Gunning Down the Techno-Norse Gods in Odinfall

There are dozens of roguelike, twin-stick shooters on Steam. Although it’s still in Early Access, Odinfall is shaping up to be one of the subgenre’s better efforts. If developer Ember Paw Games can mend a few balancing issues and slow the tempo down a bit, those who appreciate chaotic action should be quite pleased.

In Odinfall’s current state, the fundamentals are already achieved. Visually, the game’s employs a retro-art style, but the pixels aren’t big enough to sacrifice detail. As such, the dozens of different enemies (180+ at present) are all visually distinctive. And that’s indispensable, since opponent AI varies wildly. Some foes might be oblivious, allowing your character to sneak up and smash them with a pair of brass knuckles. Others are more cognizant, relentless giving chase once they spot you. There are even some adversaries who drop caustic pools of yellow acid. Knowing what you’re up against provides a definite advantage.

Tons of Guns and Melee Weapons, Too

Although enemy counts can be high and their projectiles numbers reach toward bullet hell-territory, you have plenty of offensive options. You’ll start each run with a meager revolver and a dash ability, but there are plenty of weapon caches scattered across each procedurally-generated stage. From melee tools like swords and axes to ammo-fueled lasers, rocket launchers, nail guns, shotguns, and homing missiles, Odinfall’s ordnance is as varied as its opposition. And given the restrained ammo counts for firearms, you’ll likely be swapping weapons often.

Most of the more exotic armaments have advantageous abilities that might send ammo ping-ponging through tight spaces or right over walls, while other munitions deliver depletion damage. One gun even drops giant tacks that will injure pursuing enemies. On top of that, you can slot in up to three found or purchased weapon mods that provide perks like a wider range, extra ammo counts, or even a chance to steal life from each defeated opponent.

Restrained Incentive for Replay  

Complementing the weapon synergy are frequent unlocks and meta-progression upgrades that can do things like restore health at each level or increase your dash damage. However, at present, the level cap for Odinfall’s two playable characters feels too low. After venturing into the second map, you’ll likely encounter a difficulty spike that can bring a ripping run to a crashing halt.

Much of the problem is rooted in the game’s balancing. At a certain point, enemies are just too numerous and move too quickly for your offensive abilities. Additionally, vertically-oriented stages provide no favors. Given the size of your character sprite, it’s far too easy to provoke the attention of a pack of adjacent adversaries, leaving micro-seconds to react before they chain-hit you. Yet, given that the first 15-20 minutes of a run feels fair, there’s a decent chance that Ember Paw can tame things.

Even if they don’t make any adjustments to the game’s balancing, Odinfall should still be remarkably fun to play, thanks to several smart design decisions. High-powered weapons can destroy sections of the environment, creating a line of sight or forcing a hasty retreat. Gathered level keys point to the direction of the stage exit. Roguelikes tend to lose their appeal once you’ve seen all the weapons and enemies on offer. However, Odinfall extends enough variety to easily justify its thirteen-dollar price tag.