Toy Odyssey Review: Like Toy Soldiers

What happens when you leave toys on their own? Do events like what we see in movies like Toy Story unfold, or is it a much more lackluster affair than that? Toy Odysssey attempts to answer this question in part, as it follows an action figure named Brand who's valiantly forging ahead to rescue his owner and fellow toys from nightmares that seem to be plaguing their house.

It's a sight you'd expect right out of a Pixar movie with platforming moves pulled straight from classics from the 8-bit and 16-bit era. While it's not perfectly polished or the most imaginative game you'll ever play, it's definitely a rollicking good time if you're into detailed artwork and throwback titles. Just don't expect to know what you're doing or where you're going every second of the time.

A Look Back Into Your Childhood

Anyone who steps into the world of Toy Odyssey will no doubt remember how it was to have a room filled to the brim with trinkets and other fun items. There's a different sort of entertainment to be found strewn about most of the game, and as you explore your Brand's owner Felix's house you'll meet over 300 different toys on the way. From cowboys to army men to hulking power armore, there's a wide variety of toys you'll have to face off against if you want to live. Er, some facsimile of living, anyway. You're a toy, after all.

The game doesn't take place only within Felix's room, however. It grows ever larger as you progress, with the edges of the room reaching further and further a la Metroidvania games the longer you play. You'll have to reach point B all the way back from point A as you progress, utilizing impressive parkour moves and platforming mechanics as you go. At times the controls can be a bit touchy, but with a bit of finesse you'll be a master in no time.

Toy-vania

There's a swath of new rooms to check out, too, to keep you busy. Unfortunately, this doesn't always mean you'll see different-looking areas. Most of the rooms you'll be exploring can look basically the same, with only altered backgrounds and items to collect having changed. Sometimes this can interfere with gameplay because you're not often quite sure what it is you're trying to accomplish.

It can be difficult to figure out where you're going and what your next objective is sometimes, and that makes for some very frustrating playthroughs outside of when you know where you're going and what you're doing next. You're left to your own devices quite often with your faithful wisp most of the time and a vague missive to complete, and there's very little handholding.

To Toy-finity And Beyond

Regardless of these issues, however, the game is quite fun and there's plenty to do. Sometimes it can feel quite spooky, and other times it can feel nostalgic as you frolic about with toys like you would have done when you were a small child. The platforming is excellent, even though sometimes it can be quite difficult, and there's a satisfying crafting system in-game to offer up a good, hearty feeling of progression even when you're not really sure what it is you're supposed to be doing. The parkour-styled maps can be a little strange if you're not sure what you're doing, but there's so much else to do and see here that you'll likely forget all the weirdness and just push forward.

I found Toy Odyssey to be, all in all, an enjoyable little romp evne if it wasn't something I probably would have picked up and played on my own. It still managed to be fun and exciting, with an impressive attention to detail and plenty of reasons to keep coming back, as long as you space out your visits to the toy room by a few days proper.

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!