Release Date: June 1, 2016
An unusual independent game. It is a hybrid of a space twin-stick shooter, an RPG and a roguelike game. Blacksea Odyssey tells a story about a tournament held every ten years. Only the bravest warriors from the entire universe participate in it. They are tasked with hunting for various creatures that live in space. When joining the tournament, the player is selecting their character.
Blacksea Odyssey is a hybrid of various genres, including a space twin-stick shooter, a role-playing game and a roguelike game. The title debuted, among other platforms, on PC, XONE and PS4 and it was developed by an independent studio Team Blacksea Odyssey.
The story told in Blacksea Odyssey for PC, XONE and PS4 focuses on the titular tournament that is held every ten years. Because the participants are tasked with hunting various space creatures, only the bravest warriors from the whole universe decide to participate. The winners can obtain ancient treasures and eternal glory, but first they must face the “Titan of the Stars”, a legendary monster with the size of entire galaxies.
Before starting the game, the player is selecting one of a few characters who differ in look, combat statistics (durability; movement speed; thruster regeneration speed; thruster power) and special skills. It is worth mentioning that more characters become available as player progresses through the game.
The action is shown by using a top-down perspective. The gameplay focuses on traveling though the space (the protagonists use special planks for that) and on fighting encountered enemies – monsters, some of which are giant bosses frequently the size of a few screens. As one could guess, the protagonist can defend himself – he can use a harpoon that can tore enemies apart and a runic spear that works like a machine gun. The latter not only wounds the enemies, but destroys environmental objects and obstacles as well.
All of that is supplemented with possibilities to upgrade the equipment by using special runic modifiers. During the game the player must be careful, as death is permanent. The levels are procedurally generated and each new attempt features different challenges – this increases the replayability of the game.
Blacksea Odyssey for PC, XONE and PS4 features simple and clean graphics – specific parts of the space environment and enemies are colorful, making the game clear even despite the dynamic tune of the battles.
Platforms:
PC Windows June 1, 2016
PlayStation 4 July 10, 2018
Xbox One August 23, 2017
Nintendo Switch December 24, 2018
Developer: Team Blacksea Odyssey
Publisher: Digerati
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Game Ratings for Blacksea Odyssey Video Game.
Video Chums: 7.9 / 10 by Tyler Hall
Blacksea Odyssey is a rather challenging game for me to score because it's filled with both wonderful highs and demoralizing lows.
ZTGD: 7 / 10 by Ken McKown
Blacksea Odyssey feels unique in a sea of games in the same vein. There is enough here to keep players interested while not frustrating too much with its roguelike elements.
FingerGuns: 5 / 10 by Sean Davies
It’s such a shame a few technical issues exist because when Blacksea Odyssey is doing what it does best, pitting you against giant space beasties armed with nothing more than a toothpick, and you’re not caught in a mess of vines, this game is a tough but enjoyable title. It’s not as readily gratifying as other games in the genre and if you like a long tailed reward, it certainly has that whiff of Dark Souls inspiration in the finer points of its design.
Average score from votes.
