Do I recommend this game?



With utmost certainty.



The question is, why do I recommend this game?



And to be honest, I’m kind of lost on how to actually start this review. You can’t just start rambling about this game, since it’s a story-driven adventure that can easily be spoiled.



OneShot is certainly a very interesting piece. The premise is made clear in the trailer. Your task is to guide the child Niko through a darkened world and restore the light with the “sun”, a giant lightbulb. However, the game knows you’re a player from the very start and treats you as such. It’s self-aware and will help you on your journey sometimes… or not. Not everything is how it seems. And it certainly won’t be as easy as it initially sounds.



A lot of people tend to compare this game to Undertale, which is not wrong, since both games are 2D-topdown-adventure-games with a heavy focus on story rather than gameplay. While there is a pretty unique combat system in Undertale, OneShot passes on that one completely. There are no random encounters or fights in OneShot, only puzzles within the game… or out of it. While breaking the 4th wall was part of the conclusion to Undertale, doing this is very common for OneShot. It’s part of the set premise. Some people might cringe at the very thought of that, however, the game never does this in a cheesy way. It’s implemented very clever, the puzzles are unique, fun and feel satisfying to solve.



Other than doing puzzles, Niko and you explore this mysterious and beautiful world together, meeting interesting characters, going through three vastly different and color coded zones. (Blue, Green and Red) This is also a clever nudge to the RGB additive color model in reversed order, combining all three in the center as the giant white tower.



The game is presented in a very consistent pixel art-style. While characters don’t explode with detail, their portraits are beautifully crafted and change depending on the characters mood. However, where this art-style really shines is in the environment. From the first screen on, it seeps atmosphere. Many little details with animations can be observed in the different areas. It draws you in, you’ll keep on exploring naturally. And everything is supported by a beautiful, really strong soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere in every way. It will stick with you for a while, striking memories whenever you hear the OST. When I should form it into words, I would say it’s magically gloomy.



Besides the strong presentation, the story and writing are also very prominent features. Niko is such a wonderful character, a good and clever child, presented with this extreme responsibility of saving an entire world. While Niko is carrying an enormous burden, it’s made clear from the start that you take responsibility for Niko. You’re guiding and helping this child, talking to them, seeing their dreams. Niko trusts you and seeks help from time to time. It’s only natural to grow attached to them. And Niko grows attached to you as well, and to the characters they meet. There are multiple developments happening here. You might start this game with the goal of completing it, however, it’ll probably shift to something more personal. The goal of the game, saving the world and Niko, becomes your very own goal as well.



That’s how it was for me at least. It doesn’t happen very often that I get emotionally attached to a video-game-character, OneShot did this within a few hours of playtime. I know it’s weird to say, but Niko grew closer to me than some people I’ve met in the real world. And because of this, oh boy, the ending of the game left me emotionally devastated. For literal days. I had to do some artwork, forum posts and changed my profile to stomach this game a little better. But I’m happy that it happened… and I will never forget Niko and the things we’ve been through together.



This game is a wonderful experience. An emotional journey that should be done by many. The “overwhelmingly positive” amount of reviews speaks for itself. And I can’t recommend OneShot enough.





Farewell, Niko…



…



Enjoy your pancakes.

[i]Do I recommend this game?[/i] With utmost certainty. The question is, [i]why[/i] do I recommend this game? And to be honest, I’m kind of lost on how to actually start this review. You can’t just start rambling about this game, since it’s a story-driven adventure that can easily be spoiled. [i][b]OneShot[/b][/i] is certainly a very interesting piece. The premise is made clear in the trailer. Your task is to guide the child Niko through a darkened world and restore the light with the “sun”, a giant lightbulb. However, the game knows you’re a player from the very start and treats you as such. It’s self-aware and will help you on your journey sometimes… or not. Not everything is how it seems. And it certainly won’t be as easy as it initially sounds. A lot of people tend to compare this game to [i]Undertale[/i], which is not wrong, since both games are 2D-topdown-adventure-games with a heavy focus on story rather than gameplay. While there is a pretty unique combat system in Undertale, OneShot passes on that one completely. There are no random encounters or fights in OneShot, only puzzles with[i]in[/i] the game… or [i]out[/i] of it. While breaking the 4th wall was part of the conclusion to Undertale, doing this is very common for OneShot. It’s part of the set premise. Some people might cringe at the very thought of that, however, the game never does this in a cheesy way. It’s implemented very clever, the puzzles are unique, fun and feel satisfying to solve. Other than doing puzzles, Niko and you explore this mysterious and beautiful world together, meeting interesting characters, going through three vastly different and color coded zones. (Blue, Green and Red) This is also a clever nudge to the RGB additive color model in reversed order, combining all three in the center as the giant white tower. The game is presented in a very consistent pixel art-style. While characters don’t explode with detail, their portraits are beautifully crafted and change depending on the characters mood. However, where this art-style really shines is in the environment. From the first screen on, it seeps atmosphere. Many little details with animations can be observed in the different areas. It draws you in, you’ll keep on exploring naturally. And everything is supported by a beautiful, really strong soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere in every way. It will stick with you for a while, striking memories whenever you hear the OST. When I should form it into words, I would say it’s [i][b]magically gloomy.[/b][/i] Besides the strong presentation, the story and writing are also very prominent features. Niko is such a wonderful character, a good and clever child, presented with this extreme responsibility of saving an entire world. While Niko is carrying an enormous burden, it’s made clear from the start that [i]you[/i] take responsibility for Niko. You’re guiding and helping this child, talking to them, seeing their dreams. Niko trusts you and seeks help from time to time. It’s only natural to grow attached to them. And Niko grows attached to you as well, and to the characters they meet. There are multiple developments happening here. You might start this game with the goal of completing it, however, it’ll probably shift to something more personal. The goal of the game, saving the world and Niko, becomes your very own goal as well. That’s how it was for me at least. It doesn’t happen very often that I get emotionally attached to a video-game-character, OneShot did this within a few hours of playtime. I know it’s weird to say, but Niko grew closer to me than some people I’ve met in [i]the real world.[/i] And because of this, oh boy, the ending of the game left me [i][b]emotionally devastated.[/b][/i] For literal [i][b]days.[/b][/i] I had to do some artwork, forum posts and changed my profile to stomach this game a little better. But I’m happy that it happened… and I will never forget Niko and the things we’ve been through together. This game is a wonderful [i]experience.[/i] An emotional journey that should be done by many. The “overwhelmingly positive” amount of reviews speaks for itself. And I can’t recommend OneShot enough. [i]Farewell, Niko… … Enjoy your pancakes.[/i] Check this box if you received this product for free (?) Do you recommend this game? Yes No Cancel Save Changes