I've been seated at my desk for an hour, fingers pressed to my lips as I examine the reem of paper half pulled from the typewriter. Righteously punched onto the parchment in jet black permanence is a single phrase: "Beyond Oasis is beyond suck."
Frightened by the beauty of what I have written, I rip the sheet from the platen and toss it into a nearby bin followed shortly by a lit match. To publish such a work of art would mean condemning myself to living in its shadow for the rest of my days. No, this must not be seen by human eyes...
Ok. Let's try again.
Pfff... uhhh... Beyond Oasis is b... buhhh... it's bad?
Sure, whatever. That works. I mean, with how often it shows up on lists of "classic" Genesis games, it's at the very least overrated. I don't know whether it was beloved at the time (I don't recall even hearing about it), or if this is another case of YouTubers and other retro-heads plumbing the depths of old console libraries for something to talk about. Either way, I feel like I've been sold a bill of goods.
It would be reductive and frankly derogatory to refer to Beyond Oasis as a "Zelda clone," but even as far as other 16-bit action-RPGs go, Beyond Oasis is a bit south of average. There is no satisfying sense of progression outside of checking a few "important" items off a list, and Ali is so lacking in character growth as to feel like a static element, every bit as powerful at the end game as he was at the start. You want fun tools that open up exploration, puzzles that are consistently engaging, or a compelling world to run around in? Play a different video game.
Beyond Oasis plays like Zelda stripped down to its combat, except that is also an uncharitable comparison because Zelda's combat is better than this. Ali is stiff, he's slow, and the arc of his sword swings and resulting feedback is limp and soggy. The dude runs around like his pants are constantly falling off, and you can feel that in-hand. There's really nothing going for this game outside of its art style, which is very good and vibrant and kind of just wasted here on something that is so otherwise underwhelming.
Maybe I just don't like 16-bit action-RPGs. Totally possible given what I think of Secret of Mana, but I also can't deny how bored I was playing this, and how much I thought it drags.
Frightened by the beauty of what I have written, I rip the sheet from the platen and toss it into a nearby bin followed shortly by a lit match. To publish such a work of art would mean condemning myself to living in its shadow for the rest of my days. No, this must not be seen by human eyes...
Ok. Let's try again.
Pfff... uhhh... Beyond Oasis is b... buhhh... it's bad?
Sure, whatever. That works. I mean, with how often it shows up on lists of "classic" Genesis games, it's at the very least overrated. I don't know whether it was beloved at the time (I don't recall even hearing about it), or if this is another case of YouTubers and other retro-heads plumbing the depths of old console libraries for something to talk about. Either way, I feel like I've been sold a bill of goods.
It would be reductive and frankly derogatory to refer to Beyond Oasis as a "Zelda clone," but even as far as other 16-bit action-RPGs go, Beyond Oasis is a bit south of average. There is no satisfying sense of progression outside of checking a few "important" items off a list, and Ali is so lacking in character growth as to feel like a static element, every bit as powerful at the end game as he was at the start. You want fun tools that open up exploration, puzzles that are consistently engaging, or a compelling world to run around in? Play a different video game.
Beyond Oasis plays like Zelda stripped down to its combat, except that is also an uncharitable comparison because Zelda's combat is better than this. Ali is stiff, he's slow, and the arc of his sword swings and resulting feedback is limp and soggy. The dude runs around like his pants are constantly falling off, and you can feel that in-hand. There's really nothing going for this game outside of its art style, which is very good and vibrant and kind of just wasted here on something that is so otherwise underwhelming.
Maybe I just don't like 16-bit action-RPGs. Totally possible given what I think of Secret of Mana, but I also can't deny how bored I was playing this, and how much I thought it drags.
12 Comments
I must be immune to all the problems folks have with isometric platformers because Landstalker and I agree on so many levels. (This also explains why I don't wretch at the sight of ZX Spectrum arcade adventure stuff!) As for Beyond Oasis, it's still on my to-try list despite the mixed impressions I get. This was definitely a passion project for the Koshiros, even if its sequel seems to have fixed some glaring problems.
@PasokonDeacon It's weird because I would come pretty close to describing this as passionless. It's just so flat (outside of its art style) and I think the list of better Koshiro games is lengthy.
From a music perspective, this was Yuzo's attempt to iterate on Stravinsky and other modern composers in FM-synth form. I don't think it worked out that well either, but the soundtrack's at least got some distinction going for it.
Well I wanted to say I feel bad for being so acerbic because I think most people aren't into very negative reviews, and assure anyone following me that I have games I like quite a bit coming up, but then I double checked my bucket list and uhhh... Shit, things are gonna be rough for a bit.
I can stomach scathing reviews of Valis games all day! Just leave my other pwecious Japanese PC action games alone. They can't all be as smooth and fun as Bouken Roman, but still.
Bad taste all around in here.
This one hurts mate.
@FallenGrace We'll always have Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shredder's Revenge.
I do have planned to play this one in the future since @FallenGrace recommended it to me and reading this... actually made me want to try it more? People's opinions seem to be a bit more mixed than I thought on this one and that makes me want to try it to see what I think of it. The negatives you mentioned seem that they would really put me off, but seeing so many other people singing its praises makes me think there might be something here for me, and I like that king of uncertainty going into these kind of games.
@DemonAndGames I cannot stress this enough, it's a very real possibility that I don't like 16-bit action-RPGs generally. I don't think I've played enough to know, but I'm struggling to come up with one I like other than A Link to the Past. Regardless, I just didn't like this.
every game is beyond suck
Weatherby
1 year ago