0 
0 Onion Assault is a 2D platformer now available on PC and Nintendo Switch. It is the latest game by indie developer Hörberg Productions (Gunman Clive, Mechstermination Force). Pick it up in the Nintendo eShop or via Steam starting January 26th.
Simple 2D Platforming That is Just Hard Enough for Me to Suck At
I can say with nearly 100% confidence that Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System was the first video game I ever played. Unbeknownst to me at that time what a major part video games would take in my life, both as entertainment and a social outlet. What about you, dear reader? What was your first dip into the endless sea of video games? Be sure to let me know after you read my take on Onion Assault.
Gameplay
The objective of Onion Assault is to defeat the evil Croquetto Empire from invading the characters’ homeland of Onionia. You play as one of two characters that are cosmetic in nature as previously seen by the original dynamic duo in Super Mario Bros. Pulling up and tossing onions at your enemies, you advance through each stage until you are met with an explosion of onions. Each stage also has a side objective of collecting three special onion coins and you can return to previous stages to collect those that you may have missed.
Unfortunately, Onion Assault stops short of providing any further depth than that. Unless I’m missing something that I didn’t get to that is hidden further into the game, it’s fairly basic in both story and delivery. It would be nice to see the storyline given more of a life woven within the gameplay but from what I could see, it just wasn’t there.
One thing I did learn playing Onion Assault is I am apparently just as bad at 2D platformers now as I was 30 years ago. As with most games, you can expect the difficulty to increase as you progress. However, I continue to fail at simple things like making sure I have enough clearance before attempting a jump. Boss fights seem to be more simple than the task of just getting to them. Thankfully using up all your lives just sends you back to the stage selection screen rather than completely making you start over.
Graphics & Audio
The graphics and audio in Onion Assault are just as simple as the gameplay. There is a music theme that doesn’t seem to change much at all as you play. The graphics are of a hand-drawn aesthetic that fits with the genre and are bright and vibrant at least. My time in the game was spent on PC but I’m sure it will look just as good on the Switch. There weren’t any additional graphic options available other than selecting full screen but I wasn’t really expecting any.
Longevity
Onion Assault is not a game that I foresee getting a lot of hours put in for most. Apart from completing the 16 levels and collecting the three special coins in each level, there isn’t enough further depth to warrant playing through again regularly. To my surprise, the game will not launch on my Steam Deck. It feels like it would be a perfect fit and having another portable simple game like this to pick up and go on the Deck would have given it a bit more life.
Final Thoughts
I really, really was hoping for more from Onion Assault. Gameplay is smooth and it looks pretty, but it is just lacking depth. Though honestly how much depth did Super Mario Bros. really have? Again, there just feels like there should be more to it, even at its lower price point. I’d have to give Onion Assault the Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
