Odd Issey Review

Odd Issey has this really, well, odd look to it. It's not just that it's about an old man in a dressing gown riding around in a steam-powered wheelchair shooting bouncing alien things. That's odd enough, but there's something odd about the art style too. The character outlines are crooked and uneven, the colours are clashing and gaudy, and even the perspective seems a little bit weird for what is essentially a twin-stick shooter. It's all a bit too off-centre for my ever-so-vanilla iPhone 4, not that that's a bad thing at all.

Odd Issey isn't just about being odd, though; it also boasts some smart design features. There's the ability to toggle auto-aim on and off with a 10% bonus given out at the end of levels when it's switched off. Those points matter because they can be exchanged for upgrades like new weapons, increased firing rate, frequency of ammo drops, and so on. The upgrade system in particular is tight and varied, and serves as a neat factor in encouraging progress through all 31 levels.

Unfortunately, those 31 levels tend to feel rather repetitive because they're all set in the same arena to the same music and with the same goal in mind. The only difference between levels is the types of enemies and how many of them there are. Sadly there aren't quite enough enemies or enough distinguishing factors between enemies to really keep the play exciting throughout, although it certainly does get more challenging as I work my way to the final few levels.

Even though it is repetitive, there's still a good deal of fun and certainly unique charm in Odd Issey. After all, how many games boast a hero in his golden years, and even better a handicapped one at that? Like Arthur Dent, Odd Issey's hero is saving the world in his dressing gown, and what's not to like about that?