Do We Dare to Dream?
Fan games are fast becoming an endangered species. As soon as they get big enough, some idiot (such as myself) does a news article on them, and in come the C&D’s. Thankfully, this time looks to be different. Once known as Mother 4, Oddity looks just distinct enough to see the light of day.
The story is set in the 1970’s, in a small town where people are starting to slowly disappear without a trace. Three plucky heroes and one hardened criminal must team up to save the world from a mysterious menace that is… probably aliens? Maybe just regular monsters. At the very least, a malevolent force bathed in spooky green light.
Now, there are some potential reservations to be held here. The last time some indie studio tried to make a nostalgic homage to Earthbound with timed attacks and spooky narrative themes, it was YIIK. If you haven’t read that review/cautionary tale, please do so! Many lessons are contained therein. Oddity, or the artist formerly known as Mother 4, leans much harder on the Earthbound aesthetic than any homage that’s come before it. This is a sequel with the serial numbers filed off, and I am absolutely here for it. We’ve got nothing like a release date yet, but this new project name offers a spark of hope where there was none. The trailer is embedded below.