Nightmare Mode tells us their thoughts on the upcoming PC title, Oniken.
"Oniken, like La Mulana before it, is a love letter to gaming days of yore. An era where limited color palettes, memory and chiptunes more or less forced developers to focus on aesthetic design and gameplay rather than on intricate narratives or showcasing high-fidelity graphics. An era where protagonists like Oniken‘s Zaku, a superhuman hero fighting against totalitarian militants in the apocalyptic world of the year 20XX, could thrive and be the norm rather than some tongue-in-cheek throwback. Yes, Oniken, rather than just referencing old games or featuring pixel art due to budget constraints like many other indie platformers, is full retro (or retreaux, if you prefer). The art, music, story and four-button + D-pad controls all work to emulate the look and feel of an 8-bit game, and the disciplined design makes the overall experience very charming."
Richard writes: "This is a solid and really engaging hardcore retro throwback, and so if you're looking for a blast to the past, you'll feel like a kid again playing Oniken."
Shaun M Jooste writes: "Nintendo Switch version patch also brings TV filter and screen size options, bug fixes and more."
John Williamson from TPG writes:
"Oniken is a terrifyingly difficult action platformer which beautifully honours games from the NES era. If you are glutton for punishment, or simply enjoy retro inspired games, Oniken is a must-buy."
looks great.