Oblivion Override PC Review

When Dead Cells was released in 2018, it took the gaming world by storm, especially for fans of the roguelike genre. It would be a no-brainer to take some inspiration from it to develop an exceptional gaming experience. Does Oblivion Override match some of the same magic as its contemporaries? In short, the answer is a resounding yes. For a title still in early access, it is an impressive one. There is no shortage of fast-paced hack-and-slash goodness to be had with Oblivion Override.

Oblivion Override is the sophomore release from developer Humble Mill. Humble Mill is an independent game studio comprised of ten talented action game enthusiasts that started in 2016. The influence of their debut title, Jiu Li, is on full display. Jiu Li won the best narrative at the International Mobile Gaming Awards back in 2017, cementing a promising future for these new kids on the block. Jiu Li is a hack-and-slash title that is reminiscent of 2009’s once Wii exclusive, Muramasa: The Demon Blade. If there was any hack-and-slash title to derive gameplay elements from, that was an excellent choice. Looking at Jiu Li, you can see the seeds that were sown for Oblivion Override’s foundation.

 

Humble Mill has gone on record saying that Castlevania was also an inspiration for the game. If you put Muramasa, Castlevania, and Dead Cells in a blender, you have a recipe for a successful Metroidvania roguelike. Their mission statement in their words: “We believe game development should be approached with humbleness, and always with the ultimate goal of providing players with a unique and engaging gaming experience.” This drive is what will make them a successful team of developers. Oblivion Override launched in early access on June 14th, 2023 and will be continually receiving updates to enhance the already sublime experience.

Immediately, you are thrust into a post-apocalyptic world where the only thing left are machines, as humanity is but a mere concept of the past. You play as Crimson, a combat bot who tests his mettle with, well, metal, of course. These are robots we are talking about, after all. Crimson is on a mysterious mission inside the dangerous walls of Dulce Base. A medley of different robots, both big and small, await Crimson. It must sharpen thy blade, put on its biggest pair of metallic boots, and steel its non-existent nerves to take down the various baddies that roam the apocalyptic wasteland.

The story is honestly second to the incredible gameplay. You can interact with many NPCs in the main hub area. However, they add little substance to the narrative, or lack thereof is a better sentiment. Roguelikes aren’t known for their standout story and narrative, except for very few. Hades is one exception to the rule. Humble Mill excels with Oblivion Override by making a fun, addictive game that leaves the player coming back for more. This is one of many hallmarks of what makes a finely crafted gaming experience.

 

Oblivion Override features a rich combat system full of frenetic, stylized, and flashy moves to keep you hooked. The speediness of the gameplay is one of Oblivion Override’s greatest strengths. Even when Crimson is attacked, you can quickly land on your feet with the dash mechanic. You have two dashes as your disposal and not to worry, they regenerate quickly, so you can get back into the fray fast. By holding up on either the D-pad or analog stick, Crimson can walk up walls as well, making traversal that much better. You will feel like a ninja once you have a grasp on the game’s mechanics.

The game features a plethora of different weapons to suit any manner of play style. Do you like heavy hitting attacks at the expense of slower speed? How about fast attacks with the caveat of weaker damage output. Make sure to switch things up, you may just find something else that suits your taste. As you progress through Oblivion Override, you will gain access to various kinds of currency, one of which allows you to unlock new weapons. There is sure to be something to fit any gamer’s preference.

Like any roguelike game that came before it, Oblivion Override offers an array of different perks, buffs, etc., throughout each run. There are hundreds of different combinations, so each time you die, you are encouraged to mix and match according to your taste. Perks are purchased with their own kind of currency through what the game calls evolution. Essentially, it's when you have enough currency to buy perks to upgrade Crimson, hence the evolution of its abilities. You can upgrade your critical damage output, weapons always hit with max damage, minimize damage taken, etc.

 

You will most likely die over and over again throughout your play through of Oblivion Override. Gamers coming to Oblivion Override should be well aware of this fact, with it being both a hack and slash and roguelike. A recipe for a cocktail of hard enemies, even tougher bosses, and traps at every corner. The difficulty is punishing in the best way possible. I had an absolute blast having my behind handed to me. All I wanted to do was dust myself off and come back for more. Once you can effectively combine wall running, dashing, and aerial mobility, you will become a combo machine.

You get such a dopamine release from pulling off nasty aerial strings into dashing back to the ground to cover an enemy attempting to attack from behind. Not to mention, you will access permanent upgrades, through what looks like Cerebro from X-Men. This will make Crimson the ultimate robot slayer! You will gain green crystals through defeating enemies and bosses, allowing Crimson to access these permanent buffs. Another staple feature of the genre. Defeating bosses, naturally, gives you more currency and other passives to aid you on your quest.

The bosses remind me so much of fighting robot masters from Mega-Man. Observe their attack patterns carefully and attack when you can. You must be quick because these bosses don’t mess around. I must have died almost a dozen times to the first boss. This was going to be a battle of endurance and wits going forward. You gain the perfect amount of awards for defeating a boss, encouraging you once again to get back on your feet to beat them. Don’t become greedy on the offensive, as that will easily be your downfall.

 

The art direction gets the job done and isn’t necessarily the prettiest thing about Oblivion Override but works well for what it is. The post-apocalyptic aesthetic that Humble Mill was going for was certainly achieved. Animation shines brighter than the art direction. In combat, Crimson’s animation specifically stands out the most. Crimson swings each weapon with grace in tandem with expertly combining the usage of its mobility options like dashing and wall running. Everything flows as it should, with a bit of jerky animation, but that could have also been intentional.

The soundtrack was nothing spectacular but fit the mood of a world filled with nothing but robots and ruined environments of a bygone era. Oblivion Override features a fair amount of techno tracks that surely supplement the gameplay and the environments. When playing with headphones on, it definitely was a bit more enjoyable as I laid waste to the foes. The hallmarks of great video game design were on display with a plethora of features in the settings. You are able to turn blood on and off, which makes no sense for robot enemies, but why not? The screen shake, in particularly made the heavy-hitting attacks have more weight behind them.

Oblivion Override is not even a fully fleshed-out title but is packed with plenty of content to whet the appetite of roguelike inclined players. The best part? Plenty to look forward to in the future, as Oblivion Override is only in early access! Humble Mill plans on delivering more through future updates, so be sure to look forward to that. There is already high replayability, but you can look forward to more in the future when the game premieres an even more fleshed out version.

 

Again, the future looks promising for Humble Mill as long as they can keep up with updates, Oblivion Override will be even more fun than it already is. There are plenty of secrets to uncover as well, so use those keen eyes to scope them out! For gamers that like to hunt down achievements, boy does Oblivion Override have plenty! With 74 achievements in total, you can expect to spend a lot of time in this ravaged robot ruled world.

Oblivion Override features enticing combat, plenty of unlockable goodies, and a difficult but rewarding challenge to keep you coming back for more. This is just the beginning, as the game is still in early access. Make sure to stay tuned for updates from Humble Mill on their Steam page. As of now, the game remains a PC exclusive but could very well change with enough demand. With a price of only $17.99, Oblivion Override is more than worth the price of admission. This is a roguelike you cannot miss.
 

Michael Nicolosi (@ChipmunksMikey)
Editor, NoobFeed