Indie Comet recommends: Oakenfold

Oakenfold developed by Rutger Van Djik / Studio Taghua

Story

The game takes place in a dystopian future where humans caused extreme harm to the environment. This triggered the release of Biocides, creatures whose sole purpose is to destroy humans and wipe out the human virus. Asha, the player character, is tasked with collecting energy in order to fuel Oakenfold. A giant living spaceship which serves as humanity’s last hope of survival. Oakenfold has a great story and a beautiful sci-fi environment. The overarching story adds stakes to the gameplay and sets a premise that overall, I really enjoyed.

Gameplay

The gameplay is where Oakenfold really shines and provided me with one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had all year. Oakenfold is a tactical RPG which takes place on a procedurally generated 8x8 grid. Each map consists of a different combination of Biocides, energy crates, allies, and workstations. The different biocides each have unique abilities and react differently to player actions. Some jump away if you get too close while others might affect the time flow of the game. Which leads to one of the most important features in the game which is called TimeScrubber. A feature which allows you to undo or redo the moves you make at will. It really turns each stage into a mini playground, encouraging the player to explore different routes and possibilities. Playing with the TimeScrubber feature was fun, as I was able to see the many different outcomes and choose what I felt was the best path. Progress in the game is made by choosing and completing the different stages on a map. However, not each stage tasks the player with the same objective. Some stages tasks you with braving waves of enemies while keeping your energy crates safe, while others task you with traversing the map and escaping. The map gives a preview of the stage to give an idea of what the player will be facing.

Sound

The music and sound effects in the game are really good. The music lends to the ambiance of the setting, with cool, low, sci-fi tones. The game has style overall and the music adds to that. The combat sounds are varied with different actions having their own sound effects. What impressed me most was the sound effects of the enemies and their attacks.

Features

One feature that I thought was really interesting in the game is by choosing Asha's mindset in the beginning of each run, which determines what kind of play style the player will have and which abilities they will start the game with. The game also features permadeath, so if on any stage the player loses all their health, or energy crates, then the game is over, and a new run will have to be played. There are also high scores and weekly escapes which add replayability value. The TimeScrubber feature really steals the show and really takes this game to the next level and makes it such a fun and strategic experience.

Why I recommend

Oakenfold is one of the best games that I have played all year. It has smart video game design and stylish visuals. The TimeScrubber feature gives an added sense of exploration and discovery that I don’t normally get when playing a tactical RPG. Oakenfold is a fun game that I think everyone should give a try, even if they haven’t played a tactical RPG before.

Game: Oakenfold on Steam (steampowered