Oneshot

Let's start this review off with the general premise that is RPG Games. We've all played good ones, and we've seen and witnessed bad ones. Over the years though you generally "expect" a certain level of quality, and sometimes a lack there of, presented with games made using this engine. Being a cardinal direction limited, script locked based engine there is "normally" a limit to what creators can and can not do. Fortunately for us, and you, mathew has disregarded these limits. In fact, mathew has taken a sledgehammer to that in which we would consider to be the great wall of the RPG Maker's limited engine. With multiple scripts, hacks, and plug-ins we witness a game that looks like it was built from the ground up in gamemaker or java. It's truly groundbreaking in terms of metalevel design, interaction and placement. Witnessing a tactic employed in a popular RPG "OFF", this game will attempt to pull you in as an important character.


With all that being said, we can move onto other fantastic topics that can be covered over this wonderful treat of a game. Art in RPG Maker games is usually not there. Not in 2k3 games, many games featured or shown use pre-obtained chipsets and resources and rarely will you find full detail hand drawn resources as you would find in this game. Nightmargin the artist really knows how to handle the 2k3 pixel and despite its limits this games atmospheres and undertones rival that of which we see in games like middens and yume nikki. Whereas those games lack in-dept dialogue or feature frustrating combat. Oneshot has beautifully written dialogue that is spaced out so well you can't help but feel the stress and burden of the task you're given in the game. This project is more of a journey than a game that you play to beat and get a score on. It's thought provoking and heart racing, toying with the players hearts and mind at multiple intervals while giving us an open world that we can't even fully grasp.

From the very start of the game we have little to go off of. We are introduced to our cute androgynous cat friend, and are given control of them in a dark musty room. After first making work of our introduction and the puzzles that take place there, we are dropped off into one of the most well designed yet wholesomely open worlds I've seen in an RPG Maker game to date. A world that doesn't seem to exist for the sake of existing, it lives and breathes and catches you off guard. You are thrown stuff that makes you feel for characters and people you don't even see, a society that you never even knew existed. It drives you to continue on your journey, all the while you learn more and more about our friendly cat Niko.


Let's dive more into Niko, but I don't want to spoil too much. Niko is a lovable antagonist. Being an anthropomorphic type animal is always a plus in my book, and is a style often played incorrectly. Niko is just that, they're a cat with a hat and a scarf and they do adventurous stuff. They don't do trope style catlike behavior and don't inconsistently meow and purr at everything they see, it was refreshing to see a catlike character be portrayed as just that, a natural character with defining features other than "look I'm a cat :3". Where that trope is interesting and welcome on some games. Star Ocean 4 being my favorite usage of it, some people tend to be a little overkill on the manner.

That's about all I can tell ye who reads this review. I do grant this game a 5 star review, as I recommend it to any and all who seek out fantastic RPG Maker games, especially ones that take the engine and press it to new heights not really seen or explored before. It's a daring stylistic game that provides no combat yet interesting puzzles and combine item exploration that makes the game what it is. You won't walk away feeling cheated or feeling like you
played an empty shell of a project. It features handmade art, self composed music and an overall original storyline. So be sure to make the right choices, take care of Niko and don't forget you only have oneshot.