Ooblets, the tried
Contents
What is Ooblets Dance-based gameplay The farm and the city Certainties and Doubts The appeal of the likes of Harvest Moon, Pokémon and Animal Crossing - will be immediately evident in our tried and tested Ooblets for PC - continues to practice unaltered, and for years now. We are clearly talking about titles that now represent an entire genre by themselves, and it is normal for new development teams to look with interest at the aspects that have made it successful. But to be able to carve out a space in a now crowded video game market, you need something else: you need good, original and fresh ideas. Ooblets could do it, net of an evident delay: it should have made its debut in the now "far" 2018. Let's find out then, let's take a closer look at its contents. From today 15 July 2020, in fact, it is available in Early Access on the Epic Games Store as an exclusive time, but in general its definitive publication is expected on PC (also via Steam) and on Xbox One.What is Ooblets
Let's start with a trivial question, namely: what is Ooblets? With such a weird name, you never know what the developers of Glumberland, a software house that is currently unknown, try to trim. But here are some short presentation videos and the introduction itself, in the first few minutes from the start, play in their favor: Ooblets is a production in which we dedicate ourselves to cultivation, in which we live our very own adventure in the city ( in the region of Oob) and in which small creatures are collected now similar to seedlings now closer to the appearance of strange animals.We are in the mind of the cross-references to other productions? But it is obvious, of course. Ooblets does nothing but draw heavily from video games are extremely well-known to the general public, and literally praised by the one particular: Harvest Moon (for the cultivation of the fields and for the management of his farm), Animal Crossing (for the life in a small town), Pokémon, and partially Digimon (for the collection of creatures "pocket"). The component linked to the imitation is so ubiquitous, visible in every aspect, even if rarely really forced.
This is not to say, however, that the developers of Glumberland have only "copied", or rather: their personal mark there, and it is also strongly authorial. For example, they have thought of something very original side of the gameplay, in the clashes between the Ooblet, the monsters that inhabit the game world with human beings.
Gameplay-dance step
In the course of our proof of Ooblets we have had the opportunity to evaluate the merits and flaws of the combat system that is linked to the Ooblet, which is really the heart of the gameplay . Basically, the protagonist gets his first creature, choosing one among a handful of those proposals by the inhabitants of the new unexplored region (Oob): there is a fungus, there is a robot, there is a kind of beetle, armored, and another character more difficult to identify. But one is as good as another because later you will be able to collect all the Ooblet desired, by simply "growing": we'll talk about it at the time.the influence of The Pokémon it's so clear that it's not worth to come back on this aspect: we'll just point out that, at least for the moment, the design of the monsters is yes cute and very soft, also because of the excellent use of pastel colors and the artistic direction in general, but also granted. Mushrooms, birds, small robot, a fish with legs: it really is that "quid" that has always brought honor to the Pokémon, to Digimon, but also to TemTem , if we wanted to refer to a most recent production. The Obleet for now they are cute and just, never brilliant. Things could change (maybe, very maybe) with new updates.
The gameplay, however, is very original. The player should not launch into battle his Ooblet for the slaughter of a barrel-those in the wild or of his opponents: these creatures dance, and compete rigorously in the peaceful contests of dance . With so much of the public, of course. Each conflict was punctuated by several rounds, in what appears to all intents and purposes a game of cards . The player can play a certain number of cards each turn (based on Beat) in your possession, then it's up to the opponent. Winner is the player who first arrives to accumulate 20 dance steps, indicated on two different sidebars.
Explain a similar combat system can lead to confusion, in reality, everything is extremely intuitive: two decks of cards for each player, each card a move of a dance on the stage, he wins the "who dance more". Of course, some cards allow you to earn shifts, subtract "points dance" to the enemy, and so on. The system of the game, seemingly superficial, in fact in the early discounts banal: to win is very easy. Slowly, however, things improve and become more interesting: the Ooblet can be enhanced, thereby gaining new dance moves; the enemy obstinately and do everything to win. Each Ooblet, then, has a style of dancing all its own.
The farm and the city
Ooblets provides that the player articulates the time at his disposal with three different occupations: to meet and dance with new Ooblet, agree, but also visiting the city, its places, its inhabitants, and then taking care of the farm . Cultivation is a game mechanic that is fundamental, so much so that it also serves to get new creatures. After every battle, in fact, the protagonist is given a seed by the opponents: this seed will sprout, if carefully tended, up to the birth of a new Ooblet. The wonders of nature.But to plow, to sow, to hoe, to irrigate, to water, and all other actions require energy: this is shown in the top right, beside the time of the day (which is never linked to the real one); when finished, the forces, the player needs to take a nap, or eat some energy bar. In fact, the mechanics linked to stamina is more annoying and limits the daily activities, in addition to undermining the sense of freedom the general, however, the time is not excessive given that apart from the main town of Oob, there is little else to explore.
The city has been conceived as a sort of hub , but if you want you can ignore it completely and live in their own farm, customising almost every aspect. On the other hand, only visiting the city centre it will be possible to make friends with the other characters, present and get new main and side missions; nothing too original, but necessary to ensure a minimum thread of the narrative, and the opportunity to introduce new monsters collectible.
The value of Ooblets however, has to be evaluated on the long-term, currently lacking is a clear direction, in the face of many aspects of the game yes, pleasant, yes interesting, yes, well-integrated, but that you can enjoy with far more depth on other productions, rather than in a mix that very often works, and that in many other occasions, instead, he knows he's already seen it.
Ooblets is without a doubt an interesting title, which borrows heavily from the mechanics of the game's most popular productions such as Harvest Moon, Pokémon, and Animal Crossing. The player begins his new life at Oob, manages his own farm, he knows the inhabitants and the surrounding area, began to collect the monsters and make them fight each other dance steps. The violence is never space in the production of Glumberland, so much so that the "fights" on the steps of the dance; the art direction is delicious, and the few game environments currently available and great attention to detail. Unfortunately, nearly every aspect of the production knows that he's already seen and, at least at present, does not present particular elements of depth; also the design of the Oob is not right. This does not mean that lack of customization and things to do: we hope that before the launch, however, the production takes on a production of clear, precise, an identity of its own. Speeches funny of the characters after a while tired, and to collect the Oob has little meaning if no targets in the long term. We'll see.
