It’s a fairly meaty playtime, though I admittedly wanted more. Luckily the game directly informs you how many secrets are still hidden per stage. I spent about eight hours with the game, and that includes revisiting levels and locating all secrets.
The game cunningly masks a deep, addictive Metroidvania progression behind its seemingly linear structure.Ĭonsequently, Odallus is thankfully not frustrating, but it’s also not too long or tough. I was motivated to go back to a level multiple times, exhaust its rooms, and return whenever I gained a new ability. The subweapons are similar to those of Castlevania, but you can freely switch between them.
#THE LONG DARK SWITCH UPGRADE#
I may find upgrade rewards awaiting me after difficult platforming segments, secret exits from vigilantly scanning the environment, or new subweapons because I solved a puzzle.
#THE LONG DARK SWITCH FREE#
I’m free to go anywhere in each 2D area, provided I have the power-ups to reach it. Unlike more linear sidescrollers, each stage in Odallus promotes open exploration. There is a fair amount of backtracking, but I embraced it thanks to the level design. Typically, you need to find a special power-up – such as the power to move blocks – in a later stage, then return to an earlier area and use it to uncover hidden paths. Almost every level has a devious secret exit, and finding all of them is mandatory to reach the ending. Slaying a boss opens up the next stage, but as I soon found out, that isn’t enough to beat the game. Each path has its own challenges, but they all eventually lead to a boss. Every area hosts multiple paths that converge and branch out again. There are nine stages, but progression through them isn’t linear. Other than that snag, combat is fast, and a variety of ghoulish enemies and gameplay shifts, such as minecart rides, keep the experience fresh. I got used to it eventually, but it’s unlike any other platformers I’ve played. You jump with the Nintendo Switch’s A button and attack with the Y button, which is awkward to perform due to their placements on the controller. The responsive controls foster smooth gameplay, and the only downside is a lack of customizable button inputs. Like Konami’s 8-bit vampire hunters, Haggis runs, jumps, and brandishes his weapon (a sword instead of a whip), but he moves much swifter and less clunkily. Odallus’s dark, atmospheric stages look like classic Castlevania, but the gameplay isn’t as frustrating as notorious “NES-hard” titles.
#THE LONG DARK SWITCH TV#
Even the screen replicates old tube TV displays the action takes place on a 4:3 box in the center, and the side menus curve a little. The rich, detailed 8-bit graphics and gothic rock chiptunes will immediately conjure up nostalgia for anyone who has grown up with the NES. A simple plot isn’t the only shared aspect between Odallus and old Nintendo games. Aside from some dialogue boxes and hidden lore, that’s as much story as the game provides. A brief, pixelated opening cutscene reveals the plight of Haggis, a man who loses his son and discovers his town has been set on fire by monsters.
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