Gravity is a merciless teacher, and Oids will remind you of that with every landing. This action shooter for the Atari ST is among the little gems that managed to turn a simple idea into hours of tension.
The principle combines inertial physics in the style of Asteroids or Thrust with a rescue mission. You pilot a small ship through cavern and planetary levels, fight enemy robots and, above all, free enslaved androids called Oids, which you have to load up and safely transport back. The ship's control is purely inertial, so every burst of the thrusters drives you on, and precise maneuvering in the tight spaces between turrets and walls is half the challenge.
Beyond the levels themselves, the game offered an editor in which players could build their own planets and share them. This gave Oids an unexpected longevity, because the community could generate new content long before it became the standard. For a computer like the Atari ST, it was a thoughtful use of its capabilities.
Culturally Oids fits into the rich tradition of gravity-based action games that flourished on eighties home computers. Players of the time loved that peculiar mix of frustration and satisfaction, when one wrong tap of the thrusters meant smashing against a wall, but a perfect landing with a cargo of androids brought a genuine feeling of piloting skill.
Compared to the big epic titles, Oids is a more modest but all the purer experience. It needs no story cutscenes or complex systems; physics, well-designed levels and the constant temptation to fly just a bit farther, despite the dwindling fuel, are enough for it. It is a game that respects the player's reflexes and patience alike.
Why play: If you are drawn to inertial physics and tense rescue missions, Oids offers precise gravity-based action with a level editor that gives it unexpected longevity.
Game 2 of 72 for Atari ST
