Let me set the scene; it's 1995. The sun’s out, but it’s not scorching. You and your friends each have a can of Surge in your hand and are rushing to the nearest arcade to try out the new cabinet. You grab your hard-earned cash and line up to play… Atomic Owl! That’s the feeling I had when booting this game up for the first time. The opening scene, paired with the soundtrack, made me want to bleach my hair and buy a Nine Inch Nails album. The music, art style, and 2D pixel graphics hit all the nostalgic notes.
At its core Atomic Owl is about saving your city from the dark and demented Omega Wing. The evil sorcerer discovered a dark feather that unleashed the corrupting “Meza” back into the world, even taking control of your Bladewing Warrior friends to battle alongside him. The main character, Hidalgo, is the only survivor of Omega Wing’s attack and now is on a mission of revenge. The game does a great job of setting the scene and explaining the backstory to give the player a clear reason behind every fight.
Playing as Hidalgo I traversed through different platforming levels, being careful to time my jumps to avoid falling. Thankfully, falling off the map is not game over; instead, you lose one health and restart where you last touched the ground. As you defeat enemies, you earn souls, the game's currency, which allows you to purchase upgrades for Hidalgo. The sword “Mezameta” can transform into four different types of weapons. My personal favorite was the chain whip; it did two damage to the enemy and had extra reach. I also had throwable scythes that did a ton of damage but were limited by the number of times they could be thrown before needing to recharge.
Part of the roguelike nature is the addictiveness of trying again after failing. When I got to a roadblock and died, I would go to the “campfire” to upgrade my permanent abilities to make it easier to get past. Dying made the challenge real, forcing me to start each run at the beginning. This meant I had to redo boss fights and hunt for any temporary upgrades scattered throughout the map.
The electrifying colors and epic soundtrack added to the charm. Traversal felt like a 90s action montage straight out of a Keanu Reeves film. I couldn’t help but feel extra motivated once I put my headphones on and immersed myself in the game. While there were no lyrics, the beat was irresistible.
Overall, Atomic Owl is a tight 2D roguelite platformer that has a killer soundtrack, a variety of weapons, and bright artwork. Playing the game, I could feel the inspiration they had from Sega Genesis games like Shinobi. I enjoyed the difficulty of perma-death in this game and the nostalgic ‘80s vibe it worked with. Developed by Monster Theater, it is out now on Steam for $19.99, with console versions on the horizon. With how well this game was developed, it makes me wish arcades were still mainstream.
Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this game.
