Developer Monster Theatre has created an approachable roguelike in Atomic Owl, the studio’s debut title. You’re cast as Hidalgo Bladewing, out for revenge after losing a battle against Crow Sorcerer Omega Wing, which saw Hidalgo imprisoned and lose his friends to dark influence. The game itself is a compact Metroidvania that can be beaten in around six hours, but does it sustain its runtime?
Atomic Owl follows a standard roguelike formula of making as much progress as possible, dying, getting some upgrades, and then progressing further on your next run. That’s made easier, though, as Hidalgo levels up during runs by collecting green Meza. As Hidaglo levels up, his health increases, which means each run becomes that little bit more forgiving. Alongside green Meza, there’s a blue variant, which is collected from defeated enemies, and this is the currency used to unlock or improve abilities, such as getting permanent extra lives or increasing the range to absorb Mesa.
There are also further abilities called Wing Remnants. Some enemies drop Wing Remnants and provide bonuses for that specific run, with these including triple jump, an additional dash, or being able to deal fire damage. Wing Remnants are removed at the end of each run, and you never know what you’re going to get.
Atomic Owl is relatively straightforward, with combat and platforming easy to pick up. Hidalgo has access to four weapons, including a greatsword, a whip, throwable axes, and a big hammer. There’s also a scythe, which has limited throws and a cooldown. It does decent damage and can take out multiple enemies if they are in range, which is great when you are getting swarmed. Occasionally, you to need to use a specific weapon to destroy an enemy shield. The combat is not challenging, including the boss fights, with easily readable patterns. Considering the bosses are supposed to be powerful warriors, I was quite surprised how easy it was to defeat them. It may be due to wanting players to keep moving forward, but a little challenge would have been welcome.
The platforming is good throughout Atomic Owl, although there were a couple of moments where it felt a bit fiddly. There was one section where Hidalgo would fall off moving platforms every so often while being swarmed by enemies, and there’s a section near the end where you’re being pursued, which has moments of frustration as you need to be precise to avoid being caught. The platforming is, in my opinion, more of a challenge than the game’s combat.
The visual design of Atomic Owl follows classic pixel art and it has a lot of colour to it, though you can add a CRT and/or Samurai filter to give it a retro or black and white look. There’s a mix of styles across each level, from a small cityscape and woodlands, to more retro-futuristic looks in the training rooms and later levels. The blend of styles helps to keep things fresh as you make progress. The only real complaint I have is that in a couple of darker areas is can be a bit hard to see the platforms you’re supposed to leap onto. The great visual design is matched by the catchy accompanying soundtrack , though there is a level near the end where things are purposefully out of place, which won’t be for everyone.