Oneshot

Official ShadowHatter Review of this game is - this is just a copy/paste of said review to spread the word (and for those who don't feel like link hopping).

Oneshot is an RPG Maker 2003 Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You, as the player, must guide Niko through a mysterious world, utilizing items, characters, and the environment to progress.

STORY:

So the story of this game is that you meet a kid named Niko, who awakes in a strange world and must find his way home. Along the way you realize the world you’re in is sinking into the darkness and you are tasked with being it’s savior and bringing the Sun back to light this world and save it.

The story is unique from other games I’ve played, but it gets even BETTER. I refuse to spoil anything for you about this game, but I’ll just say that you’re involved with this game more than you know, and you’ll not only freak out when the time comes, but you’ll also be as amazed as I was with it.

GRAPHICS:

The artwork in this game is superb, and really gives you a nostalgic feel that not only rivals Cave Story, but also compliments it as if they were family members from the same branch. The character design is also a treat with the main character’s glowing cat eyes really giving this character a unique look that’s just a joy to look at.

MUSIC:

The soundtrack in this game is also a treat, as it uses the piano extremely well to invoke emotions and ambiance at certain portions of your quest. There’s not much to say about this really, I just have a soft spot for the beautiful stylings of piano.

GAMEPLAY:

This is a puzzle game that requires some thought to get through, but isn’t too difficult at the same time. It incorporates a combination system similar to that of your typical adventure games where you create new items by mixing old ones. You also sometimes need to equip certain pieces of equipment to do things such as get through a land of smoke or combine dangerous chemicals together.

Also this game carries a unique feature which is in the name of the game itself. You only have ONESHOT to beat this game. There is no saving in this game and, once you exit the game for any reason, Niko and the world he’s in dies and your quest has become a failure. To prevent this, there are rare beds you’ll encounter in the game that, when you sleep in them, the game saves AND exits at the same time. Once you boot up the game, Niko will awaken and the game goes back on track (maybe even deletes the save created so if you exit the game it’s game over, but I’m too afraid to test this theory currently).

CONCLUSION:

Oneshot is an incredible game that has charming character design, interesting puzzles, a captivating story, and a very dangerous main mechanic. I implore all of you to give this game a download and a play. I really hope this game gets enough attention that the developers decide to make another game in the same universe, or even a sequel (if the story’s end leaves it open for one).

THE GOOD:

- Great character design
- Unique story
- Good music
- Game involves the player
- Dangerous, but very unique death mechanic

THE NEUTRAL:

- While not saving is part of the game’s charm and story, it’s also something scary that you need to keep in mind when playing the game, so you BETTER find a bed to sleep in before you leave the game.

- Transitioning from one map to another becomes confusing at first, since you just sort of move somewhere and the screen fades to dark when you move to another map, rather than incorporate a system like old Zelda games where you move to the EDGE of the map and THEN the transition begins.

No final verdict for this game, just download it and vote for it so it can win the competition, and let’s hope these developers make another incredible game like this in the future.