Hello! It is time for another hands-on preview of a game that is currently in development for Steam platforms. I was provided with access to the Alpha build of Oni Academy, an upcoming action adventure title from developer L96 Games and publisher RE:Code. This coverage will discuss the key gameplay mechanics of the game, along with my personal thoughts during my time with this title.
Disclaimer: before I get into the preview, I want to thank RE:Code for providing the key for Oni Academy used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this coverage, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the preview. I will be covering the current version of the game that I have access to, with all of the gameplay elements I experienced during my time with the Alpha build that was provided.
Premise – Oni Academy is an action adventure, with action RPG style combat, where the player takes the role of an Oni hunter recruit. The Academy is a special place where those who reside there hunt deadly demons, exorcising them from the earth. As the missions get more complex, the demons will get more powerful, making each excursion deadlier than the last. There are also dungeons that can be explored to hunt the supernatural.
Gameplay – this title feels like a mix between action RPG and roguelike, where the objective is to exorcise the demons and spirits that are wandering the different locations. When starting the game, the player can create their own demon hunter, building them from a relatively robust selection of outfits and hairstyles. This is where the character class can be selected too, several options to choose from fitting various archetypes.
The different classes that are available include swordsman, gunslinger and sorcerer, with all of the classes having their own traits that make them distinct. These classes all have their own set of equipment and accessories tied to them, adding some flair to the basic set-ups that can be chosen. When character creation has completed, the game starts proper and the player gets taken to the academy where various NPC characters are located.
While in the academy main hall, there are two noticeboards that can be activated. These noticeboards can be used to begin missions and accept quests, with a time limit tied to each of them made up of a set number of days. When the player selects a mission, they are immediately taken to the site of the exorcism. During an exorcism, the player must explore the environment, taking photos and investigating the different phenomena that occur during the mission.
Once the investigation reaches a set point, the target demon will appear and attack. In order to exorcise the demonic presence, the demon must be stunned by using weapon talismans that the player is equipped with. When enough damage has been dealt to the target, they can be exorcised entirely through use of the binding talisman. Once the mission has been completed, the player will earn rewards and a performance review before returning to the academy.
By clearing missions and increasing the grade for the character, new locations can be unlocked for the player to investigate. These locations will have new enemies to fight and environments to explore. This is augmented by a system of procedurally generation, which gives each of the missions a unique layout. The use of randomly made stages allows for an infinite number of possibilities, adding a tremendous amount of replay value to this experience.
Aside from the standard missions, there is a dungeon system where players can challenge different special locations, with endless floors that can be explored. During excursions to these dungeons, the player will encounter swarms of demons, hell bent on annihilating the player. There will also be chests that can be found, containing treasures and resources which can be used at the academy. At different points, the player can drop to the next floor.
When moving between floors, the challenge will increase with stronger and stronger enemies appearing to try and kill the player. This is where the majority of quests can be completed, with different quests having special targets that must be taken down at a set point. The player needs to exercise caution however, as it is very easy to get swarmed and taken down by enemies. When this happens in dungeons (and missions) the player will be kicked back to the academy.
The flow of combat itself feels a little odd, as attacks need to be charged and cast in order to use them, which tries to make it strategic, but sadly makes it feel repetitive quickly. There is a lack of variety in the way that attacks feel, which unfortunately harms the experience. While there is some variety in terms for melee and ranged attacks, the uniform nature of how they are performed makes the choice of class more aesthetic than anything.
Aside from the talisman skills and attacks, there are also basic defensive skills that can be employed but currently don’t have the best utility. These are the kick, which can knock back some of the Oni and the dodge roll, which can be useful when being attacked or if the player is swarmed. These do add a little more depth to the overall combat experience, but need to be polished a little more to be effective for intensive use as the stamina cost is way too high at earlier levels.
When the player is in the academy there are new talismans that can be bought from the vendors, with the ability to equip them to add some limited customization to attacks. This is alongside the ability to level up the talismans and make them stronger during play, which reduces their cast time and increases their damage. In terms of versatility, the investigation tools mix up the gameplay loop a little, giving unique tools like the camera and detectors that can be used.
Going back to the rewards system, there is money, experience and items that can be collected. The money is used for purchases, the experience will level the player up, increasing their grade and the items can be used in battle or crafting. When crafting, the player can use resources to power up talismans, strengthening them and increasing their level of power. The crafting requires different amounts of resources depending on the level.
The money earned is used to purchase different items from the various merchants that make the academy their home. These items mostly consist of Talismans and outfit parts, which can be equipped while in the living quarters, letting the player switch their look up on the fly. While players can access Talismans from different classes, how effective they are in combat is affected by the proficiency that is tied to the class of the character.
The last thing to discuss is the leveling system. As the player clears missions and explores the dungeons, they will gain experience, increasing their level grade and provide improvements to abilities, with points to increase health and stamina. The player will also unlock new places to explore, in and out of the academy. The rate of advancement in terms of level is based on the choices made by players, as different missions provide different amounts of experience.
If players want to advance quickly, then the best choice is to pick the tougher missions and quests, which provide the highest amount of experience. However, these challenges have a higher risk for failure, meaning the lower experience missions are preferred for those who want an easier experience. But the offset to the reduced difficulty requires more missions to be cleared, which can make the overall gameplay experience a bit of a grind for easier missions/quests.
Now with the core gameplay experience covered, I want to discuss the overall feel of the experience in terms of controls, difficulty and presentation.
Game Feel – the overall feel of the gameplay is a little mixed, as the general character movement is snappy and responsive, with good movement when using a controller. However, this is in contrast to the rather sluggish combat, which is due to the way that attacks have to charge between attacks. This makes for an awkward gameplay experience during intense combat sequences, which can take a little time to get used to.
The investigation hotkeys when using a controller can be a little clumsy, due to needing to hold a button to bring up a selection wheel first. This isn’t an issue when playing with mouse and keyboard, as there are dedicated hotkeys for these items. There is a nice general feel to the mouse/keyboard controls, which is as comfortable as a controller, but still has that slower feel with combat. Either control method will work, but use will depend on personal preference.
The progression system does have a satisfying feel to it, with the leveling and upgrade mechanics adding a good amount of depth. It can be a bit of a grind during play, but this is mitigated by choosing the challenges that provide better rewards. There is one rather significant issue I faced with the game, which was that the visuals are very dark, making it difficult to see in most areas, but this may be due to the hardware I used.
This low level of vision may be an attempt to build atmosphere within the different spaces, which does work during the investigative phases, but can be a detriment in dungeons. To counteract this, the lantern and flashlight tools do brighten the areas up significantly, but there are still some areas that need polish. Overall, the visual elements and issues didn’t sour my experience, as I had quite a fairly positive time while playing.
The biggest issue with this however, is the severe spikes in difficulty when trying to take on the dungeon quests. As there is no map that can be used due to the procedurally generated zones, it can be very difficult to navigate and get swarmed by enemies. This is made worse by the random nature of enemy spawns, as they can appear out of nowhere in large numbers, wiping the player out in mere seconds. I found this to be frustrating but it can be improved.
Final Thoughts – as a proof of concept, Oni Academy is something that has a lot of potential and promise. It is in a rough shape now, but as it is in alpha with an estimated release date of 2024, I have hope that it can live up to the potential on show. The gameplay loop is different from the norm and has room for improvement and refinement. The combat is a little jarring due to the casting system, which takes some getting used to but can be adjusted to easily.
The investigation and exorcism missions have a tense atmosphere to them, with very good sound design and effects, but they lose a little impact due to visibility. This may be due to the hardware I have, so personal experience may vary. That being said, the way that the missions played out is something new to me, as I have not experienced a title that uses investigative mechanics like this. The overall experience I had was positive, despite my grievances.
There is a solid groundwork here for a good action RPG title, with plans to expand the game into a full multiplayer experience. This has all of the foundations done right, with a lot of content on offer for players, offering endless replay value with a low barrier of entry. The upgrade system and rewards are satisfying to earn, even if there is a bit of a grind to get the resources needed. For the scope that the game is aiming for, there is promise and I look forward to seeing co-op in action.
From a purely mechanical perspective, the experience I had was solid and worked well to give an idea what the future may hold. I feel that the developers have got some good ideas for this project, with a fairly robust character creator, lots of customization options and plenty of classes to pick from. It does have its flaws like the severe difficulty spikes in dungeons, but I honestly feel that this is a title that has the potential to be a great experience for all players.
If you want to keep up with this title, you can find it on Steam (HERE), but be aware that the game is still in active development and is yet to be announced for early access.
W.Kohaku Media 