Oniken

About

Oniken casts you as Zaku, a rogue ninja fighting a brutal military regime in a post-apocalyptic world. This action platformer leans hard into 8-bit aesthetics and relentless challenge, blending side-scrolling combat with cinematic cutscenes. You’ll slash through hordes of enemies across six missions, each split into three stages, with a final mission and boss rush mode waiting after you finish. Controls are tight but unforgiving, and death comes often, especially in Hardcore Mode, which removes save points and halves your health. The game manual and soundtrack are included digitally, but you’ll probably be too busy dying to read either. The game’s retro charm and difficulty spikes have earned it a 4.3/5 on Steam. 18 boss fights range from memorably absurd to brutally precise, and the pixelated violence lands with satisfying crunch. Leaderboards add a competitive edge to its already punishing design. While some may balk at its old-school approach, fans of punishing platformers will appreciate the focus on skill and repetition. Oniken doesn’t hold your hand, but it rewards those who stick around.