News
‘Oniken’ And ‘Odallus’ to Receive Console Editions This Spring
Previously-enjoyed by PC gamers, a pair of retro-inspired JoyMasher action-platformers are headed to consoles. Publisher Digerati and developer JoyMasher have announced that Odallus: The Dark Call and Oniken: Unstoppable Edition will be headed to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Currently, only the Switch versions of the games have a release date (February 8th), while the PS4 and Xbox One versions have a “this Spring” date. Those who purchase Oniken: Unstoppable Edition on the Switch will receive a 10% discount towards Odallus. In addition, the games will also see a physical release for the PlayStation 4 and Switch in three variations:
- Oniken: Unstoppable Edition (PS4)
- Oniken + Odallus Collection (PS4, Switch)
- Oniken + Odallus Collection Limited Edition (PS4, Switch)
The Limited Edition will include soundtracks for both games, as well as a printed manual.
In Oniken, you are ninja mercenary Zaku, who is the last hope for humanity in a post-apocalyptic future controlleinister corporation. Ins-fair classic 8-bit action/platformers like Ninja Gaiden, Oniken: Unstoppable Edition pits your agility and swordplay against a gauntlet of enemies, traps, and challenging bosses.
In Odallus: The Dark Call, you play as Haggis – a battle-weary warrior who must wield his sword once more to rescue his son from Darkness in a game that pays tribute to classic action-platformers like Castlevania.
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, but it was a cheerful illustrator from England who helped to define the terrifying war-torn imagery that inspired what we now know as Grimdark (a hybrid genre combining horror with sci-fi/fantasy).
Unfortunately for fans of Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade and countless other sources of Grimdark thrills, veteran artist John Blanche passed away this week after struggling with health issues for the past few years.
While the artist retired back in 2023, he leaves us with an enormous legacy of iconic artwork that continues to inspire gamers and storytellers around the world to this very day.
The news is especially gloomy as it was only last year that Daniel Lowman and Napoleon Dynamite himself Jon Heder released The Grim & the Dark: The Search for John Blanche, a documentary following Heder’s exploration of the Grimdark genre culminating in a heartwarming encounter with Blanche in his own home.
Below is one of my favorite pieces by Blanche, his highly influential depiction of Warhammer 40k’s God-Emperor of Mankind on his Golden Throne.
We send our deepest condolences to John Blanche’s family, friends, and fans.
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