Oasis: Path to Redemption Review
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Oasis: Path to Redemption Review

Our Review by Lucy Ingram on December 20th, 2013
Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: A PATH TO NOWHERE
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Oasis: Path to Redemption is an incredibly beautiful game with a stellar concept, but the current issues tied in with this version render it incredibly difficult to enjoy.

Developer: Steve Uy
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Air

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar 
User Interface Rating: starstarblankstarblankstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarblankstarblankstarblankstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarhalfstarblankstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar

I love a sleek, stylish, exciting, and fast-paced runner - if it has plenty to look at and an assortment of achievements to work towards. Oasis: Path to Redemption makes a reasonable attempt but falls short of what I’d consider satisfying. It's a game that has been appropriately labeled as a finite action RPG runner, and promises a story-based seamless experience with a defined ending. For those who can stomach playing it all the way through, that is.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to love and appreciate about Oasis. It features some of the most beautiful looking hand-drawn art that I have laid eyes on in some time. It's no surprise that the one and only Steve Uy, graphic novelist of titles such as Uncanny X Men and Avengers Initiative, would be able to produce such an incredible looking game. I was hooked immediately by the intriguing storyline and dystopian feel.

The way Oasis works is that the higher the percentage, the faster the timer counts down to zero (game over). It’s when the vengeful spirits rear their heads that things start to get a bit sour. One of the first moves the little guy learns is an attack, which would be all well and good if this task alone didn’t cause so much frustration and annoyance. Tapping on the screen will commence an attack, but for some reason there is a slight buffer between the user tapping and the execution. In receipt of an attack, the little guy will get knocked back, in turn speeding up the timer and building up the percentage towards 100% (less stamina is equal to less time). Unfortunately this flaw with the execution of the move means my hero kept getting his butt kicked, and I in turn could rarely make it halfway past the first world.

Players build EXP by killing vengeful spirits, but power-ups and moves are expensive and building up the required amount can seriously take time. Do these newly unlocked moves make things easier? Not really. I got as far as acquiring the jump skill before I got so sick of the repetitive gameplay and lack of progress that I threw in the towel. Either each move is riddled with the same issues or there’s just no way it benefits the character in the slightest. For example, unlocking and executing a defensive stance will only knock back the creatures, which in-turn means having to resort to attacking; hence an endless cycle.

Hand on heart I can honestly say that despite these issues I believe Oasis: Path to Redemption is wonderfully designed and beautifully presented, with an interesting storyline to boot. Unfortunately, without a fix, the experience itself is hugely limited. [Editor's Note: we've been informed that the developers currently have a fix in the works and will update the review accordingly once it's available]

iPhone Screenshots

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Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 1 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 2 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 3 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 4 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 5

iPad Screenshots

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Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 6 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 7 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 8 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 9 Oasis: Path to Redemption screenshot 10
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