Oblivion Override, Humble Mill's venture into 2D rogue-lite platformers, has just been released as Early Access amidst fierce competition within the genre. Find out if the game is worth a try with our review.
Oblivion Override Review and Score Explanation
Oblivion Override Score Explanation
| Overall | Humble Mill has taken the format to a new level with Oblivion Override, creating a game that boasts brutally satisfying combat, beautiful level designs, and fluid animations. Though the story could use some work, and the audio is just above average, the end product is still a must-try for fans of the genre. |
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| Story | The story could honestly be presented better. It's there, but the vast majority of the plot is explained in fragments through cutscenes and dialogue and separated by hours of fast-paced combat. It prevents any sort of cohesive narrative from being formed unless the player takes some of their own time to digest the information. |
| Gameplay | Simply amazing. The combat is this game's strongest point and it does not disappoint. Once players are able to match the game's frenetic pace, they are rewarded with an engrossing cycle of carnage. However, as you continue to progress further, the game itself will start to feel oddly heavy, as though it's the one holding the players back. |
| Visuals | An absurdly pretty game with incredible visual effects, beautifully-designed environments, and aesthetically peculiar characters. The combat flows like liquid, just like your enemies' bodies as your character flays them into scrap metal. |
| Audio | Oblivion Override has the standard audio design people would expect from the genre. The problem is that the sound effects, while able to complement the combat well, is simply loud and without any real weight behind it. On the other hand, the music, while nice, isn't memorable either. More assertive audio would do the carnage more justice. |
| Value for Money | $17.99 for a game as nicely polished as this feels like a steal. Even at the first stretch of the game, anybody could tell they're in for many hours of fun, challenging combat... and also dying. There will be lots of dying. |
Oblivion Override Full Game Review
Pros of Oblivion Override
| Things Oblivion Override Got Right |
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 The combat is jaw-droppingly good Exploration is almost as fun as combat Every run is a new experience Boss designs are amazing |
The combat is jaw-droppingly good
It's difficult to understate just how good Oblivion Override's combat is. The controls are savagely responsive, allowing players to string together beautiful and immensely-rewarding combos. The animations are fluid, complementing the game's fast-paced action very well. Though the boss fights are obviously the main attraction, even the mobs offer a challenge and require players to always stay on their toes.
With 25 available weapons and many more promised, players are welcomed with many combat styles they can practice and utilize. Trying each weapon out is encouraged, and sometimes even necessary, since players are given a random weapon every time they respawn. Changing it can only be done by unlocking a new weapon (which can only be done once per weapon) from Nico, who functions as the game's weapons blacksmith, purchasing one at "Big Brother," a shop run by Tristan and located within each level of the dungeon, or picking one up from a chest. So, if the player doesn't have enough credits, they'll have to use that weapon for their run or until they get lucky and find one.
Humble Mill had even taken the liberty to add health bars on enemies using liquid tanks visible on specific parts of enemies' bodies, similar to how Dead Space shows player health. The tanks start full and gradually drain as they take damage. It removes the guesswork involved with determining enemy health and adds a nice touch of detail to the design.
Exploration is almost as fun as combat
With a map full of hazards to avoid, vertical walls to scale, platforms to traverse, and even hidden areas to discover, exploration in Oblivion Override is almost as enjoyable as fighting.
To add to the experience, the game provides the necessary movement skills right from the start, allowing players to jump mid-air, run up walls, and even make multi-directional dashes. The degree of freedom available to each player is further expanded on later levels, when features such as pipes are added.
Each level is procedurally generated, adding another layer of satisfaction to the experience of exploring every nook and cranny of every run.
Every run is a new experience
In addition to the expansive list of weapons, the game also has a randomized upgrade path to tap into during runs called Evolution Abilities. Due to the limited currency available on every run, players are forced to choose evolution paths that differ subtly from what they are familiar with each time. This may range from being able to deal with crowds faster, hitting crits for greater damage, or... being able to summon fighter jets.
With the game's vast arsenal of weapons, the random Evolution Abilities, and the various areas available for players to explore on the the procedurally generated maps, Oblivion Override ensures that no run will ever feel the same. Unless you really, really try.
Boss designs are amazing
rogue-lites (and roguelikes) need to have great boss designs. These elite enemies present the most significant barriers for the players to overcome to move on, so their designs must be proportional to the challenge. Many themes exist among the hundreds of character tropes, such as the Anti-Hero or "The Grotesque," to choose from. The choice must also appropriately represent the boss and the mobs they rule over. Otherwise, the dissonance in the experience could throw the immersion off.
Fortunately, the developers made the correct choices when they created the level bosses. The themes used to design each of them properly represent the various aspects of each dungeon. Specific examples include Tiyen's construction equipment design (complete with the usual bright yellow coloration) to represent the level's battered, unfinished state or Gladys being a creepy, single-eyed skull to add to his level's unnerving plant-infested theme. Oblivion Override's bosses fit each level like a glove and do the game service by allowing well-designed elites to represent the game's aesthetics and gameplay.
Cons of Oblivion Override
| Things That Oblivion Override Can Improve |
|---|
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The story presentation could use some work There's basically no tutorials The game becomes heavy after a certain point |
The story presentation could use some work
One of the expected points the game will fail in is its story. There's always too little to go by, even on cutscenes that could be extended for however it wanted. The way it's presented is also off-putting since it's mostly just text bubbles without any visual effort. It could have at least been presented in a visual novel-esque format. Better yet, they could have implemented animated cutscenes or graphic novel-like storytelling.
The artwork for the game is jaw-dropping, so I fail to understand why they would cut such a corner. They could avoid lore cutting into the gameplay's momentum by spacing important scenes evenly. Instead, we get developments spread sporadically across stages and a "find out for yourself" mentality that players who appreciate a good story-driven game would find either confusing or bothersome.
There are basically no tutorials
The tutorial experience can be summarized with the following steps:
- Here's what needs to happen
- This is the button you should press
There's little, if any, explanation provided to the player afterward. There are even points where the player can unlock features or upgrades but they get little to no exposition. This is especially egregious for the many currencies available in the game. Players would have to just guess where to gather them if it weren't initially obvious. While there is a kind of satisfaction in discovering things without being spoonfed information, it could also cause frustrations for people who just want a streamlined new player experience.
The game becomes heavy after a certain point
Similar to any rogue-lite, Oblivion Override is a fairly punishing game. Performing numerous runs, restarting at the beginning when you die, upgrading your character, and unlocking new weapons, may be frustrating early on. But after some hard work, players will eventually get the hang of it and may even enjoy the opportunities each reset can provide.
In Oblvion Override, on every reset, the player is rewarded with credits to upgrade Crimson and assemble weapons from blueprints. These bonuses and options allow players to progress further into the level. The game awards them even more credits as the player reaches new depths using their skills and knowledge. It's a positive feedback loop that encourages the player to develop their skills and keep pace with the ever-increasing speed of the fights.
However, as you progress further, the game itself will feel oddly heavy, as though it's.... hit a speed limit. While rewards will still increase, the gameplay itself stops becoming faster. Instead, the difficulty becomes artificially inflated by increasingly more bothersome enemies to defeat, such as those that can teleport around or become invincible (or, in some cases, invisible) for annoyingly long periods. Minor features that slow down the pace will also become apparent. Examples include Crimson's need to recover for a moment after falling a certain height or his movement speed being far outclassed by his dashes, which players are forced to use to speed things up. See, there is a massive speed difference between dashing and running. While that makes sense on paper, for a game that's played for its fast pace, having such a significant disparity will mean that players will invariably want to rely only on dashes to move around the map quicker. And because the charges for dashing regenerate quickly, running will start to feel sluggish compared to the alternative.
Inevitably, there will come a point in the game where a player will lose a run, not just because of an issue with their ability but also in part due to the game's inability to keep up with the player.
Oblivion Override Overview & Premise
Oblivion Override is a 2D rogue-lite platformer with procedurally-generated maps. Players take the role of a "Virus" called Crimson, who must fight against a gauntlet of robots to find the origin of "Eset."
There's little in the way of lore, which is almost absent in terms of development, save for the times when you encounter certain robots who are civilized enough to strike up a conversation. However, it does just enough to keep players curious about the story, or even as a side content to enjoy after hours of destroying robots.
Who Should Play Oblivion Override?
Oblivion Override is Recommended if You Enjoy:
• Dead Cells
• Mega Man
• Hollow Knight
If you're a fan of Metroidvania games or even just 2D platformers, you will likely enjoy Oblivion Override. The game offers fast-paced action with responsive controls and remarkable freedom. Running through the map and discovering hidden areas is almost as exciting as trying out a weapon for the first time. Though some players may initially struggle with the movement skills, it's a beautiful and stylish way of playing once players overcome that minor barrier.
The current version of Oblivion Override is not yet complete. As time passes, the developers plan on adding more content, such as additional bosses, weapons, levels, and enemies, as well as further optimizations for the already brilliant combat and controls.
Is Oblivion Override Worth It?
If You're Eager For Another Rogue-lite, Buy It
Despite still being in Early Access, Oblivion Override already promises dozens of hours of gametime between upgrading Crimson, exploring for weapons and hidden rooms, practicing on bosses, and running errands. The game is already a complete package at this point, albeit a relatively short one for its genre. But as the game continues to gather more content as time passes, the money spent now would seem like an absolute steal by that point.
How Oblivion Override Matches Up to Similar Games
| Games Similar to Oblivion Override | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
 Dead Cells |
Oblivion Override has a more defined art style, which fits its futuristic theme. Crimson's maneuverability is also better than the Beheaded in Dead Cells, with the former able to scale walls without stopping, perform standing and mid-air dashes in eight directions, and throw himself high up into the air, all from the start of the game. | Unfortunately, Dead Cells ultimately trumps Oblivion Override on basically everything else. Dead Cells has much more responsive controls, better animations, and a wider variety of gameplay options, among other things. Dead Cells also allows players to experiment with their playstyles using the Training Room feature and even has outfits to customize their characters. |
 Xenon Valkyrie+ |
With a smooth, fluid-like combat experience complimented by its Metroidvania traversal options, Oblivion Override is an action-packed game that allows players to dash straight into trouble at any point. It also has far higher replayability and customization options from its Evolution system and other upgrade mechanics. It's also far more punishing than Xenon Valkyrie+, where checkpoints can be purchased, which puts a damper on the challenge for the latter. | Xenon Valkyrie+ has a unique appeal within the recent rogue-lite games due to its retro visuals, chiptune music, and an additional layer of variety in the gameplay by having multiple playable characters (one of which is a fish). Though similarly as challenging as Oblivion Override, Xenon Valkyrie+ does allow players to purchase checkpoints where they can start again when they die, but only after much blood, sweat, and tears are shed. It's difficult to do, but it at least allows players to permanently record their progress through the dungeons. |
 Ender Lilies |
Oblivion Override is a far more fast-paced, action-packed game than Ender Lilies' well-paced combat. There's far more excitement in Oblivion Override as the game throws dozens of enemies at you, several of which have the ability to further riddle the map with hazards and bolts of pain. It also has much more replayability, with the randomized Evolution points and the weapon variety, among other factors. | What Ender Lilies lacks in challenge and punishments from being a pure Metroidvania, it more than makes up with its art style and storytelling. Unlike Oblivion Override and its mechanical, lifeless world (no pun intended), Ender Lilies' environment seems like it could even breathe. Their characters are beautifully illustrated and given riveting backstories fluently delivered through just a few lines of dialogue. The entire story is also cohesively narrated in easy-to-digest parts for players as they progress through the game. |
Oblivion Override Trailer
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Oblivion Override Product Information
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| Title | OBLIVION OVERRIDE |
|---|---|
| Release Date | June 14, 2023 |
| Developer | Humble Mill |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Action Platformer |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | N/A |
