Death is inevitable, but fortunately not the end of the world, either. Gameplay-wise, One Dog Story is quite similar to the action platformers of yore, utilizing one-shot mechanics that were once the calling card from a bygone era. ![]() Although the gameplay will prove a strong point for the game, that alone will likely not be enough for you to want to play it multiple times over. With limited saving and rare opportunities for backtracking, it is very easy to lock yourself out of “endings” without resorting to playing through all over again. E0-43 will have to make choices along the way that will shape the ultimate outcome of his tale, but none of them (at least the handful I’ve experienced) have really matched up to the strong momentum established prior to the conclusion. The tension is further amplified by the aforementioned, occasional flashbacks that E0-43 will experience, leading ever-closer to that fateful event that remains fuzzy for him to this day.įor these reasons, it is unfortunate to report that the actual endings aren’t really satisfying. Something has definitely gone wrong here, and there’s a sense of unease that remains constant while you slowly tread deeper into the facility. One Dog Story does a great job of setting up an interesting premise, stringing along the player via occasional story bits through various NPCs, as well as from notes on computers spread throughout the complex. Waking up alone, face down in the liquid he was once suspended in, E0-43 sets off to discover what has happened, find his owner, and perhaps uncover why he was experimented upon in the first place. While it isn’t exactly clear how or why E0-43 is now a gun-toting, upright canine, occasional flashbacks prior to the opening bunker incident – separate from the surface catastrophe – suggests that he was, in fact, free of genetic mutations at some point, and that his now missing master was once invested in his life. Among those underground were many scientists, one of which brought their furry companion along for the journey. The end is touching, especially if you’ve ever owned a pet, but I don’t think I was ultimately as invested as I would have been had been more evocative in its gameplay.Years ago, there was an accident on the surface, leading civilization to hunker down in underground bunkers. Your journey through the lab will help you unlock the mysteries of your origin, both through flashbacks and journal entries in one of the numerous open computer terminals strewn across the game. “It’s a simple premise that’s executed using straightforward mechanics.”Īll of that said, ODS does try very hard in one area, and that’s its narrative. ![]() The backgrounds are muted blues, browns and mustard yellows, there are only a handful of enemy designs reused with swapped colour pallets, and since there’s no map to speak of, I often found myself wondering if I’d been in my current level before. The environments and musical tone are clearly inspired by games like Metroid and Mega Man and movies like Alien, but it lacks any of the imagination that brought those to life. There are a couple wacky additions as well, like a gun that launches chickens, but after a couple uses it becomes clear that they are more for style than functionality. The weapons you pick up are also standard fare, including a blaster pistol, a shotgun, a rocket launcher, and grenade launcher, to name a few. These are either found in specially-marked blue crates, or by finding the right samey lab coat clad scientist with a quest in need of solving – almost always a fetch quest for an item that can be found in an adjacent room. ![]() The farther you progress, the more obstacles the game throws in your way, usually in the form of a missing key card or random tool you’ll need to gain access to the next room. Most of the game will be spent jumping over and around environmental dangers or blasting your way past hordes of deadly monsters as you climb up the levels of the lab. It’s a simple premise that’s executed using straightforward mechanics. “One Dog Story started out as an ambitious project, with many ideas and references that unfortunately seems to have fallen short when it comes to embodying its proposal.”
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