Oscura: Second Shadow is a deeply moody platform game that’s great fun — while it lasts.
Oscura: Second Shadow: On the plus side
Oscura: Second Shadow is the sequel to Oscura, a decent but rather short platform game that came out a couple of years back. You play as the eponymous Oscura, a small imp-like creature charged with restoring all the parts of the lighthouse of lament, scattered when an evil dark creature tries to abscond with it. It’s your standard platform game fare with things to collect (shards and cogs) and plenty of enemies to avoid and platforms to scale.
http://youtu.be/JHaVjV5aAUQ
It’s impossible to look at Oscura: Second Shadow and not get a distinct Limbo vibe from it, because both play with silhouettes and lots of darkness to set a slightly eerie mood. Where Limbo is sheer dark terror, however, Oscura is almost cute, although the enemies that’ll end his life certainly aren’t. All you’ve got to avoid them with is a simple floaty double jump and a timer power that slows them down significantly, recharged by collecting more crystal shards.
Oscura: Second Shadow is a solidly challenging game if you like your platform games on the tricky side, although in a nod to its mobile roots, each level is actually only relatively short. As such, you can hack away at a single level if you’ve just got a few minutes waiting for a bus, or sit down for a lengthier satisfying session of gameplay.
Oscura: Second Shadow: On the minus side
The original game was rather short, and while Oscura: Second Shadow does have more levels — 20 in total — if you’re determined it still won’t take you all that long to get through all of them. There is a slight replayability hook if you’re the type that loves full achievement stars for each level, which you’ll only get by collecting all ten shards, four cogs, beating a time limit and not dying at all, but that’s not the same thing as offering up a lengthy game challenge.
It’s also guilty of the same thing that Limbo intermittently dabbles in, namely unfair deaths. There are a few instances, especially towards the end of the game where I can guarantee you’ll die the first time out due to a “surprise” or two. You can always replay the level if you’re going for perfect, but this still isn’t ideal game design. You should always give the player a chance.
Oscura: Second Shadow: Pricing
Oscura: Second Shadow is available for iOS devices as a universal app for $3.79.
Oscura: Second Shadow: Fat Duck Verdict
There’s no shortage of quality platform games on iOS, so you’re rather spoilt for choice. Oscura: Second Shadow doesn’t outstay its welcome, given the gaming challenge remains pretty constant throughout its twenty levels, but at the same time it is a short game. It’s charming in its own way, and if you like the slightly dark visual tone you’ll get some decent fun out of it.