulty and reliance on trial-and-error, which can lead to frustration. While the pixel art and chiptune soundtrack are praised, many reviewers feel the gameplay lacks innovation and can become tedious due to repetitive mechanics and cheap deaths. Overall, it appeals to hardcore retro enthusiasts but may deter casual players seeking a smoother experience.

    • “The gameplay is solid but punishing; you have to be the kind of player that is okay with repeating stages until you master the enemy placement, jump spacing, and boss patterns one section at a time.”
    • “In this regard, Oniken, a 2D action platformer from Joymasher, stood out for me in how it was a truly retro experience in every regard, from the carefully crafted aesthetics to the hard-as-nails gameplay that wouldn't be dissimilar to games such as Ninja Gaiden or Strider.”
    • “The controls are snappy and perfectly responsive, the gameplay is straightforward and both fair and punishing, and the art style is the same one that made the ninja boom of the late 80s worthwhile.”
    • “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.”
    • “I also feel the gameplay doesn’t offer anything unique - no improved mechanics or level design, no cool weapons.”
    • “The gameplay is horrendous.”
  • story66 mentions

    The story of the game is a nostalgic homage to 1980s action films, featuring a lone hero battling through various missions filled with quirky enemies and bosses. While the narrative is straightforward and somewhat cheesy, it is complemented by engaging cutscenes and a retro aesthetic that many players find charming. However, some reviewers noted that the story lacks depth and can feel simplistic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay.

    • “Oniken plays like a 1980s cyberpunk anime story.”
    • “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 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 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.'”
    • “There will be some simple plot twists, but overall the story is quite straightforward.”
  • music65 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic chiptune style that evokes classic NES titles, while others find it average or generic. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as catchy and fitting for the gameplay, enhancing the retro aesthetic, though some players feel it doesn't always reach the quality of the best old-school soundtracks. 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.”
    • “The artwork is absolutely beautiful and the music fits the game itself.”
    • “Just a really fun and addictive game, with a badass soundtrack and 1980's look and feel.”
    • “The music is pants except for 2-3 tunes.”
    • “Graphically, the game has succeeded nobly in what it set out to do, though sadly the audio doesn't quite match up; the sound effects are fine, but the music is quite drab and sounds a bit more like something that tries to emulate this kind of sound rather than something from the system itself.”
    • “The music is painfully generic and terrible.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game offers significant replayability through features like boss rush modes, hardcore challenges, and speedrun achievements, appealing to players who enjoy mastering skills and completing achievements. However, some reviewers note that its linear structure may limit replay value for those seeking varied experiences. The combination of clever level design and difficulty enhances the game's replayability for dedicated players.

    • “The boss rush, hardcore mode, and speedrun achievements are well thought out and fun to do, enhancing replayability.”
    • “Clever level designs and the 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.”
    • “The challenge and struggle is real, and that just makes it all the better for catching your attention and its replayability.”
    • “Clever level designs and pretty hard difficulty of the game will add to replayability.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as frustrating and tedious, with players criticizing the high difficulty level and the need to restart entire stages after losing all lives. This leads to a lack of fluidity in gameplay and excessive repetition, making the experience feel cumbersome rather than enjoyable. While some players appreciate the challenge reminiscent of classic games, many recommend approaching it only if found on sale due to its punishing nature.

    • “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.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing occasional frame drops and freezes, particularly with the buggy launcher. While there are reports of improved performance on better hardware, others note that keyboard controls can be problematic, recommending the use of a controller instead. Overall, the game shows fewer glitches compared to its predecessors, but stability issues remain a concern for some players.

    • “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. MSI Game Launcher made Curse of the Moon 1 and 2 playable, so I'll see if it fixes it.”
    • “The few points I would mark against the game are its short length and its buggy launcher.”
    • “Granted, some of this is down to the limitations of the hardware at the time, but what is often mistaken for 'brutal hardcore difficulty' is actually just glitches, lessons which have not yet been learned due to when these games came out, or poor design decisions.”
  • atmosphere4 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 that the combination of visuals, music, and engaging cutscenes creates an immersive experience that stands out among both retro and modern titles. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the excitement and enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “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.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is reminiscent of classic video games, providing a nostalgic and amusing experience that appeals to fans of the old NES era. Players find the comedic elements engaging, particularly in the context of challenging gameplay and unique boss fights, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “Good old style game, it's really funny and it feels like a video game from the old era.”
    • “Would be funny if you could catch those and throw them back :p anyway, Oniken is a great tribute to old NES era side scrollers, it is challenging, it has cool boss fights, it is not that long, only 6+1 levels and it has some extra modes, like boss rush and 'hardcore mode' if you were not satisfied with the difficulty.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, allowing its beautiful graphics to run smoothly on a wide range of machines.

    • “Optimized, your beautiful graphics run very well on almost all machines.”
    • “The game runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, showcasing 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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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