Jan 2, 20193 min read

Game Review #086: Odium to the Core (Nintendo Switch)

Reviewer: Frank W.

Developer: Dark-1

Publisher: QubicGames

Category: Arcade, Action, Music, Other

Release Date: 12.25.2018

Price (at time of review): $4.99

Buy Odium to the Core from the Nintendo eShop here.

Red Good, Purple Bad…

I am not sure what I expected coming into this game since I came in blind, but boy was I surprised with what I found contained within! Odium to the Core is somewhere in-between Flappy Bird and a rhythm game, best described as a one-button music-based action game, I would say. This game features a very unique art style using black, red, and purple, mixed with a main color for each level, and it really pops off the screen because of that. Red is good, and purple is bad in this game, and with how quick-paced this game can be, being able to reliably take in information at a glance is highly helpful with knowing how to react to the next challenge. Let's get into what actually comprises the gameplay!

Easy to Understand, Difficult to Master

In this game you play as a slightly menacing-looking eyeball, that is presumably named Odium. Odium starts the game encased in some kind of device from which you burst out and continue your way deeper into what we can only guess is your planet, in order to find and stop the source of this mysterious corruption over the course of 15 levels. The gameplay is simple to understand, but you will find yourself having a challenge mastering it! Essentially, you must make your way from the start of the level to the end, which is generally signified by another of the devices Odium was originally contained within, with which you destroy the corruption and teleport to the next map. If you don’t press any buttons, you will tilt downward until you hit an obstacle, and restart from either the start of the level or the last checkpoint you went though. If you press the A button, you will tilt up and rotate until you befall the same fate as previous.

What you want to do is rhythmically tap the button to stay where you want to go while you interact with the various hazards in the environment, which can be things like waterfalls moving you down, air vents pushing you up, and all the way to lasers flying in giant crisscross patterns and giant saws flying around the level! The visual effect as you fly about the levels and it rotates around you is really awesome, and I suspect purposefully disorienting. It really is a game that requires ALL of your focus when you play—no casually playing this one for you! This game had me on the edge of my seat as I struggled to make my way past problem segments, with a level of determination generally saved for ultra-hard platformers, and I am happy to say, Odium to the Core tickles some of the same feelings for me as those platformers, which is an awesome quality!

When the Bass Drops…

As you fly through the levels, you are met with a beautiful soundtrack, with each level having its own unique song to which all of the hazards in the level are synced. It really feels great as you hear the bass drop right as your screen fills with lasers, as well as all kinds of other stage events just going along with the sound so well! You can really get yourself ahead of the game by learning the music. It will assist you in timing your movements through the entire level. This soundtrack has some serious Drum & Bass music in it, along with some things I would even call Jungle! I did not expect such an awesome and eclectic soundtrack to accompany this game, and as an avid fan of electronic music, I really appreciated how well-crafted the tracks were from a musical standpoint. Even after every death, every retry, and every close call, I never stopped tapping my foot to the music or grew tired of the tracks.

Wrapping Up

Seriously, be prepared to die a bunch of times. This is NOT easy! I seriously had a blast with this game, and for $4.99, it really is a great deal! I give Odium to the Core a rockin’ 7/10. A worthy addition to anyone's Switch library!