OneShot: You only get One Shot at saving the World

OneShot, a game by Future Cat, is a 2D puzzle adventure story that, with a simple premise, delivers a strong story that leaves one feeling satisfied and at the same time sad.

The story is something best enjoyed personally for, I can only assume, the desired impact. It is a strange anomaly in an industry that pushes for extended "engagement".

To give a brief summary, the main character Niko is transported to another world and eventually comes into possession of something that the residents of the world call the "Sun" - which is to a casual observer just a light bulb that doesn't go out. To speak of the story more would spoil the intended experience, but it does end in a definitive manner.

Niko is an enduring character in the sense of their innocence and desire to do good things for the sake of it. They play the role of protagonist to both solve their problems and still try solve the problems of those around them. There is maturity beneath all the actions they take and one can be caught up doing something incredibly childish, but it makes sense as this character is a still a child.

You the, player, are also a main character so to speak, as Niko has the ability to interpret your input as a clever little 4th wall break insert. Niko has agency and a character of their own will, but is reliant on the instruction of the player to guide them, help solve puzzles and provide input to complete their mission. 

In a nice touch is how when one saves the game, one needs to find a bed for Niko to sleep in and as they do, the game goes black and closes emulating the effect of sleep. When you load back up, Niko welcomes you back and is prepared to continue the journey.

It is a novel idea and it does get expanded upon with puzzles that are gibberish in game world but then asks the player to look through your "computer" ( which is an simulated operating system on consoles) for the solution.

It also makes use of other puzzle elements by having the player help Niko collect miscellaneous parts scattered throughout the world and either by "combining" these parts together or by interacting a part with the environment create a necessary element to complete an objective.

The first area does a good job of helping the player get into the mindset of how to solve the puzzles the game throws at you. They aren't too difficult, with some requiring a specific order in which one should solve it, which I got used to and in combination with the player's personal involvement via the external help does a good job making one feel like they are an outside observer, helping a "Hero" trying to save the world.

I found the writing has a way to be able to provide personality to the characters you meet along the way and elevate the simple graphics on display. There is some mysteries that the game sprinkles for later surprises and the world state is consistent throughout. That could either be a result of being immersed in the narrative or by Niko's desire to try fix a world that is in the throes of despair.

The music, subjectively, is good in the sense that it suits the poignant moments well and conveys the feeling of the journey without distracting one from the gameplay. I feel, besides some exceptions, most of it does not stand out, but again I don't recall feeling anything negative about it either.

OneShot is a charming game that isn't too long, but what time you spend with it will feel worthwhile as you watch and interact with Niko's journey. The few achievements do encourage a second run through, but its ending does a great job of providing finality to the experience if one is more interested in experiencing the story.

Images Source:

IGDB OneShot

Video Source:

OneShot Trailer