Oniken: Unstoppable Edition

While everybody else raves about Capcom's newest version of Resident Evil 2, I want to draw your attention to another remake worth paying attention to in 2019. I'm talking about Oniken: Unstoppable Edition, a fully updated retelling of the 2012 action game that brings the 8-bit inspired hacking and slashing to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch. It's a punishingly difficulty throwback that reminds me a lot of old school classics like Shadow of the Ninja and Shatterhand, and I have a hunch you're going to love it.

Oniken is the story of a dystopian future where an authoritarian government controls everything and uses an army of cybernetic soldiers to kill anybody who opposes them. But don't worry, because there's still one man who can change the fate of this battle, and that's a merciless warrior named Zaku who has earned a reputation for stomping out this robot scourge. Zaku will work closely with the resistance fighters to upend the authoritarian government and make the post-apocalypse world better for everybody. Well, everybody except for the robots.

Like I said at the top, this is a 2D action game inspired by the likes of Shadow of the Ninja and other Nintendo Entertainment System classics. Zaku runs and jumps on platforms while killing enemies with his powerful sword. He's also equipped with grenades for long-range attacks and can pick up a power-up that will add a little length to your melee attack. And just when you get bored of hacking and slashing, Zaku will jump into a hovercraft and shoot his way to freedom. There isn't a whole lot to the gameplay, but Oniken does a good job of mixing things up in order to keep the action fresh.

This is the kind of game where every stage has multiple parts, so it's not always as straightforward as just running from left to right and killing enemies. You'll often have to not only make your way to a massive boss fight, but then spend another few minutes trying to escape. This allows the modestly-sized levels to feel a lot more epic than they actually are, which in turn makes completing the stage that much more satisfying.

And let me tell you, this is a tough game. I don't say that as a criticism, because in that sense it feels like an authentic 8-bit action game. Oniken wants you to not just play these stages, but memorize them. That's the only way you'll make it through this game. The good news is that Zaku starts each level with a lot of health and there are plenty of item boxes sitting around. But even with all that, the levels are going to give our hero a workout. It's not that he'll need to put up with cheap hits, but rather that the enemies are aggressive and relentless. It's only after dying a few times that you begin to anticipate the attacks and understand how the enemy works. But even then, some of those later stages are still incredibly tough.

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The reason Oniken can get away with the extreme difficulty is because it rarely feels unfair. Some of this rests on the shoulders of good level designs, but I also think the tight and responsive controls deserve a lot of the credit. And it doesn't hurt that we're rewarded for our trouble with some genuinely great cinemas. I love the way the story is fleshed out and how cool all the cut scenes look. Between the world building and lengthy cinemas, Oniken constantly goes that extra step to keep you invested in the story, and that's one of the reasons why it resonated with me.

It's probably worth mentioning that this is not a straight port of the 2012 computer game. While the levels and story remain the same, developer JoyMasher has completely redrawn and beefed up the graphics and effects. The bosses look better, the backgrounds are more detailed and the entire thing is presented to fit widescreen display. This remake also comes with the extras that made the original version so much fun, including unlockable levels and new characters. I don't know how unstoppable it is, but this is definitely the ultimate version of Oniken.

Both as a side-scrolling action game and a love letter to the 8-bit classics we grew up with, Oniken is a smashing success. This is a punishingly difficult throwback with a killer story, non-stop action, incredible cinemas, massive boss fights and a whole bunch of awesome unlockables. And while some may be turned off by the challenge, I found the experience to be both fair and satisfying. Oniken is a retro remake done right.