Odium to the Core review

Developer: Dark-1

Price: $2.99
Version: 1.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro

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Overall Rating:

It's not the first time you've played a game like this and it won't be the last. Between music, rhythm, and one-touch runners, you'll not have to throw your stone far before you hit one on the App Store.

Finding one that's well made and addictive, however, is a different feat altogether and Odium to the Core offers up something pretty special.

Tap to live

Odium to the Core is a one-finger music-based runner where you have to tap the screen to keep your little dude out of the way of hazards. These may be metal parts bordering your path, the machinery that moves rhythmically throughout each level, or just your general sense of poor timing.

Your goal is to beat the levels and reach the core in order to save the world, as you do, but the path's not easy. With 15 levels to get through you'll die and you'll die a lot before reaching the end of each.

If you find the normal mode too simple, however, there's a chaotic Nightmare mode you can have a swing at and that won't be for the faint of heart, pal.

As you go you can change up Odium's appearance with different skins and try to beat your own personal bests, but whether you take advantage of it depends on what sort of gamer you are.

The visuals, though simple, are really nicely constructed. You get a really solid feel of the environment, especially from the active, multi-dimensional background.

The levels each hold their own drum & bass and jungle soundtrack which tie in with both your moments and the environment around you. When the track slows down, you slow down. When it speeds up, you speed up.

This actually provides an element of reaction-based play to it as well since you have to adjust your tapping accordingly to avoid over or underdoing it.

Match the beat

Despite it having a basic story, it's not one you're going to care about. Your main thought will be surviving until the next checkpoint and that's pretty much it.

Though the checkpoints are spread out nicely in most cases, occasionally you find a few which seem poorly arranged, set either too far apart or appearing too soon after you've just passed through one.

I'm also concerned about how colour-blind players might react to it since certain colours play a big part in the game. On their own they're not much to worry about, but set against its background and when going at speed it might be a tad difficult.

Odium to the Core is a cool rhythm game with a few niggles here and there. Its difficulty can be a bit all over the place at times and if you're not very fond of the music style, it's likely this won't be for you.

However, if you enjoy the challenge, the Badland-like visuals, and the music, you'll definitely enjoy it.